Alessia sat curled up on the couch, her arms wrapped around her knees, staring blankly at the wall. She hadn’t moved for hours, her body stiff from the tension, her mind racing with worst-case scenarios. Every so often, her eyes darted to her phone, as if willing it to light up with news of Avery’s whereabouts.
Victoria sat beside her, her face etched with worry as she placed a plate of food on the coffee table. “Alessia, please,” she urged gently, nudging the plate closer. “You need to eat something. You can’t help Avery if you’re too weak to stand.”
“I’m not hungry,” Alessia whispered, her voice hoarse from crying.
“Sweetheart, this isn’t negotiable,” Victoria said firmly. She picked up a piece of toast and held it out to her daughter. “You need your strength. Avery needs you strong.”
Alessia hesitated, her gaze flicking to the toast. With a heavy sigh, she reached for it, taking a small bite to appease her mother. The taste was bland, her appetite nonexistent, but Victoria’s presence grounded her just enough to take another.
Across the room, Theo paced back and forth, his phone glued to his ear. His voice was low but intense as he barked orders to whoever was on the other end of the line. “I don’t care what it takes, just get me the damn information,” he snapped. “She has a burner phone? Track it. Every second counts.”
Zayden sat at the dining table, his laptop open as he communicated with the police. His face was calm, but his eyes betrayed his growing frustration. “They’re still working on tracing the messages,” he told Theo after hanging up his own call. “But it’s slow. She’s smart—she’s covering her tracks.”
“She’s not smarter than all of us,” Theo muttered, his jaw clenched. “We’ll find her.”
Victoria looked at her husband, her worry mirrored in his expression. She turned back to Alessia and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “We’ll bring her back, Alessia,” she said softly. “You have to believe that.”
Alessia nodded weakly, though her heart felt heavy. “I just want to hear her voice,” she murmured. “To know she’s okay.”
Suddenly, Theo’s phone buzzed in his hand. He froze mid-step, his eyes narrowing as he read the notification. His breath hitched, and his entire body tensed.
“What is it?” Alessia asked quickly, sitting up straighter.
Theo didn’t answer immediately. His face darkened as he opened the message. A video began to play, and Alessia could see the reflection of the screen in his eyes. His jaw tightened, and his knuckles turned white as he gripped the phone.
“Let me see,” Alessia said, her voice trembling. She reached for the phone, but Theo hesitated.
“Alessia…” Theo began, his tone pained. “I don’t think—”
“Let me see!” Alessia snapped, her desperation spilling over.
Theo sighed, reluctantly turning the screen toward her. Alessia leaned in, her heart pounding as the video started.
The shaky footage showed a dimly lit room. Avery was sitting on the floor, her tiny body trembling as tears streamed down her red cheeks. Her cries were muffled but heart-wrenching, her sobs echoing in the confined space.
Then Zoey’s voice came through, cold and detached. “Here, Avery,” she said, holding out a plate of food. But instead of handing it to her, Zoey placed it on the floor in front of the toddler, like she was feeding a dog.
“Eat up, sweetheart,” Zoey cooed mockingly. “You don’t want to upset Mommy and Daddy, do you?”
Avery looked up at her captor with wide, frightened eyes, too scared to move. Her tiny hands clutched the hem of her dress, and her cries grew louder.
Alessia gasped, her hand flying to her mouth as fresh tears spilled from her eyes. “Oh my God,” she whispered, her voice cracking. “Theo… she’s torturing her.”
Theo knelt beside her, his hand on her shoulder. “We’ll get her back,” he said, his voice trembling with suppressed rage. “I swear to you, Alessia. We’ll get her back.”