3
Night had draped the city in darkness, but the world outside the villa seemed almost unnaturally quiet. The streetlamps cast long, pale beams across rain-slicked roads, and the occasional distant car echoed like a phantom. The villa itself sat in tense silence, as if holding its breath. Inside, Elena and Adrian had barely slept, their minds looping through every detail of Emma's disappearance.
The ticking of the wall clock felt louder than ever, each second drilling into their bones. Elena kept pacing the living room, barefoot, her hair tied in a messy, trembling knot. Adrian watched her silently from the kitchen counter, nursing a cup of black coffee he wasn't even drinking.
Elena paced the living room, phone pressed tightly to her ear, relaying updates from Officer Balogun. "Any sightings yet?" she asked, voice tight with exhaustion.
