Chapter ElevenThe search for Lily felt relentless, with every passing hour most effectively heightening the feeling of dread that gripped James and Maggie. They had scoured the town, following each possible lead, however thus far there had been no signal of her.As they sat in a quiet corner of the health facility cafeteria, nursing cups of coffee, the exhaustion turned etched into every line on their faces."Any phrase from the police?" James requested, his voice weary.Maggie shook her head, blinking back tears. "Nothing new. They're even though looking the river, however..." Her voice trailed off, the unstated phrases putting heavily between them.James reached through the desk, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "We cannot lose now, Maggie. Lily is a fighter - she's not going to surrender that without trouble."Maggie managed a watery smile. "I apprehend. It's in reality...This entire state of affairs is so messed up. If handiest I had attempted more difficult to prevent her...""

Chapter 13The first rays of sunrise had been just peeking over the horizon while James wakened, his thoughts already humming with willpower. He dressed quick, his actions fueled by a feeling of urgency that had turned out to be his consistent accomplice.As he made his way down to the hotel foyer, he was amazed to locate Daphne seated in one of the plush armchairs, her expression one among concerned resolve."Granny?" James said, his brow furrowing in the situation. "What are you doing here? You should be resting."Daphne waved a dismissive hand, her eyes sharp and centered. "Nonsense, my boy. I could not thoroughly sit down idly using even as my circle of relatives is in crisis."James opened his mouth to protest, but Daphne cut him off with a stern look."Don't even think about seeking to ship me away, James," she stated, her tone brooking no argument. "I may be antique, however I'm a long way from feeble. Lily is like a granddaughter to me, and I'll be damned if I do not do the wh

Chapter 15The days following James' war of words with Chloe were a whirlwind of pastime. True to his phrase, he had mobilized each useful resource at his disposal, mounting a steady pursuit to deliver Chloe to justice.Yet, even as the evidence piled up and the authorities closed in, James could not shake the nagging experience of unease that plagued him. Lily became nonetheless missing, her destiny a looming query mark that haunted his every waking moment.It became certainly one of his restless nights, tossing and turning in the confines of his motel room, when his phone rang, shattering the silence like a gunshot. He fumbled for it, his heart pounding as he saw an unknown quantity flashing at the show."Hello?" he responded, his voice laced with a combination of preference and trepidation."James," a voice crackled over the street, distorted however unmistakably Chloe's. "Did you truly assume you could take me on and walk away unscathed?"James felt his blood run bloodless, his gr

Chapter 17The deserted production unit became eerily silent as James and his group took up their positions, the most effective sound was the faint echo in their footsteps towards the concrete floor. Tension hung thick within the air, a palpable pressure that seemed to crackle with the promise of impending violence.James crouched behind a stack of crates, his grip tight on his weapon as he peered out on the open expanse of the primary ground. Somewhere inside this maze of shadows and metallic, Lily modified into being held captive – a notion that despatched waves of fury crashing through him.A mild movement to his left drew his attention, and he saw Louis sliding into function beside him, his expression grim."Marco's institution is in position," Louis murmured, his voice slightly above a whisper. "They have eyes on Chloe and her group, but no sign of Lily."James felt his jaw tighten, his knuckles whitening across the grip of his gun. "Keep looking," he said through gritted teeth.

Chapter 19 Lily woke up feeling like total crap. Her body ached all over from the lingering bruises and her head was pounding. She figured it was from worry more than anything. It had been almost a week since Chloe's creepy phone call and there was still no sign of that twisted psycho. She rolled over, half expecting James to be gone already. He had been obsessed with finding Chloe, working pretty much around the clock with his security team. But to Lily's surprise, he was still there lying next to her, sleeping peacefully. His presence immediately made her feel a little calmer. Not wanting to disturb him, Lily just watched James sleep for a while. She hated seeing the exhaustion etched on his face lately. This whole Chloe fiasco was doing a number on him. Lily felt a surge of guilt - if she had never drunkenly married him that night, none of this would have happened. As if he could sense her watching him, James started to stir. His eyes fluttered open and settled on Lily with a s