Chapter Ten
The Things We Don't Say
Ethan sighed.
It was the kind of sigh that came from somewhere deeper than exhaustion.
He leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling of his office.
Seven days.
Seven days since Bella disappeared.
Seven days of unanswered phone calls.
Seven days of hospitals, police reports, security footage, interviews, questions, dead ends and sleepless nights.
And somehow, the rest of his life had continued as though nothing had happened.
His meetings still needed to be attended.
Emails still needed replies.
The company still needed him.
His engagement still needed attention.
Everything needed something from him.
Except the one person he needed.
Bella.
His phone vibrated against the desk.
Ethan glanced at it.
Flora.
He closed his eyes for a moment before answering.
"Hello."
There was silence on the other end.
Not the comfortable kind.
The kind that meant someone had been waiting for him to speak first.
"Ethan."
Her voice was quiet.
"Yes?"
"You sound tired."
"I am."
Another pause.
"You haven't called me."
Ethan rubbed his forehead.
"I've been busy."
"I know."
Something about the way she said it made him sit straighter.
"What does that mean?"
"It means I know you've been busy."
She laughed softly.
But there was no humour in it.
"I also know you've barely slept. I know you've missed three meetings. I know you cancelled dinner with my parents. I know you forgot about the venue appointment."
Ethan looked away.
"Flora—"
"And I know Bella is missing."
He went quiet.
Flora's voice trembled.
"I'm not stupid, Ethan."
"I never said you were."
"No. You just keep acting like I'm supposed to understand everything without being told anything."
Ethan leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk.
"I'm trying to find her."
"I know."
"Then what do you want me to do?"
"I want you to look at me."
His jaw tightened.
"What?"
"I want you to remember that I'm here too."
Ethan said nothing.
Flora inhaled shakily.
"I know she's important to you."
"She's my sister."
"I know."
Her voice cracked slightly.
"But for seven days, Ethan, I've been watching you disappear."
That hit harder than he expected.
He looked down at his hands.
"I'm sorry."
Flora went silent.
Perhaps she hadn't expected that.
"I don't want to fight with you," Ethan continued. "I just..."
He stopped.
He didn't know how to finish.
He was tired.
Angry.
Terrified.
And somewhere underneath all of it was a feeling he refused to name.
Flora spoke softly.
"You don't have to apologize for being worried about her."
Ethan closed his eyes.
"But?"
"But I need to know whether there's still room for me in your life."
His eyes opened.
"There is."
"Then prove it."
He swallowed.
"Flora..."
"What?"
"I'll call you later."
Another silence.
"Okay."
She didn't sound convinced.
Neither was he.
The call ended.
Ethan remained seated.
The silence returned.
He stared at the phone for several seconds before dropping it onto the desk.
A knock sounded.
He didn't answer.
The door opened anyway.
Peter walked in.
He took one look at Ethan.
"Wow."
Ethan didn't look up.
"What?"
"You look terrible."
"Good morning to you too."
"I wasn't complimenting you."
Ethan finally looked at him.
Peter smiled.
"There's my guy."
Ethan shook his head.
"You have five seconds to tell me why you're here."
"Four."
"Peter."
"Three."
"I have work."
"Two."
"I hate you."
"One."
Peter dropped a file onto the desk.
"Your meeting."
Ethan stared at it.
"I cancelled it."
"I know."
"Then why is it here?"
"Because you cancelled it."
Ethan frowned.
Peter sighed.
"You've cancelled three meetings this week. Your entire schedule looks like it was attacked by a toddler."
Ethan leaned back.
"I don't care."
Peter's expression changed.
"That's how I know you're actually losing it."
Ethan looked away.
For a few seconds, neither spoke.
Then Peter pulled out the chair opposite him and sat.
"Come with me."
"No."
"That wasn't a question."
"I have work."
"You've been staring at the same document for twenty minutes."
Ethan glanced at the screen.
He hadn't even realized.
Peter stood.
"Come on."
"Where?"
"Somewhere that isn't this office."
"I don't want to go anywhere."
"Exactly."
Ethan frowned.
Peter grabbed his coat from the back of the chair and tossed it toward him.
"You're coming."
---
The place Peter took him wasn't particularly loud.
It was one of those late-night lounges tucked between two busy streets in Bellmere, the kind of place where people came to escape the noise of the city without completely disappearing from it.
Soft music played in the background.
People talked quietly around them.
The lighting was warm.
For the first time in days, nobody was asking Ethan where Bella was.
He sat back.
Peter placed two glasses of soda on the table.
Ethan stared at his.
"You brought me here for this?"
Peter shrugged.
"You need to remember that beverages exist outside coffee."
Ethan almost smiled.
Almost.
Peter leaned back.
"So."
"So?"
"Tell me something."
"What?"
"When was the last time you actually slept?"
Ethan looked at him.
"I sleep."
Peter raised an eyebrow.
"That wasn't my question."
Ethan sighed.
"Three hours."
"That's not sleep."
"It's enough."
"No, it isn't."
Ethan looked down at the table.
Peter's expression softened.
"Any new leads?"
"Not really."
"Car?"
"Nothing."
"Phone?"
"Still active."
"Police?"
"Still looking."
Peter nodded slowly.
"And the facade project?"
Ethan's expression darkened.
"What about it?"
"The investors are asking questions."
"I'll deal with it."
"When?"
Ethan didn't answer.
Peter studied him.
"You've never let anything interfere with that project."
"I know."
"And now?"
Ethan leaned back.
"Now I have more important things."
Peter nodded.
"Yeah."
He didn't argue.
That was one of the things Ethan appreciated about him.
Peter knew when to stop talking.
After a moment, he said,
"You know, you're allowed to be scared."
Ethan looked at him.
"I'm not scared."
Peter smiled faintly.
"You're a terrible liar."
Ethan looked away.
"I don't know where she is."
Peter said nothing.
"I've checked everything."
"I know."
"Every hospital."
"I know."
"Every camera."
"I know."
"Every place she could have gone."
Peter nodded.
"I know."
Ethan's voice became quieter.
"And I still have nothing."
Peter leaned forward.
"Then we'll keep looking."
Ethan looked at him.
"You're saying that like you have a choice."
"I don't."
A small silence settled between them.
Then Peter smiled.
"Besides, who else is going to keep you from making terrible decisions?"
Ethan gave him a look.
"You make worse decisions."
"True."
Peter lifted his glass.
"But mine are entertaining."
Ethan finally laughed.
It was brief.
But it was real.
Peter smiled.
"There."
"What?"
"That."
"What?"
"You laughed."
Ethan rolled his eyes.
"Don't make it weird."
"I'm documenting this moment."
"Shut up."
Peter grinned.
For a few minutes, the conversation drifted away from Bella.
They talked about work.
Then about Peter's girlfriend.
Then about Flora.
Peter complained about his girlfriend stealing his clothes.
Ethan laughed at him.
"You let her do that."
"Because I love her."
"That's pathetic."
"You're engaged."
"Exactly."
Peter stared at him.
"You're not helping your argument."
Ethan laughed again.
The weight in his chest loosened slightly.
Just slightly.
Then a woman approached their table.
"Hi."
Peter looked up.
"Hello."
She smiled.
"Mind if I sit?"
Peter politely shook his head.
"I'm sorry."
She glanced at Ethan.
"And you?"
Ethan looked at her.
For a moment, he didn't answer.
Peter gave him a warning look.
Ethan finally shook his head.
"Sorry."
The woman nodded and walked away.
Peter stared at him.
"What?"
"You hesitated."
"I was tired."
"Sure."
Ethan rolled his eyes.
Peter leaned closer.
"Flora would kill you."
"I didn't do anything."
"I know."
Peter smiled.
"That's why I'm impressed."
Ethan shook his head.
"You talk too much."
"And you think too much."
Peter leaned back.
"Speaking of Flora..."
Ethan groaned.
"No."
"You need to call her."
"I know."
"Tonight."
"I know."
"Before she decides your engagement is a very expensive mistake."
Ethan looked down at his phone.
For a moment, his expression softened.
"I'll call her."
Peter nodded.
"Good."
Ethan reached for his phone.
The screen lit up.
Missed call.
Unknown number.
His smile disappeared.
Peter noticed.
"What?"
Ethan stared at the screen.
The number was unfamiliar.
He didn't answer.
Instead, he opened the notification.
There was a message.
Stop looking for Bella.
Ethan went completely still.
Peter leaned forward.
"What is it?"
Ethan didn't respond.
A second message appeared.
You don't know what you're looking for.
His fingers tightened around the phone.
Peter's expression changed.
"Ethan?"
A third notification appeared.
This time, there was an attachment.
Ethan opened it.
A photograph loaded.
For several seconds, he couldn't understand what he was seeing.
Then his heart stopped.
It was Bella.
Standing in a forest.
Alive.
Her hair was slightly messy.
Her clothes were different from the ones she'd disappeared in.
She was looking toward something outside the frame.
Ethan zoomed in.
The image became clearer.
Behind Bella—
something moved between the trees.
A figure.
Tall.
Dark.
Ethan's face went pale.
Peter stood.
"What?"
Ethan couldn't answer.
He stared at the photograph.
Then his eyes moved to the timestamp.
Today.
Peter reached for the phone.
Ethan pulled it away.
"Don't."
"Who sent it?"
"I don't know."
"Call the number."
Ethan did.
One ring.
Two.
Three.
The call connected.
Neither man spoke.
Then a voice came through the speaker.
Quiet.
Almost amused.
"You're closer than you think."
Ethan's blood ran cold.
"Who are you?"
A soft laugh.
Then—
"Ask your sister."
The call ended.
Peter stared at Ethan.
"What does that mean?"
Ethan didn't answer.
His eyes remained fixed on the photograph.
On Bella.
On the figure behind her.
And on one detail he hadn't noticed before.
Around Bella's neck—
was a silver pendant.
The same pendant Ethan had seen once before.
Years ago.
His expression changed.
Peter noticed.
"Ethan?"
Ethan slowly lowered the phone.
"I've seen that before."
"Seen what?"
He looked at Peter.
"The pendant."
Peter frowned.
"Where?"
Ethan's eyes darkened.
"On Bella."
A silence fell between them.
Then Ethan looked back at the photograph.
"No."
Peter stared at him.
"No what?"
Ethan stood.
"We're going home."
"Why?"
Ethan didn't answer.
His gaze remained fixed on the pendant.
He had seen it before.
He was certain of that.
But the harder he tried to remember where, the further the memory slipped away.
Then—
Something silver catching the light.
A voice.
And then—
"Don't let her remember."
Ethan's eyes widened.
He didn't know who had said it.
But somehow, he knew exactly who they were talking about.
He looked at Bella's photograph again.
Not where.
Why.
And somewhere deep inside him, something he had spent years burying had begun to wake.
The pendant wasn't new.
Bella wasn't the beginning.
She was the return.