BILLIONAIRE DAUGHTER-IN-LAW

“Anna! Anna!”

The market vendors and shoppers, too engrossed in their own lives, are slow to react. Some stop and look, their faces showing concern, but none have seen a little girl wandering off. Margaret’s fear turns into desperation as she frantically asks anyone nearby, her words stumbling over each other in her rush.

“She was just here! A little girl, about this tall, with dark hair—have you seen her?”

But no one has. Anna is gone.

Margaret’s security detail, usually discreet and in the background, springs into action. Within minutes, the market is swarming with suited men speaking into earpieces, their eyes scanning the area with military precision. The police are notified, and soon, the search extends beyond the market, into the labyrinthine streets of Los Angeles.

But Los Angeles is too vast, too indifferent to the plight of a lost child. The city’s heartbeat, a mix of honking cars and distant sirens, seems to drown out the urgency of the search. The sun begins to dip below the horizon, casting long, ominous shadows as the city transitions from day to night.

Margaret, usually the epitome of control, feels herself unraveling. She stands by the car where they had parked earlier, clutching a small teddy bear Anna had dropped. The bear, with one eye missing and fur worn from years of love, is the only trace of Anna left behind. Margaret’s hands tremble as she holds it, her mind racing with worst-case scenarios.

Her wealth and influence, the things she had always relied on, seem useless in the face of this nightmare. She thinks of her daughter, Anna’s mother, and the pain of that loss resurfaces, threatening to overwhelm her. Losing Anna would be too much to bear.

Meanwhile, Anna wanders the streets alone. Her small frame is almost swallowed by the city’s enormity. Her mind, a chaotic storm of emotions and impulses, struggles to make sense of her surroundings. She doesn’t recognize the streets or the faces around her. Everything is strange, and fear begins to creep in.

She tries to remember the way back but nothing looks familiar. The sky darkens, and with it, her anxiety grows. The city that had once seemed so full of wonder now feels menacing. The lights that flicker on cast eerie shadows, making her feel even more lost and alone. Her head starts to pound, the overwhelming sensory input too much for her to handle.

Back at the market, Margaret’s desperation drives her to action. She pulls out her phone,

" 911, My granddaughter is missing, I don't know just find her, Miss Anna Edgewood she is 4 years old."

Mrs Edgewood said in almost a high pitch like she was screaming, making calls to everyone she could think of.

Private investigators, city officials, and anyone who might have connections or resources to find her granddaughter.

She authorizes a reward, a substantial sum, to anyone who can bring Anna back. Money is no object when it comes to Anna’s safety.

But even as she takes these steps, there’s a hollow feeling in her chest. She knows the city, she knows its underbelly, and she knows that sometimes, even with all the money and power in the world, things can go wrong.

As the night deepens, Margaret finds herself back where it all began, at the market, now nearly deserted. She stands alone, the weight of her position and wealth meaning nothing at this moment.

She had always prided herself on being able to control her surroundings, to manipulate outcomes in her favor. But now, faced with the helplessness of not knowing where Anna is, she feels something she hasn’t felt in years—fear.

Margaret’s tears fall silently as she clutches Anna’s teddy bear tighter. She whispers a prayer, something she hasn’t done in decades, hoping against hope that somewhere out there, Anna is safe and will be found.

Los Angeles is a city that rarely sleeps, but for Margaret Edgewood, tonight will be long and restless. The search for Anna has just begun, and Margaret knows she will not rest until her granddaughter is back in her arms, no matter what it takes.

*****************************

With all the turmoil in the city that does not sleep, Anna is on a train somewhere in Wilmington, California. Staring strongly at the old man with intent but with a lack of words to express herself Anna stressed and sank into her seat without a word, the sightseeing was beautiful but now unknown to her how to go back home or how to eat she let out a slow but serious sobs that caught Mr. Idris attention who moved across to the little Anna,

“Hey, little princess are you okay?” looking keenly at her to get the answer he was looking for. “Where is your mummy love” Anna wailed at this point. At this point, Anna not sure of what to say muttered out “Anna” in confusion “Your name is Anna?” 

“Are you hungry” Anna holding him quickly nodded, at the sound of the train stopping drawing his attention to also notice that Anna was alone and lost on this trip of hers. “Let’s go, Anna,” Mr. Idris said while leading her out of the train.