I'M HERE BECAUSE I WANT TO.

Kai’s car stopped in front of Sun’s Nursing Home. Tiffany didn’t even wait for the car to settle completely. Her hand flew to the door handle, and before Kai could say a word, she flung the car door open, trembling as she walked, her heart pounding in her chest. She raced toward the building.

The glass doors slid open. Her breath hitched as she entered, her eyes scanning the white walls of Sun Nursing Home. At the reception desk, Naomi stood, her shoulders tense as she spoke in hushed tones with Dr. Darcy, the woman in charge of Sun Nursing Home. Darcy’s face was calm, but she looked worried.

"Where’s my mother?" Tiffany’s voice broke as the words tumbled out. She stood there, chest heaving, her hands gripping the edge of the counter. "I left you in charge of my mother this is what you do? How could you be careless?"

Dr. Darcy turned to her, her lips pressed into a thin line. "I’m so sorry, Mrs. Winson," she said carefully in a low and apologetic tone but it wasn't enough to soothe the storm raging inside Tiffany. "We’re doing everything we can to locate her."

"Doing everything you can? It's been two hours since my mother went missing right under your nose? Everything you can?" Tiffany’s voice rose.

"Mrs Winson, why don't you come with me to my office? You don't want to make a scene here; we don't want the rest of our patients worried," Dr Darcy offered, but her words made Tiffany’s anger boil even more.

"I'm making a scene? I entrusted my mother to you, and you're telling me you had no idea when someone who isn't an employee walked into your Nursing home and took a woman who can barely walk or even remember her name, and I'm making a scene?"

"I'm sorry, Mrs Winson. Our team are searching for her. Why don't you come into my office for a moment."

Her wide, tear-filled eyes darted around the room as if her mother might appear in the crowd soon. "Do you have any idea who he is? What he’s capable of?" Her voice cracked as her sob worsened, and her hands flew to her face as tears streamed freely down her cheeks, hoping to stop it. "He could kill her!" she cried.

Kai was at her side in an instant, his strong hands catching her just as her knees weakened. "Hey, hey," he murmured. He held her close, Tiffany clung to him, her fingers gripping onto the fabric of his shirt.

In a beat, the low sounds of helicopter blades filled the air and grew louder as they circled above the nursing home. Kai glanced toward the sound, his jaw tightening as he pulled Tiffany closer. "I’ve got my people searching," he said softly. "They’ll find her. We’ll find her. But we need to stay focused, okay? Let’s do what we can."

"Mr Winson, you can't. That's against our policy, it's disturbing the rest of the patients," Dr Darcy said.

Tiffany’s head snapped towards Dr. Darcy, throwing death stares at her. Kai took out a card and handed it to her. "Then feel free for this," he said, holding Tiffany dearly as they walked away.

Kai guided her back to the car, his arm never leaving her shoulders. Once inside, Tiffany leaned her head against the cool glass of the window, her tears still falling silently as they drove through the streets.

"We’ll get her back," he said firmly, his hands gripping the steering wheel. "I promise."

And though the deep ache in her chest didn’t fade completely, Tiffany still held onto his words, letting them comfort her. Her mother needed to be alright, that was all she prayed for.

"Mom!" Tiffany’s voice rang out, trembling as she wandered through the empty streets. "Mom!" Each time she called her name, fear twisted in her chest. Her heart burned with anger every time she remembered the truth. Her mother wasn’t just innocently missing. She had been taken by the one person she hated most.

"Mom! Where are you?!" Naomi’s voice joined. She followed a few steps behind.

The evening was sinking into the night. Darkness crept over the neighbourhood, and the sunlight faded out. The wind howled low, biting at her skin as the temperature dropped. Tiffany clutched her arms around herself, but it wasn't the cold; it was the thought of her mother, cold and alone somewhere.

Her chest tightened with every step. The thought of her mother with the one person she distasted, Johnson Chase. That name made her stomach churn. The man wasn’t kind. He wasn’t forgiving. What would he have done to her mom?

Tiffany’s legs gave out on her and she collapsed onto her knees on the cold pavement, her hands trembling as tears spilt freely down her cheeks.

"Mom, oh God, please," she sobbed, her voice cracking. "Where are you? You can’t leave me now. Please, don’t leave me!" Her cries echoed into the empty streets.

Suddenly, a warm coat poured over her shoulders. Startled, Tiffany turned her head and found Kai standing there, his dark eyes fixed on her.

"You can't stop now," he said, his voice gentle. "You need to find her. Why are you giving up?"

Tiffany blinked at him, her vision blurred with tears. She shook her head and shrugged the coat off her shoulders, holding it. "You shouldn’t be here," she mumbled, glancing away. "This is my problem. I’m sorry I dragged you into all this. I know you must have better things to do. It's been hours we've been searching for her."

Kai crouched in front of her, his expression soft. He took the coat from her and placed it back over her shoulders, his hands lingering for a moment, playing with strands of her hair, "I’m here because I want to be, Tiffany," he said. "Are you really telling me to leave?" He asked, brushing a few strands behind her ear.

Her gaze darted to his face, her emotions kicking in. Before she could respond, Kai cut her off.

"I’m not busy," he continued, his tone unwavering. "I’m never too busy when it’s about you."

The words hit her, knocking her defences down. Her plan was to keep him away, but at that moment, the cracks in her walls deepened. She stared at him, her throat tight, her heart pounding. She wanted to say something, but the words wouldn’t come.

The sound of footsteps broke the moment. Tiffany turned quickly, wiping her face and clearing her throat.

"Oh, I’m sorry," Naomi said, standing a few feet away. Her lips curled into a smile as she caught Tiffany’s flushed cheeks. "I just… I have to go home and change. I’ll be back soon."

Tiffany nodded, her voice shaky. "Okay. Be safe." She pulled herself up and began walking again, hoping to run away from the complications.

Thirty minutes later, Tiffany and Kai stood outside the Sun Nursing Home, hoping for answers, but so far, there was nothing.

Tiffany’s stomach churned as she glanced around the empty lobby, it was already past midnight. Her hope was dying, there seemed to be no progress. She clenched her fists, trying to stay strong, but every second without finding her mother felt more hopeless.

"Don't worry, we will keep searching. We won't stop, okay?"

"Mr. Winson!" A man’s voice interrupted Kai’s reassurance. Tiffany and Kai turned in the direction of the man sprinting toward them with a laptop tucked under his arm. "I think we found something... a lead! We saw someone that looked like her getting into a taxi."

Tiffany’s heart skipped with a familiar feeling. "Where? Where was it going?" she demanded, following the man as he opened the laptop.

Before he could answer, Tiffany’s phone buzzed loudly in her pocket. She fumbled to answer it, her hands shaking, but her eyes glued to the laptop.

"Tiffany!" Naomi’s voice burst through the phone. "Your mother! Your mother is here!"

Tiffany froze, straightening. For a moment, the world seemed to stop spinning. "What? What do you mean?" she whispered, darting at the man and Kai.

"She’s here!" Naomi screamed again, and Tiffany felt her legs move before her mind could catch up. The phone slipped from her hand as she bolted toward the door, Kai followed behind her.