2
The city had shifted overnight. Streetlights reflected off rain-slicked pavements, and the faint hum of early traffic created a background rhythm to a world that felt, for everyone else, normal. But for Elena and Adrian, the absence of their daughter, Emma, made the familiar streets strange and menacing. Every passing car, every stray pedestrian, every whisper of wind seemed like a signal, a clue, or a threat.
Adrian sat at the dining table, reviewing the footage from the villa's security cameras again. Each frame was a frozen moment, every second magnified. He paused on the image of Emma reaching for her toast, the curls of her hair framing her bright eyes—eyes that would not meet his again until they found her. His hands were tense on the mouse, trembling slightly as he replayed her little movements over and over.
Elena stood by the window, phone pressed to her ear, speaking in low, hurried tones with Officer Balogun, the lead detective assigned to the case.
