Noah Is Found

"Noah!"

Serena's voice echoed through the apartment but there was no answer and her heart slammed against her ribs as she rushed into the hallway leading to the bedrooms. "Noah!"

She flung open the first bedroom door but the bed was neatly made and the closet stood empty.

She checked under the bed even though she knew a five-year-old couldn't disappear into thin air but saw nothing.

She ran to the guest room and it was empty even the bathroom and the laundry room.

Her breathing became shallow. "Noah!" she screamed again, her voice breaking.

She stumbled back into the living room, her eyes darting wildly around the apartment, his toy blocks were still scattered across the rug and the little dinosaur lay on its side.

One of his tiny sneakers had fallen beside the couch, he hadn't taken anything with him.

Her hands shook so violently that she nearly dropped her phone while calling Ethan.

He answered on the second ring. "Serena?"

"He... he's gone."

His voice immediately changed. "What happened?"

"I can't find Noah."

"What do you mean you can't find him?"

"I turned around for one second."

Tears streamed down her face. "He was here."

"I'm on my way."

The call ended before she could say another word and Serena ran into the hallway outside the apartment. "Noah!"

Residents opened their doors to see what the commotion was about, an elderly man stepped out carrying a newspaper. "Miss, is everything alright?"

"My son."

She could barely get the words out. "Have you seen my son?"

He frowned. "No."

"He was just here."

"I'm sorry."

She ran toward the elevator, the doors opened but it was empty.

She pressed the button repeatedly even though the elevator was already on her floor and when it arrived, she searched every corner before racing inside.

She burst through the doors to the lobby and the concierge immediately stood. "Ma'am?"

"My son!"

She was struggling to breathe. "Five years old."

"Curly hair."

"Blue dinosaur shirt."

"Have you seen him?"

The concierge's face fell. "No."

"He couldn't have left the building."

"Check the cameras!"

"I'll call security."

Serena didn't wait as she sprinted outside.

"Noah!"

She ran toward the small garden beside the apartment building but there was nothing.

The panic was becoming unbearable and images she had spent years trying to bury flooded her mind.

Could it be Victor or Bianca or has the Ashford family found Noah and taken him?

Her knees nearly gave out, Noah was the only person she had left.

A black SUV screeched into the parking lot and before it had completely stopped, Ethan jumped out. "Serena!"

She ran into his arms. "I can't find him."

He held her shoulders firmly. "Listen to me."

She shook her head. "No."

"Serena."

Her tear-filled eyes met his. "We're going to find him."

"What if they took him?"

"They didn't."

"You don't know that."

"I know."

"How?"

"Because if someone wanted to take Noah..."

His expression hardened. "...they wouldn't have left his toys behind."

His words forced Serena to pause and he was right, this didn't feel planned.

It felt too sudden. Ethan immediately turned to the concierge. "Has anyone left this building with a child?"

"No."

"Check every camera."

"We already are."

Within minutes, the building manager joined them in the security room and the footage from the lobby played across several monitors.

Serena watched with desperate eyes but there was no sign of Noah leaving or stranger carrying him. "It doesn't make sense," she whispered.

The manager looked confused. "If he didn't leave..."

"Then where is he?" Serena cried but no one had an answer.

She rushed back into the hallway outside her apartment one more time. "Noah!"

But then a tiny voice answered. "Mama?"

Serena froze and she turned so quickly she nearly lost her balance, the apartment next door opened and Noah stepped into the hallway holding a chocolate chip cookie in one hand.

His cheeks were smeared with crumbs and behind him stood an elderly woman with silver hair and kind eyes. "Oh dear," the woman said, her face full of concern. "Is this your little boy?"

Serena couldn't move for a second then she ran. She dropped to her knees and wrapped Noah in the tightest embrace she had ever given him. "Oh, thank God."

Noah blinked in confusion. "Mama?"

She buried her face against his hair. "I thought..."

Her voice broke. "I thought I'd lost you."

"I'm sorry."

He hugged her back as tightly as his little arms allowed. "I heard a puppy barking."

The elderly woman stepped closer. "I'm terribly sorry. He knocked on my door because he wanted to meet my dog and I invited him in for some cookies while I looked for his parents."

Tears rolled freely down Serena's cheeks. "You should have told me."

"I know."

The woman looked genuinely apologetic. "My hearing isn't what it used to be. I didn't hear anyone calling."

Ethan finally reached them and the relief on his face was unmistakable, he crouched beside Noah. "You gave us quite a scare, buddy."

Noah looked down guiltily. "I just wanted to pet the puppy."

Serena cupped his little face. "You must never leave without telling me."

"I won't."

"You promise?"

He nodded immediately. "I promise."

She kissed his forehead again and again. "I love you."

"I love you too, Mama."

The hallway grew quiet as the neighbors slowly returned to their apartments and once inside, Serena refused to let Noah leave her side.

She held his hand while he ate dinner and sat beside him while he watched cartoons.

When he finally fell asleep on the couch with Mr. Rex tucked beneath his arm, she gently carried him to bed.

She lingered for several minutes, brushing the curls away from his forehead, only after she was certain he was deeply asleep did she leave the room.

Ethan was standing in the kitchen, he hadn't touched the broken flowerpot.

Instead, he was crouched near the open window. "What is it?"

He pointed toward the windowsill. "There are scratches."

Serena walked closer and deep marks ran along the painted wood. "As if someone climbed through here."

Her stomach tightened as Ethan carefully examined the floor beneath the window then he walked outside to the narrow flower bed below.

A few moments later, he returned through the front door. "There are footprints."

Serena's blood ran cold. "So someone really was here."

He nodded. "They came through the kitchen window."

"But..."

She looked toward Noah's bedroom. "Why didn't they take him?"

Ethan's eyes darkened. "Because that wasn't their objective."

"What do you mean?"

He picked up the envelope containing the photographs. "They wanted you to know they could get close."

Her knees weakened. "It was a warning."

"They're playing with your mind."

Serena wrapped her arms around herself. "They know where we live."

"And they'll probably come back."

A heavy silence settled between them and Ethan took out his phone. "I'm calling a security company tonight."

"And tomorrow?"

"We're moving."

She looked at Noah's bedroom door. "No."

Ethan frowned. "What?"

"If we keep running every time they threaten us..."

She took a shaky breath. "...they'll never stop."

Before Ethan could answer, his phone vibrated and he glanced at the screen but his expression changed instantly. "What is it?" Serena asked.

He slowly lowered the phone. "The hospital."

Her heart skipped. "Is Noah okay?"

"It's Dr. Brooks."

Ethan answered on speaker. "Doctor?"

Dr. Brooks didn't waste time. "Mr. Carter, I need Serena to come to the hospital immediately."

Serena stepped forward. "Why?"

There was a pause but then the doctor's voice came through, unusually tense. "We've found a potential donor..."

Hope surged through Serena's chest. "But there's a complication."

Her smile faded. "What kind of complication?"

The doctor hesitated before speaking. "The donor's DNA profile indicates a first-degree biological relationship to Noah."

The room fell silent and Serena's face turned white.

She knew exactly what that meant and if the hospital knew, It wouldn't be long before someone else did.