Chapter 12
After realizing Eliza’s phone was unreachable, Aiden pulled every string he could, practically turning the whole city upside down, but there was still no trace of her. His eyes were heavy with exhaustion and anxiety, and each dead–end felt like a dagger to his heart.
Greg, Thea, and Evan were just as frantic. They were glued to their phones day and night, hoping for any tidbit of news about Eliza. Thea was in tears constantly, blaming herself: “It’s all our fault. We drove her away. If we had caught onto Margot’s schemes sooner and treated Eliza better, she wouldn’t have left us.”
Regret lined Greg’s face; his back seemed to have aged overnight. The once–vibrant man was now a weary father, consumed with worry for his daughter. Meanwhile, Evan was asking everyone he met if they’d seen Eliza, only to be met with disappointing answers.
As days passed, everyone’s anxiety deepened, teetering on the edge of despair. Aiden widened the search. If he couldn’t find her in the city, he’d search the whole country, and if not the country, the entire world. Greg and Thea plastered Eliza’s photos everywhere, hoping someone kind–hearted might provide a clue. Evan flooded the internet with posts about her, detailing her appearance and the circumstances of her disappearance, but it was like she had vanished into thin air.
Then, one day, a private investigator called, saying he might have spotted a girl who looked like Eliza in some remote town. Aiden jumped into his car, his heart pounding with a mix of hope and dread. But when he arrived and followed the detective’s directions, it turned out to be a mistake. The girl only looked like Eliza from behind, and when she turned around, Aiden’s heart sank.
When he got home, the Newells saw the defeat in his eyes, and their last shred of hope crumbled. Thea crumpled to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably. Greg sat silently, head in hands, tears slipping through his fingers. Evan, in frustration, punched the wall, yelling, “Eliza, where are you? Why are you punishing us like this?”
Just when they were about to lose hope completely, Aiden remembered Eliza once mentioning her dream of living somewhere isolated, painting freely, and enjoying a peaceful life. A thought struck him–could she have gone to a remote island?
Rejuvenated by this idea, Aiden dived into researching secluded islands. After a grueling search, he stumbled upon some clues pointing to a distant island. He and the Newell family set off immediately, not resting until they reached the island.
As they stepped onto the island and seeing its serene beauty, they felt a flicker of hope. They searched high and low for Eliza, Aiden’s heart thumping in his ears, his palms slick with sweat. Finally, under a canopy of palm trees, they spotted a familiar silhouette.
The figure was absorbed in painting, seemingly lost to the world around her. Aiden approached slowly, his voice trembling as he called out, “Eliza…”
Eliza froze slightly, then turned around to find the Newells and Aiden standing before her. A flicker of surprise crossed her face, quickly replaced by a calm demeanor. “What are you doing here?” she asked softly, her voice carrying clearly in the island’s quiet.
Overcome, Thea rushed forward, wrapping her arms around Eliza and sobbing, “Eliza, I’m so sorry. We’ve been searching so hard for you.”
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