CATALINAThe soft hum of the sewing machine whirred in the background as sunlight spilled across the polished marble floors. The one room in the mansion that felt warm, lived-in, and entirely mine.Abby was seated across from me, legs crossed like she always did when she got serious about planning, her brows furrowed as she adjusted one of the mood boards propped against the wall. “Okay,” she said, tapping her pen. “Do we want a whimsical forest or an enchanted carousel?”I looked up from the ribbons I’d been sorting, tiny silks in pastels and muted golds, and smiled. My daughter, Lia, who is now a year old, was dozing peacefully in the crib nestled beside the window. Her tiny chest rose and fell rhythmically, utterly unaware that we were planning a celebration fit for royalty.“I want her to feel like she’s stepping into a dream,” I said softly. “After everything... she deserves that.”Abby nodded, her expression unreadable for a moment. She had been there through the worst of it, t
204CATALINA“No, no, Karen, what are you doing?!” My voice tore out of me, raw and desperate, louder than it had ever been. My vision blurred as adrenaline surged through me. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. “Put her down!” I shouted, stepping forward as I raised my hands. “Karen, don’t do this.”She didn’t speak. Her jaw clenched with an unreadable expression. The firelight flickered across her face, casting shadows that made her look like someone else… someone haunted.I was inching closer as my heart thundered. “You said you were helping me.”“Helping you go to hell.”Tears pooled in my eyes. “W-Why are you doing this? Are you angry at me because I scolded you when Dante was sick at your place–”“Do you think I'm that low?” She turned slightly, cradling my daughter tighter with one arm, the gun wavering in the other. “This was planned from the very beginning.”“You’re scaring me,” I said, voice breaking. “She’s just a baby. She hasn’t done anything.”“Yes, she hasn't.” She wa
CATALINA“You're awake.”That voice!I turned instinctively, still breathless from the confrontation, but I was completely shocked to see her.It's Karen!She stood in the doorway, half-shrouded by the flickering shadows, with her expression unreadable. But the gun in her hand… that was clear, terrifyingly clear. My eyes locked on it, on the sleek metal glinting in the weak daylight spilling through broken shutters.“What are you doing here?” My voice barely worked, barely escaped past the tightening of my throat.Her gaze drifted past me, toward Fiona, still swaying, still lost in whatever fantasy she was clutching. Then her eyes flicked back to mine, and there was something in them that made my skin crawl. I'm not in panic and not in confusion either. It's something colder.“You weren’t supposed to be awake yet,” she said quietly.I stumbled backward until I hit the wall, fingers scraping against peeling paint. “Karen, what’s going on?”She slowly stepped closer, like she knew she h
CATALINAI woke up to the sharp, pulsing ache at the base of my skull, like someone had taken a brick to my head. The pain was so intense it drowned out every other sense, sound, smell, and even thought. I blinked slowly, letting my eyes adjust to the murky gray light filtering through broken window panes. Dust hung thick in the air as it swirled lazily with every breath I took.The room around me was silent but reeked of abandonment. Cracked walls, rotting wood, and graffiti layered on every surface. I was lying on what used to be a couch, its cushions sunken and torn, the springs digging into my back like tiny fingers. Panic started to build, tight and unrelenting, as I clutched my head, trying to piece together something or anything.Where am I?The question echoed inside me. My hands trembled as I scanned the room for clues. A broken mirror hung on the opposite wall, jagged and dirty. I caught a glimpse of myself, with disheveled hair, dried blood at the temple, and eyes wide wi
DANTEEven with the late-afternoon sun bleeding through broken slats in the roof, every shadow felt deeper than it should have. Abby moved just ahead of me, her weapon was ready, and her eyes were slicing through the gloom like a blade. I followed her through the tarp doorway as my pulse pounded.“Lina?” I called. But I did not get a response.As we entered, dust drifted through the air, catching light like snowfall. Shelves lined the walls with tools, scrap metal, and clutter. A battered couch sat crooked in one corner. There was a blanket draped over the arm, which was still folded. Water bottles were half-empty, a sign of presence before we arrived.Then something caught my eye.A familiar phone, lying facedown on the concrete floor just beneath a row of hanging wires. The screen was cracked, and one corner was dented, like it had been dropped hard or knocked from her hand.My stomach dropped because I knew this belonged to my wife. I rushed to it, knelt, and picked it up careful
DANTEI went down to the living room and saw Ralph with my men, police officers, and Abby, who was also as restless as Lina. Her daughter was taken as well and God knows how these two mothers' fear, worry, and anger collided in this situation.I am terrified, too. I’m afraid of any circumstances, but I should not fear delving into myself. I have to be strong so I can focus and find the children before sunset.“Did you find anything?”“The car was spotted at the intersection, ten miles away from here.” Ralph handed me a laptop.On the screen, a woman is wearing blonde hair, which is obviously a wig, a pair of sunglasses, a black long-sleeved shirt and pants, and sneakers. But the problem was that her back was the only part visible in the camera. “If you can recognize her, this will be solved.”My jaw clenched as I stared at the woman, even zooming in just to make sure I was right with what I was thinking.“She has the same body built as Yvette, Fiona, and–”“What’s going on?”We all g