6
But how?
How had she tracked me to South City so
fast?
How had she deployed killers to hunt us
down, to silence us for good?!
L
Suddenly, the footsteps outside the
dumpsters stopped.
I heard a faint rustling, a stealthy sound,
getting closer.
Closer.
I held my breath, my heart hammering against
my ribs so violently I thought it would
explode.
“Hey! What do you think you’re doing over
there?!”
A sharp, authoritative female voice cut
through the tension.
I tensed, every muscle coiled tight, like I was
clinging to a single, fraying thread of hope.
The men, clearly startled, muttered to each
other. After a tense moment, they exchanged
glances and then, thankfully, scurried away
like rats.
When the sound of their retreating footsteps
finally faded, my legs turned to jelly. I nearly
L
collapsed right there in the filth.
“They’re gone,” the voice said, calmer now.
“You can come out. It’s safe.”
“Don’t worry, I’m a South City police officer. If
you’re in some kind of trouble, you can tell
me.”
Police.
The word was like a balm to my frayed
nerves. My racing heart finally began to slow.
I stepped out.
The woman in front of me had a chic, chin-
length bob, and an air of no–nonsense
competence that was surprisingly striking.
She gave me a quick, surprised look, her eyes
widening slightly when she noticed Nina in my
arms. Then her brow furrowed.
“What’s going on here?”
The words caught in my throat. My mouth
opened and closed, but nothing came out.
Finally, with a wave of bitterness, I managed,
<
“I… I came to South City to find my parents.”
She sensed the pain I couldn’t voice and
didn’t press.
“Is there anything I can help you with?”
She’d barely finished speaking when several
well–built men, clearly bodyguards, seemed to
materialize out of thin air.
The officer instinctively tensed, ready to
react, but a distinguished–looking lady
stepped forward, blocking her path.
“Hannah Moon, where do you think you’re off
to in such a hurry?” the lady said, her voice
firm but not unkind.
The officer, Hannah Moon, frowned with a
hint of impatience.
She opened her mouth to reply, but then the
lady, Susan Holland, saw me standing behind
Hannah.
“It’s you!” Susan exclaimed. “What a
remarkable coincidence!”
I was just as stunned.
After Susan got a quick rundown of what had
happened, she immediately insisted I come
stay at her house.
I felt incredibly awkward imposing, but the
terrifying image of those men, their
murderous intent, flashed through my mind. I
quickly stammered my thanks.
Susan lived in an older, established part of
the city. Her large house was one of the few
still occupied in the immediate area,
surrounded by a quiet, dignified air.
On the way, she was incredibly kind.
“Stella, dear,” she said gently, “it might be a
bit inconvenient for you to go out by yourself
for now, but please, if you need anything at
all, just tell me. I’ll have my staff get it for
you.”
Here I was, in a strange city, utterly alone,
and Susan Holland was offering me
sanctuary. Gratitude washed over me,
immense and overwhelming.
Holding Nina, I kept bowing my head, trying
to express how thankful I was.
Hannah Moon gently helped me straighten up,
a warm smile on her face. “Don’t be so formal
with my mom, really.”
Susan smiled, a kind, maternal expression,
but a shadow of sadness lingered in her eyes.
“I had a daughter once too,” she said softly.
“If she had… if she’d been able to grow up
safely, she’d be about your age now.”
Seeing the sorrow etched on her face, my
heart ached for her. “Aunt Susan,” I said, my
voice thick with emotion, “I’m sure your
daughter… I’m sure good people are blessed.
She must be looking forward to the day she’s
reunited with you too.”
Susan’s smile was tinged with a fragile hope.
She immediately instructed her staff to
prepare a room for me and Nina, and to fetch
all the baby supplies we could possibly need.
Later, Hannah invited me to bring Nina to her
room.
I was surprised to see one entire corner filled
with plush toys and dolls. My first impression
of Hannah had been of a cool, perhaps even
tomboyish, young woman; I would have
pegged her as more into action figures than
fluffy animals.
She scooped up an armful of stuffed toys
from a basket. “Here, for the baby to play
with.”
A genuine smile, the first one since this whole
nightmare began again, touched my lips.
“Nina and I thank you,” I said, feeling a
warmth spread through me.
“Nina? That’s a beautiful name,” Hannah said,
her eyes sparkling. “Can I… can I hold her?”
She looked so eager.
<
I nodded, and I couldn’t help but let out a
small laugh at how carefully, almost
reverently, she took Nina into her arms.
Susan came in then and saw the scene, her
own eyes lighting up with a wistful, yearning
look.
The most amazing thing happened.
The moment Nina was settled in Susan’s
arms, she let out a delighted giggle.
Susan’s face absolutely beamed. She was
visibly moved, and she started cooing and
playing with Nina with an infectious
enthusiasm.
Nina couldn’t stop giggling, and Hannah
watched them, her expression a mixture of
surprise and pure joy.
“Wow, Stella,” Hannah said, “has Nina always
been this cheerful and outgoing?”
I shook my head, feeling a sense of wonder
myself. “No, not always. This is… this is new.”
“Oh, this little darling is just so lovable!”
Susan exclaimed, her eyes shining. “And you
know,” she added thoughtfully, “looking at
Nina’s eyes, her little nose… she reminds me
so much of Dawn.”
At the mention of that name, Hannah’s smile
froze.
She turned and stared intently at my face, her
expression shifting, becoming suddenly,
intensely serious.
“Stella,” she said slowly, “you told me you
came to South City to find your biological
parents, right?”
All my attention had been on Nina, on the
miraculous, heartwarming scene unfolding.
I hadn’t noticed the profound change in
Hannah’s eyes at all.
