Chapter 5: A Father Gone Missing
Emily barely had the strength to answer the call. She was exhausted physically, emotionally, mentally. The day had drained her, leaving a dull ache behind her eyes and a suffocating weight in her chest.
Still, when her phone buzzed, she answered without thinking.
"Hello?"
A frantic voice met her ear. "Miss Emily, you and your brother need to come to the hospital now. We… we can't find your father."
Her body locked up.
She gripped the phone tighter. "What do you mean you can't find him?"
The call dropped.
Pin. Pin. Pin.
The sound of dead air filled her ears.
Emily stared at her phone, willing it to ring again. Her pulse pounded against her ribs, her throat dry, her hands trembling as she redialed.
Voicemail.
She tried again.
Straight to voicemail.
No. No. No.
This couldn't be happening.
She shot up from her seat so fast she nearly knocked over the glass of water beside her.
Across the room, Damian was sprawled out on the couch, scrolling through his phone. He glanced up at her sudden movement, eyebrows furrowing. "Emily? You look like you just saw a ghost. What's wrong?"
She turned to him, panic rising in her throat. "Dad is missing."
The words tasted foreign. Unreal. Like saying them out loud would make them a lie.
Damian sat up straighter. "Wait! what?"
Emily ran a hand through her hair, pacing the small space. "They called. The hospital. He's missing, Damian! I swear, if one more thing goes wrong, I'm going to" She cut herself off, pressing a hand to her forehead.
Damian stood, his usual smug demeanor gone. "Okay, hey. Breathe. We'll figure this out."
Emily's head snapped up, anger flashing in her eyes. "Breathe? That's your advice? My father is missing, Damian! And all you have to say is 'breathe'?"
He exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair. "I didn't mean it like that. I just"
"We're leaving." Her voice was steel. "Now."
For once, Damian didn't argue. He grabbed his jacket and followed her out the door.
Emily practically shoved the hospital doors open. Her heels clicked against the tiled floor, her fury and fear pushing her forward.
She spotted the doctor and stormed toward him. "Where is he?"
Dr. Lewis, a middle-aged man with graying hair, adjusted his glasses. "Miss Emily, please"
"Don't tell me to calm down!" Her voice cracked. "Where is my father?"
The doctor sighed, rubbing his temples. "Your father has been showing signs of improvement. He's been taking daily walks, always accompanied by a security guard. But today… he went out and didn't come back."
Emily's stomach dropped. "And you're just now telling me?"
Dr. Lewis hesitated, shifting his weight slightly. "We thought he might have gone home. Patients with amnesia sometimes feel drawn to familiar places when their memories start returning."
Emily felt like the ground had been ripped from beneath her.
Her mother had disappeared when she was a child.
And now her father is gone too.
She blinked rapidly, but the tears came anyway, spilling before she could stop them.
The doctor cleared his throat. "We've alerted the authorities. We're doing everything we can to find him."
Emily barely noticed the security guard standing near the door, shifting his weight. His gaze darted toward the exit before quickly looking away. A flicker of something, guilt? Fear? Before he masked it.
Her heart clenched. Something wasn't right.
She shook her head, stepping back. The walls felt too close, the air too thin. "No. No, you don't understand. I can't" Her voice broke, splintering like glass.
She turned, and before she could stop herself, she buried her face in Damian's chest.
His arms came around her instinctively, holding her tight. "I can't lose him too, Damian." Her voice was muffled against his shirt. "I just can't."
Damian exhaled, his grip firm, grounding. "We'll find Dad. I promise
Word spread fast. Even though it hadn't been 24 hours, the authorities wasted no time. After all, this wasn't just anyone's father it was the father of the future bride of the Stones.
An hour later, Clinton arrived at the hospital. His sharp gaze scanned the room until it landed on Emily. Without hesitation, he strode toward her.
Emily barely registered his presence until she felt the warmth of his hand enclosing hers.
His voice was soft. "Emily. If you need a shoulder to lean on, mine is always here."
A quiet comfort she didn't want to need.
Something in his tone, steady, unwavering, made her throat tighten.
He was here.
Clinton was here.
Not Adrian.
Clinton gently squeezed her hand. "We'll find him. I have people searching already."
Emily swallowed hard, her emotions threatening to overwhelm her. "Thank you."
Clinton stepped closer, his fingers grazing her arms, a quiet reassurance.
Then, Damian's voice cut through the moment. "Okay, I think that's enough."
His expression was unreadable, but his posture was stiff and tense.
Clinton didn't move, only offering a slow smirk. "Relax, Damian. I'm just offering support."
Damian scoffed. "Yeah, sure you are."
Ignoring him, Clinton pulled out his phone. "Increase the search radius," he instructed. "Find him."
Emily watched him, emotions swirling in her chest.
Damian leaned in. "Emily. I need to know something."
She turned to him. "What?"
His voice dropped. "Do you trust him?"
Emily hesitated. Then, quietly, "More than I trust Adrian."
Damian's face twisted. "Are you serious?"
Emily crossed her arms. "Tell me, Damian, where is Adrian? My father is missing, and he's silent."
Damian sighed. "He's busy, Emily."
Emily laughed, but it was hollow. "Busy? I just hope he's not totally paralyzed, Damian. Because if he is… I can't deal. I can't."
Damian's eyes darkened. "Emily, stop."
BIM. BIM. BIM.
Her phone rang, slicing through the tension.
She grabbed it, heart in her throat. "Hello?"
A grim voice met her ear. "This is the search team. We need you to come to San Diego. There's a body. It matches the description of the man we were asked to find."
The world lurched sideways.
A hollow ringing filled her ears.
Her fingers went numb, the phone slipping from her grasp like dead weight.
Damian barely caught her before her knees buckled. "Emily!"
But
she didn't hear him.
Because the nightmare wasn't over.
It was just beginning.