Alessia sat in the back of the police car parked outside the daycare, her hands trembling as she dialed her parents’ number. Tears streamed down her face, her voice shaking as she spoke into the phone.
“Mom, Dad, it’s Avery,” she choked out. “She’s gone. Someone took her.”
Victoria’s gasp was audible through the line, and Zayden’s voice was immediately firm, laced with alarm. “Alessia, calm down. Tell us everything.”
“It’s Zoey,” Alessia cried. “She tricked the daycare into thinking she was my assistant. She has Avery, and the police—” Her voice broke as she glanced at the officers conferring nearby. “The police are looking for her, but I don’t know what to do. I need your help.”
“We’re on our way,” Zayden said without hesitation. “Stay where you are. We’ll figure this out.”
Within thirty minutes, Zayden and Victoria arrived at the daycare, their expressions grim as they approached their distraught daughter. Victoria pulled Alessia into a tight hug, stroking her hair as Alessia sobbed against her shoulder.
“We’ll find her,” Victoria whispered, her voice cracking. “We’ll get her back.”
Zayden was already on his phone, pacing nearby as he barked orders. “Get Detective Tover on this immediately,” he said into the phone. “This is a kidnapping, and it’s personal. My granddaughter’s life is on the line.”
Alessia pulled away from her mother, her tear-streaked face etched with desperation. “Dad, what if she—what if Zoey hurts her?” Her voice broke, and she clutched Victoria’s hand tightly.
“She won’t,” Zayden said, his voice steady and authoritative. “Tover is one of the best detectives in the city. If anyone can track Zoey down, it’s him.”
Detective Tover arrived within an hour, his sharp eyes scanning the scene as he approached the family. “Mr. Kane,” he greeted Zayden with a nod before turning to Alessia. “Mrs. Deveraux, I’m Detective Tover. I understand your daughter has been abducted.”
“Yes,” Alessia said, her voice trembling. “Zoey Valdez took her. She’s unstable and dangerous. She escaped from a mental hospital, and now—now she’s using Avery to get to me and Theo.”
Tover nodded, jotting down notes. “Do you have any idea where she might go? Friends, family, anyone who might help her?”
“No,” Alessia said, shaking her head. “She’s not in her right mind. She’s obsessed with Theo, and she’s using Avery to—” She couldn’t finish the sentence, the thought too unbearable.
Tover’s expression hardened. “We’ll find her. But time is critical in cases like this. We need to act fast.”
Zayden stepped forward, his voice sharp. “Use every resource you have. I don’t care what it costs—just find my granddaughter.”
As the police continued their investigation, Alessia sat in the backseat of her parents’ car, her hands shaking as she stared at her phone. Suddenly, it vibrated in her lap, and she grabbed it instinctively. The screen lit up with a text message from an unknown number.
Her heart dropped as she read the message:
“$500,000, and your daughter will not die.”