The secret base was quiet now, the storm outside matched only by the storm inside Roselyn's mind. Her tears had dried, but her chest still ached from the reunion. She listened as her father, Julian Young, and grandfather, Lucian Young, sat with Rowan nearby, recounting the story she had never known.
Julian spoke first, voice low but firm, tinged with regret.
"Roselyn went missing almost immediately after your summer tour abroad," he said, looking at her with deep, haunted eyes. "The official story—bureaucracy, miscommunication, assumptions—was never enough. I knew, the moment the call came… something was wrong."
Roselyn flinched slightly at the calm precision in his tone. Julian's life had been one of influence and control, yet for her, he had been powerless.
"I mobilized every personal channel, every discreet contact I had," he continued. "Private investigators, security teams, overseas connections… anyone who could provide the faintest trace of you. Nothing was too small."
Lucian Young's voice joined, steady and commanding, yet laced with emotion.
"I didn't trust the normal military channels," he said, eyes narrowing as he stared at Roselyn. "Not when a child of this family vanished. So I tapped into my old networks—the retired operatives, loyal soldiers, trusted contacts worldwide. Every border crossing, every ship, every unregistered flight—everything was checked for a trace of her."
Roselyn's hands clenched together. All those nights she had been alone, trapped in fear and isolation, and yet her family had never stopped searching. They had never given up.
Julian leaned forward, voice breaking slightly. "There were weeks, months… even years, when we had nothing. No leads. But we never stopped. Every time a report came in, a shadow of possibility, I followed it. Every disappearance, every strange ship crossing, every informant tip… I tracked it, hoping it would lead to you."
Lucian placed a hand on Julian's shoulder. "And I trained them—my old operatives, your team, and even the youngest recruits—to recognize signs. We were relentless because one child missing… is a failure we could never accept."
Roselyn's chest tightened. The depth of their devotion, the years of silent agony, and the sacrifices she had never known about hit her like a tidal wave. She realized the reason no one noticed her absence wasn't indifference—it was deception for her protection.
Julian's gaze softened. "We were prevented from reaching you directly. The agency handling your protection… they had their rules. They kept you in the shadows. We were blind in the daylight, forced to trust… shadows like Rowan to guide you safely."
Her voice trembled. "You… never stopped?"
Lucian shook his head. "Never. And we never will. Whoever did this… whoever thought they could take you from us… they underestimated everything your family stands for. And now, we'll end this."
Rowan, sitting slightly apart, watched them both. He saw the same fierce fire in their eyes that he himself had relied on countless times in the field—discipline, loyalty, and unwavering determination. But now it was personal.
Roselyn pressed a hand to her chest, tears threatening to spill again. "I… I didn't know. I thought… I was alone."
Julian reached over, taking her hand gently. "Never again. You are our daughter. Our blood. Our responsibility. And from this moment on… no one will take you from us."
Lucian added firmly, "We will find him, Roselyn. Rambo will not hide in the shadows forever. And when we do… he will answer for every second of fear, every scream, every night you spent alone."
Roselyn's chest heaved, relief mixing with lingering trauma, but also a newfound strength. Her family—the people who had never stopped, who had endured every sleepless night searching—were now fully back in her life.
Rowan leaned slightly closer, hand brushing hers. She squeezed it back, silently acknowledging that she wasn't alone anymore.
The storm outside had not ended, but inside the safe house, a different storm was forming—one of determination, reunion, and the coming reckoning.
For the first time in years, Roselyn felt the tide turning.And this time… she would face it together with her family and Rowan.