I was confused. I tried to remember–but nothing came back. My head throbbed.
“It’s okay if you don’t remember. You said you wanted to travel with me. I’ve already booked the tickets. Should I help you pack?”
Even with my mind clouded, I trusted him. Something about him felt safe.
We arrived at a familiar place. He asked if I remembered where home was.
Ashamed, I fiddled with my phone. I didn’t.
Luckily, he knew the code. The door opened.
No one was home. Nico and I stepped inside.
I had the strange sense I’d never been here before. But somehow, I knew exactly where everything was. My things were in their place. My body remembered–even if my mind didn’t.
“Take a look around,” Nico said. “Figure out what you want to bring. I’ll help.”
I shook off the strange feeling and pulled out a suitcase from the closet. My hands moved on instinct. I began pack- ing.
As we stepped outside, a car passed us, coming in.
Aiden had been anxious all day. I’d been locked up for so long, and still, there was no word. No calls, no messages.
Usually, I would’ve contacted him, begging for help.
He went home, hoping I’d come back.
The front door creaked open, and dust floated in the stale air. It was clear no one had been here in weeks.
Since I’d been taken to detention, Aiden hadn’t come back.
Pamela was even worse off, gallivanting around with some man’s credit card, rarely showing her face.
Just as he turned to leave, something caught his eye–a clean patch by the shoe rack. One pair of shoes was missing. Someone had been here recently.
“Esme? Esme, are you home?”
He hurried upstairs, opening every door. All the rooms were empty.
“Am I imagining things?”
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10:01
Chapter 5 Leaving the States
He pushed open my bedroom door. It was spotless, leaving him frozen.
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Just weeks ago, when he’d come back, the room had been a mess–scattered stuffed animals, a cluttered vanity with bottles everywhere.
Now? Nothing.
His unease grew. He called the detention center and was told I’d been released long ago.
He tried calling me repeatedly, but every time, the phone went straight to voicemail–or was turned off. Desperate, he called Luca Klein, his assistant.
“Luca,” he said, voice sharp, “I want you to find out where Esme is. I want answers. Today.”
Though confused, Luca didn’t dare question him.
As Selene walked by, she overheard the call. Her eyes narrowed slightly.
“Luca, didn’t you say you had an unfinished file? Go finish that. I’ll handle the search.”
Luca gratefully handed over the phone.
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