“Mommy? Where are we going?”
Guilt threatens to crush my heart.
She’s one more person I’m betraying.
21
ADRIANO
I jolt awake to cold sheets where Eva's warmth should be.
The digital clock reads 7:03, later than I usually sleep.
I assume Eva has risen and is with Mirabella, maybe getting breakfast or playing in that fairy garden I had installed.
I shower quickly, anticipating the sight of them in the kitchen, Eva laughing as Mirabella attempts to eat pancakes without getting syrup everywhere.
I take the back stairs as it’s the fastest route to the kitchen. But when I enter, I only see our chef and one of the servants. I check the dining room, which is empty.
I roll my shoulders of the worry that’s trying to take root.
I return to the kitchen. "Have you seen Eva and Mirabella?" I ask the chef.
"No. I haven't seen them this morning."
Again, I silence the alarm bells that want to ring.
The house is massive, as are the grounds.
They could be anywhere.
The playroom, the garden, the library where Mirabella loves to look at picture books.
But as I check each location, the knot in my stomach grows.
I check Mirabella's bedroom again, noticing details I missed before.
The missing stuffed unicorn she never sleeps without.
Her dresser is open and if I’m not mistaken, a few clothes are missing.
"Find Eva and Mirabella," I order the first guard I see as I hurry downstairs. "Now."
My phone rings. It's Alessandro. "The east gate was opened last night."
The coil in my chest snaps.
She's gone. Again.
Fuck. I try not to rush to conclusions.
Instead, I tear through the house like a madman, my mind racing through all possibilities.
The Bratva could have taken them, but how? Our security is airtight.
The cameras would have caught something.
The guards would have heard a struggle.
