When Love is a Quest Chapter 94: Nightmare

Chapter 94: Nightmare

Timmy could see the sa determination in the n’s eyes. They nodded, one of them saying, "We’ll get on it."

Timmy managed a tired, grateful smile. "Thanks," he said softly. But the weight of disappointnt still hung on him as he made his way back to the small cottage where Samuel was.

When Timmy stepped inside, the soft sound of Samuel’s breathing was the first thing he noticed. Samuel was still asleep, his face relaxed, unaware of everything that had happened that night.

Timmy stood there for a mont, watching him, feeling his heart grow heavier. He didn’t know how he was going to tell Samuel that they hadn’t found Jas, that they had been mistaken.

Quietly, Timmy slipped into the room. He moved to a chair by the window and sat down, his body aching with exhaustion. He rested his head against the back of the chair and closed his eyes, but sleep wouldn’t co.

His mind was restless, running through the events of the night, replaying every mont over and over.

Back at the house, Zinnia had finally drifted off to sleep. She was curled up on the couch, her phone still in her hand. She hoped that when she woke up, Samuel would be there, and everything would be okay.

But her sleep was uneasy. She tossed and turned, her mind plagued by unsettling dreams.

In her nightmare, she saw Samuel drowning. The water was dark, churning around him, and he was struggling, fighting to stay above the surface. His hand reached out to her, but just as she was about to grab it, it slipped away, sinking into the murky depths.

Zinnia jolted awake, her breath coming fast, her heart pounding in her chest. For a mont, she just lay there, staring up at the dark ceiling, trying to shake off the lingering fear.

She reached for her phone, almost out of habit, and checked the ti. It was past midnight.

She thought about calling Samuel, just to hear his voice, but she hesitated. Instead, she lay back down, her mind still buzzing, the uneasy feeling clinging to her.

Sothing felt terribly wrong, but she didn’t know what it was.

As the hours dragged on, exhaustion finally crept up on her, and she drifted off to sleep again. But it was a restless, fitful kind of sleep. Her mind kept churning, even as her body tried to rest.

anwhile, Timmy managed to doze off a little, but it was a light, uneasy sleep. He woke up before dawn, the faint light of early morning seeping through the window. He sat up, rubbing his eyes, feeling like he hadn’t rested at all.

His phone buzzed, snapping him out of his foggy state. It was a ssage from the n he had sent out the night before. They had found out more about the man at the villa.

Timmy quickly opened the report, his eyes scanning the words, trying to make sense of everything.

The man’s na was Marlo. His family had lived abroad for years, but a tragedy had struck them. His parents had died in a car accident, leaving him as the only survivor.

After the accident, Marlo had decided to co back to his grandparents’ house — the private villa where they had seen him.

Timmy read through the details slowly, taking it all in. Marlo had returned to his family’s ho, seeking so kind of solace, but he had no connection to Jas. He just happened to resemble him.

It was a painful, bitter coincidence.

As Timmy absorbed the information, he heard movent from the room. Samuel was waking up, and Timmy’s stomach tightened. He knew he had to tell him the truth now.

Samuel sat up, stretching, still groggy from sleep. But the mont he opened his eyes, he was alert, his mind instantly going back to what he had been planning the night before.

"I need to find out about Jas," he said, his voice firm.

Timmy stepped forward, his hands clenched, his heart heavy. "Sir, wait," he said quietly. "There’s sothing you need to know."

Samuel’s eyes narrowed, confusion flickering across his face. "What is it?"

Timmy took a deep breath, trying to find the right words. "Last night... I sent so n to the villa. We thought we might have found Jas, but..."

He hesitated, watching Samuel’s expression carefully. "It wasn’t him. The man we saw wasn’t Jas. He just looked like him."

For a mont, Samuel didn’t react. He just stood there, staring at Timmy, as if he hadn’t heard him properly. "What?" he said, his voice barely more than a whisper.

Timmy nodded, swallowing hard. "I thought... I thought it was worth checking. I didn’t want to say anything until I was sure."

He paused, trying to gauge Samuel’s reaction. "The man’s na is Marlo. He ca back to his family’s villa after his parents died. That’s all."

Samuel’s face was unreadable. He just stood there, silent, his eyes distant. Timmy could see the confusion, the pain, but there was sothing else there too — a kind of emptiness, as if Samuel didn’t know what to feel.

"I understand why you did it," Samuel said at last, his voice quiet. "You were trying to help."

Timmy’s shoulders slumped, relieved but still uncertain. "I’m sorry, Sir. I just... I thought it might lead to sothing."

Samuel’s lips twitched, a faint, bitter smile. "It’s okay," he said, though his eyes were clouded. "I just... I don’t know whether I should be relieved that we didn’t find Jas, or..." He trailed off, his thoughts tangled.

He turned away, staring out the window, his expression distant. Timmy could almost see the struggle going on inside him, the conflict between hope and fear, between wanting to find Jas and dreading what it might an if they did.

After a long silence, Samuel finally spoke, his voice flat. "We should go back. I don’t want to worry Zinnia."

Timmy nodded, understanding. "I’ll book our flight," he said, reaching for his phone.

Samuel didn’t respond, just continued staring out the window, lost in his thoughts.

Back at the house, Zinnia stirred awake, her body stiff from sleeping on the couch. She glanced around, disoriented for a mont, before realizing Samuel hadn’t co ho.

A wave of worry washed over her, but before she could dwell on it, her phone buzzed.

She reached for it, her heart skipping a beat when she saw Samuel’s na. His ssage was simple: I’m coming ho soon. I hope you got so sleep. Sorry for missing dinner last night.

Zinnia’s heart eased a little. She typed a quick reply, her fingers trembling slightly. I’m glad you’re okay. I was worried. I didn’t sleep well, but I’ll be fine once you’re back. Let’s have lunch together?

Samuel’s reply ca quickly. Of course. I’ll see you soon.

As Samuel looked at Zinnia’s reply, he felt a pang of guilt. He hadn’t told her about Jas, or the search.

Should he tell her when he returned?

He didn’t know. But he was running out of ti to decide.