Chapter 22%
“Still no news?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
The staff shook their heads, their expressions apologetic. “We’re doing everything we can, Mrs. Unie. We’ve contacted everyone, and the search teams are working around the clock.“/
I nodded, but their words did little to ease the knot in my chest. Preston had been missing for days now, and with each passing hour, the fear inside me grew
I sat by the window, staring out at the rain streaking down the glass, my phone clutched tightly in my hand. I had sent countless messages to Preston, desperate for any response.
“Where are you?”
“Please come home.”
“I’m sorry, Preston. Please, just answer
But there was nothing
Guilt consumed me.
This was my fault. I should have believed him. I should have trusted him when he said the video wasn’t real. Instead, I pushed him away. and now now he was gone.!!
The weight of my mistake felt unbeamble.
alf
“Til fix this,” I whispered to myself, as if saying it out loud would make it true.
DNA
With no other leads to occupy my mind, I decided to confirm what had been gnawing at me since meeting Alestair. I arranged for a DNA test, submitting samples from both him and Preston.
When the results arrived, I held the envelope in my trembling hands, my breath catching as I tore it open.
Match: Identical twins.
I stared at the words, my mind meling. How was this possible?!
Alestair, who had been waiting nearby, seemed just as shocked when I showed him the results.
- I don’t know what to say,” he admitted, running a hand through his hair. “I grew up in an orphanage. No one ever told me I had a brother”
Despite the confusion, Alestair didn’t hesitate to step in. “I’ll help,” he said firmly. “111 do whatever it takes to find him. I even handle the media to clear his name. Preston doesn’t deserve this.”}
I nodded, grateful for his support, even as the weight of everything threatened to crush me.
Days turned into an endless blur of searching and waiting.
There were no leads, no updates–just an overwhelming silence that felt suffocating.}
My thoughts spiraled as I sat alone in the house, my hands trembling with every text I sent to Preston’s unanswered phone.
The stress became unbearable, and one evening, as I sat clutching my stomach, I felt a sharp, searing pain.X
“No,” I whispered, panic setting in as the pain grew worse.
The staff found me moments later, pale and shaking, and rushed me to the hospital.
When I woke up, the room was quiet, save for the steady beep of the monitors beside me
Something felt wrong–empty.
“Where’s my baby?” I asked, my voice barely audible
The doctor looked at me, her expression sympathetic. “I’m so sorry, Mrs. Urie. We did everything we could, but the stress was too much…”
Her words faded into the background as my world shattered.
The baby was gone.
Tears streamed down my face as I turned away, unable to process the loss. Everything I had fought for, everything I had tried to protect, was slipping through my fingers
Hours later, a nurse entered with a package.
“This arrived for you” she said softly, placing it on the table beside me.!!
I stared at it, dread pooling in my stomach. Slowly, I reached for it, my hands trembling as I opened the box.!!
Inside were black roses, their dark petals ominous and cold.X
And there was a letter
Tunfolded it, my heart pounding as I read the words scrawled in red ink:
You will never find Preston again because he is dead.
The box fell from my hands, crashing to the floor as a scream tore from my throat X
“No” I sobbed, clutching the sheets, my body shaking uncontrollably
Preston couldn’t be gone. He couldn’t be ⠀
But the words on the letter felt like a death sentence, and all I could do was cry
