Her treacherous memory kept replaying the horrifying scene of Eric’s body being hurled around in the elevator like a discarded doll.
His final desperate cry continued to echo in her mind.
Was he enduring physical agony, or psychological torment? The answer was undoubtedly both.
Everything had happened in mere seconds. By the time she’d reached the basement where the elevator car was, he had already vanished without a trace.
“Eric.” Hadley’s fingers dug into the pillow fabric as anguish poured from her lips.
“I should have moved faster, just a fraction of a second faster…”
If Gifford truly orchestrated this abduction, what unspeakable horrors was he inflicting upon Eric at this very moment? The man possessed no trace of human decency. Hadn’t he already proven his cruelty by conspiring with Linda to murder Elissa?
Unable to bear the uncertainty any longer, Hadley seized her phone and dialed Ellis’ number with trembling fingers.
“Mr. Gomez, it’s Hadley. I apologize for disturbing you at this hour.”
“Please don’t apologize,” Ellis replied, immediately grasping why she’d called.
“If anyone should be sorry, it’s me… We still haven’t uncovered any leads.”
Nothing at all?
The answer didn’t shock her.
Nevertheless, disappointment crashed over Hadley like a cold wave.
“I understand.”
“The hour is growing late.” Ellis’s voice carried gentle concern through the speaker.
“Please try to rest. You’ll need all your strength for what lies ahead—don’t exhaust yourself before then.”
His tone then grew more reassuring.
“We’re pursuing every possible avenue and refuse to give up—I give you my word that the moment we discover anything, you’ll be the first to know.”
Discover new books gα?ησνs?com
“Thank you for everything.”
“It’s the least we can do.”
Hadley drifted into a restless half-sleep for a few precious hours, but consciousness reclaimed her well before the first hints of dawn painted the sky.
The morning was still young, so she abandoned the idea of checking on Nyla entirely. After instructing Melba to watch over Joy during her absence, she set out from Crimson House toward the estate gates.
Halfway down the path, Ernest’s familiar figure emerged from the morning shadows.
“Ernest.”
“Good morning,” Ernest acknowledged her with a slight nod, showing no surprise at their early encounter.
He had spent the entire night wrestling with insomnia, and judging by Hadley’s hollow expression, she had endured a similar battle with sleeplessness.
“Quentin just informed me that Ellis and his team have returned to the precinct. We should go there immediately and demand answers about any developments.”
“Let’s go.”
While darkness still cloaked the city, they raced through the empty streets toward the police station.
Despite the department’s success in keeping the case out of the media’s attention, emergency briefings had already circulated through the building, ensuring that every officer understood the gravity of the situation.
.
.
.