Anna had no idea what had triggered such panic in Dorothy, but one thing was certain. She could not leave her alone like this.
Through Dorothy’s broken sobs and frantic blabbering, Anna slowly began to piece things together. The call had been from her children’s school. They had inford her that her younger son was missing.
The revelation hit Anna hard, leaving her montarily stunned. A missing child was every parent’s worst nightmare. But what unsettled her even more were the words Dorothy kept repeating, her voice thick with fear and certainty.
"It’s him... I know he took my son."
She said it again and again, as if clinging to those words was the only thing keeping her upright. Dorothy’s hands shook violently, her eyes darting around the room as though she expected soone to appear at any mont.
Those words sent a chill down Anna’s spine.
Who was he? And why was Dorothy so sure?
The confusion gnawed at Anna, but beneath it rose a sharper instinct. Whatever was happening, this was no longer just fear speaking. Dorothy was convinced, and that conviction made the situation far more frightening than Anna had first realized.
However, the mont they reached Daisy School, shock was all that awaited them.
"Mommy!"
Clent’s small voice rang out the instant he spotted his mother. He ran toward her, his little arms wrapping tightly around her as Dorothy dropped to her knees and held him close, relief crashing over her in a wave so strong it left her breathless.
"I am so sorry for the inconvenience, Ms. Dorothy," the class teacher said quickly, stepping forward. "There was a misunderstanding regarding Clent being missing."
Anna, who stood just behind Dorothy, noticed the teacher’s apologetic expression. But before anyone could say more, Dorothy pulled back, her face flushed with anger, her hands still gripping her son’s shoulders as if anchoring him in place.
"What misunderstanding are you talking about?" she snapped, her voice trembling as it rose. "Do you even realize what your so-called misunderstanding put through on my way here?"
The teachers exchanged uneasy glances.
"Ms. Dorothy, please try to calm down," another staff mber said gently. "Clent was never missing. He was inside his classroom the entire ti, attending his lessons."
"Yes," the class teacher added hurriedly. "There was a mix-up during attendance. His na was marked absent by mistake, and when we couldn’t locate him imdiately during recess, the situation escalated."
Dorothy let out a sharp, disbelieving laugh, her eyes blazing. "So because of your carelessness, you call a mother and tell her her child is missing?"
"We understand your distress," the teacher said, her voice strained but apologetic. "We truly do. We are very sorry for the panic this caused you."
Dorothy pulled Clent into her arms once more, her anger still simring beneath the relief. Anna watched silently from behind, her heart pounding. The child was safe, yet the fear Dorothy had felt, and the certainty she had spoken with earlier, refused to leave Anna’s mind.
Sothing about this did not feel over.
***
After handling the matter with the school staff, Dorothy walked out with her two sons, Anna following closely behind them.
The teachers apologized to Dorothy several tis before she finally began to calm down, the edge in her voice softening as the fear slowly drained from her system. Even then, Anna could tell sothing still lingered beneath the surface. She was not fully convinced that this was just a simple misunderstanding.
As they stepped out of the school gates, Anna slowed her pace and leaned slightly toward the boys.
"Clent, Drake, would you like to have so cotton candy?" she asked, her voice warm and gentle.
Both boys stopped and turned to look at her. Since this was the first ti they were seeing Anna with their mother, uncertainty flickered across their faces. They exchanged a quick glance, silently debating.
Dorothy noticed their hesitation and then looked at Anna, surprised by the sudden offer. After a brief pause, she gave a small nod, encouraging her sons.
"Yes," the boys answered together, their eyes lighting up.
A faint smile curved Anna’s lips as she led them toward a nearby stall, where a man stood spinning fluffy clouds of cotton candy in bright colors. For a mont, the earlier tension faded, replaced by childish excitent, though Anna’s mind remained alert, watching, listening, and waiting.
While the boys happily enjoyed their cotton candy, sticky fingers and bright smiles montarily cutting through the tension, an awkward silence stretched between the two won.
Dorothy shifted uneasily, her nervousness returning as mories of her earlier outburst replayed in her mind. The way Anna occasionally glanced at her, thoughtful and searching, only made her anxiety grow. It felt as though Anna was quietly waiting for answers Dorothy was not ready to give.
"You can calm down, Dorothy," Anna said at last, her gaze drifting toward the boys as she let out a slow breath. "Your son is safe."
Dorothy nodded, clutching her purse tighter, but before she could fully relax, Anna turned to face her.
"But now there is sothing you need to co clean about," Anna continued.
The gentleness in her voice was gone, replaced by a calm firmness that left no room for evasion. This was no longer the woman who had just offered sweets to her children. This was soone who expected the truth.
In that mont, Dorothy knew there was no point in hiding anymore. Even if she tried to deny it or brush it off, she could feel it in her bones that it would not be that easy. Whatever she had been holding back had finally caught up with her, and there was no escaping it now.
***
[Glorious International]
"What did you say?" Daniel asked, slowly lifting his gaze from the docunts on his desk. One brow arched as he leaned back in his executive chair. "Fiona requested to et sowhere else and not at the company?"
Henry swallowed. "Y-Yes, boss."
The shift in the room was imdiate.
The faint amusent in Daniel’s eyes vanished, replaced by sothing darker, colder. Whatever light had been there monts ago was swallowed whole, leaving behind a dangerous calm that made Henry straighten instinctively.
"Just what is this woman planning now?" Daniel muttered, more to himself than anyone else.
His fingers tapped once against the armrest before stilling. A slow, knowing smile tugged at the corner of his lips. Whatever ga Fiona thought she was playing, Daniel had no intention of stepping back.
If anything, he was curious.
"Alright," he said at last, his voice smooth but edged with steel. "Tell her I’m ready to et wherever she wants."
Reviews
All reviews (0)