Shonee's POV

The next day...

"Aw, I can't believe you're leaving so soon," Jordin pouted as she helped me pack up my things. "I mean, I'm glad you're over Nancy's threat and want to return to your job. I'm just sad that I'm back to living alone. It was nice having to come from work to some hot, home-cooked meals."

"Well, I could always come around, especially on weekends. You can also invite James over," I recommended with a smirk.

"So that douchebag can turn my apartment into a gay nightclub when I'm not around? Pass." Jordin snorted with an eye roll. "You're much better to live with."

I laughed. If only she knew what had happened in her apartment yesterday.

My phone's ringtone cut through our conversation, and I set my folded clothes down before picking it up. Gerta's name glowed on the screen, and I didn't hesitate to answer. "Hi, Ger—"

"Shonee! Oh, thank God you picked up!" She sounded so panic-stricken that my eyebrows dipped in worry.

"Ok, Gerta, calm down. What's going on?"

"Mirasol is missing!"

My heart jumped in my chest. "What? Wha-what do you mean Mirasol is missing?"

As soon as the question left my mouth, Jordin perked up, concerned.

"We don't know where she is!" Gerta cried out. "After her violin classes, she headed up to her room. When dinner was ready, I went up to go and call her, but she wasn't there. We've searched every corner of the house, but we can't find her."

Just then, someone banged on the front door repeatedly.

"Who the heck is that?" Jordin quickly left my side to figure out what was going on.

"Nancy is freaking out," Gerta continued through the phone. "She's convinced you had something to do with her disappearance, so she left the house, yelling that she was coming after you!"

"What? How can she—oh no." The realisation hit me like a rock as the familiar voice filtered in from the living room. "Gerta, I've gotta go."

"No, wait—"

I ended the call and walked into the living room where Nancy had gone full psycho, turning everything upside down, despite Jordin's frantic yells for her to stop. "Hey!" She quickly caught a flying vase. "Bitch, have you lost your freaking mind?"

"Nancy, Nancy stop!" I drew closer and yanked the couch cushion from her before she could use it to break something else.

"You!" Her blazing eyes landed on my face, then she threw herself at me with so much force that we both fell on the floor with her on top of me.

"Where's Mirasol?" Nancy's hands latched onto my throat, cutting off my air supply. "Where is she?"

"I khah...I don't, ah! Know." I wrestled, grasping and clawing in an attempt to push her off but it was like she weighed a tonne.

"Liar!" As if she wasn't exerting enough force, Nancy pressed harder, making my heart rate pick up. "Tell me where Mirasol is, or so help me God, I will squeeze every single breath out of you!"

"Get the fuck off her!" Jordin grabbed a fist full of Nancy's hair with both hands and pulled her off, sending her stumbling backwards into a nearby coffee table.

Quickly, I staggered onto my feet, holding my neck.

"Argh!" Nancy's furious glare shifted from me to Jordin. But just as she was about to lunge at her, Vincent appeared in her path, blocking her from Jordin.

"What the hell are you doing here, Nancy?" He pushed her back with a firm hand. "And how did you even find this place?"

Nancy straightened herself, brushing back her dishevelled hair. "What? You think you're the only one who knows how to track people down?" She sneered. "Think again. I knew Shonee was here the very day she left the house. I just didn't bother doing anything to her because I assumed she'd stay out of the way. But it seems I was wrong." Her gaze snapped back to me, eyes cold and unforgiving. "I should have finished you off in that bathroom the other day."

Vincent's jaw tightened. "So it's true?" he said, barely restraining his brewing anger. "You fucking strangled her?"

"And I'd do it a million times over!" Nancy lifted her chin defiantly. "Do you know how hard it is to come back to your family only to see that you've been replaced by a cheap, slutty whore passing off as a nanny?"

Vincent's face darkened with anger. "Shonee is far from that, and you know it! She's been taking care of Mirasol like her own."

"But she's not hers!" Nancy fired back in a voice laced with venom. "She's mine!"

"Is she?" He looked her dead in the eye. "You were gone for two years, Nancy. Two years Mirasol had to live without a mother. You can't expect her to be hung up on you forever. She's moved on. I've moved on."

Nancy's face flickered with hurt. But as quickly as it came, she masked it with a deep frown, firing out another response, "You're only saying that to throw me off, but it's not going to stop me from fighting—"

"Aha! There she is, officers." Nancy's mother appeared in the doorway of the apartment, pointing an accusing finger at me. "That's the woman who kidnapped my granddaughter. Arrest her."

"Wh-what?" I stood upright. Is this woman crazy?

Two burly officers walked into the apartment. The first one turned toward Vincent, acknowledging him with a nod. "Mr. Beckham."

"Officer McCauley." Vincent drew closer. "Look, I don't know what Mrs. Denver told you, but it's all a misunderstanding. My daughter isn't here. Shonee doesn't have her."

"And you believe her?" Mrs. Denver's eyes narrowed.

"Of course," Her son-in-law replied without missing a beat. "You can ask your daughter to verify. She's the one who trashed out this place."

"It's true, officers." Jordin stepped forward. "She just barged in here and started throwing things about."

Mrs. Denver shot her a frown. "And who the hell are you?"

"Jordin Peele, the one renting this apartment," Jordin stated, equally angry. And it was understandable. She didn't have anything to do with this, yet Nancy had dragged her into it. My best friend turned back to Officer McCauley, pushing her glasses further up her nose. "You can't let her get away with this."

"She won't," Vincent responded before the officer could. "Jordin, I encourage you to press charges. I'll make sure Nancy pays for everything from her personal funds."

"What?" Both Nancy and her mum quizzed in unison.

"Have you gone mad, Vincent?" Mrs. Denver stepped in front of him, jabbing a finger into his chest. "You can't do this to your own wife!"

"My wife wouldn't go around trashing other people's apartments," he said in an ice-cold tone that made his mother-in-law think twice about questioning his decision. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a daughter to find."

With that, Vincent sidestepped the woman and walked out of the apartment.

******

A few moments later...

"Hey, you ok?" Jordin sat next to me on the kitchen island.

"Yeah."

Nancy, her mum and the police had left not too long after an intense talk about what had happened in the apartment. Though Nancy tried to weasel her way out of it by threatening to make it a foolish case, Jordin, undeterred, made it very clear that she was still going to press charges.

"How's your neck?" She asked, reaching out to touch it and I winced.

"It's a little bit sore," I mumbled. "But honestly, I'm more worried about Mirasol's safety than my health right now."

"Oh yeah." Jordin's brow furrowed in concern. "Do you think she's been kidnapped, like Nancy's mum said?"

"No, of course not!" I scoffed with all the certainty I had to offer. "If someone had kidnapped Mirasol, they would have left behind a ransom note or something. But there's nothing like that."

A sigh left my mouth. "My guess is that she ran away, which is very dangerous because she's a five-year-old kid who's never left the house without adult supervision." The wheels in my head began to turn as I rubbed the back of my neck. "Since she's never been anywhere on her own before, she'll probably go somewhere she's visited in the past. Preferably, somewhere she had fun."

Silence reigned for like a minute or two until Jordin jerked up. "Fallon Park!"

"Huh?"

"Fallon Park," she repeated. "Remember? They had the fair there with all those rides that she wanted to get on. If I were a runaway kid, that's where I'd head to."

"Holy shit, you're right." I propped myself up. "We should check that place out."

"I'll get my car keys." Jordin hopped off her stool.

Quickly, I pulled out my phone and called Vincent.

The line rang twice, and then his voice came through, heavy with stress. "Hello, Shonee?"

"Hey, where are you?"

"At Julia's house. One of Mirasol's friends. I was hoping they'd have some info, but," he released a dejected sigh. "There's nothing."

"Can you meet us at Fallon Park soon?" I cut in. "Not to get your hopes up, but Jordin and I think Mirasol might be there."

"Say no more. I'm on my way."

*****

Hii, this week's chapter dedication goes to @JayJohnson17

Thank you so much for your constant support and interest in this book. Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Also huge thanks to everyone who keeps coming back for more.

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