Chapter Seventy Four

Chapter 74:

"It's Ava," Marcus said, his voice breaking. "She's missing."

“Missing? What do you mean she’s missing?” Jemima questioned, her voice quivering. How was this even possible?

“Is everything okay?” Jay mouthed, concern lacing his expression as he stared at her. Jemima held up her hand, wanting to listen to Marcus.

“We have to go,” Jemima announced immediately she ended the call. “Something’s up.”

“See you around Jem,” Jon called out, winking at her with a sly grin. Jemima gulped before Jay pulled her away.

“What did Marcus say?” Jay asked as soon as they were settled in the car but Jemima just replied with a shrug of her shoulder. Jay nodded, understanding that Marcus must not have divulged sufficient information for security reasons.
The drive back to the Valerian estate stretched longer than it should have. Jemima sat in the passenger seat, staring out at the city as it blurred into streaks of light and shadow. The chaos of the evening weighed heavy on her chest—Jon Ross's cryptic words, Ava's unexplained disappearance, and the persistent unease that clawed at the edges of her mind.

"You're too quiet," Jay said, his voice low as he maneuvered the car around a sharp turn.

She didn't respond. It wasn't just that she had no words; it was as though her thoughts were too scattered to form coherent sentences. Jay glanced at her, his eyes softening.

"Jem," he tried again, "you've been through hell tonight. We'll figure this out. I promise."

“And what if we don’t figure it out?” Jemima queried without looking at him, her gaze still fixated on the streaks of light as Jay drove.

“We will,” Jay insisted defiantly which prompted Jemima to turn her attention to him briefly before managing a weak nod. But the moment her gaze shifted back to the window, she caught something that made her heart stop— a fleeting reflection of herself, smiling.

Only, she wasn't smiling- she didn’t feel like she was smiling.

Jemima blinked, her breath catching, her brows furrowing with confusion. She stared harder, wanting to comprehend what she saw but the image was gone just as quickly as it appeared. It had to be the play of light, she told herself. Nothing more.

Yeah, it was just the silhouette, she tried to assure herself but she didn’t feel so convinced.

The hollow feeling in her chest told her otherwise, told her that it could be something more.

When they finally reached the estate, Marcus was already waiting by the front steps, his broad shoulders outlined against the porch light. His usual air of authority was replaced by visible agitation, his arms crossed tightly across his chest.

"What the hell took you so long?" he barked the moment Jay parked. His tone took Jemima by surprise Marcus.

Jay stepped out, slamming the car door shut. "Back off, Marcus. We're here now, no need to yell.”
Jay said, his voice was stern and firm, hoping Marcus would read the room.

Jemima barely noticed their exchange as she climbed out of the car. The sharp night air stung her skin, but it did little to clear her head. She marched past her brother, her voice cold. "Where is she?"

Jemima didn’t sound bothered by her disappearance.

Marcus faltered, his lips pressing into a thin line. "We don't know."

Jemima stopped in her tracks, her green eyes narrowing. "What do you mean, you don't know?"

"She was in the garden the last time anyone saw her," Marcus explained. "The guards said she went out for air and never came back."

Jay joined them, his expression darkening. "And no one thought to follow her?"

"Don't start with me, Jay," Marcus growled. "I've already got enough to deal with without you playing the blame game."

“There is no blame game here but tell me this Marcus, I thought we had Ava locked up…” Jemima stated carefully, not remembering exactly what happened. She felt like there was this constant fog covering her memory.

“Huh? Locked up? I mean momentarily but we forgave her when we found out she was pregnant. You gave that whole speech about how ‘if you fight with a pig you’d both get dirty’ which in turn left me enraged, don’t you remember?” Marcus bomb dropped the information at a go, causing Jemima’s breath to hitch in her throat. Her vision became blurry and she fought to steady her composure.

“That’s enough Marcus,” Jay uttered, his gaze stern as he stared at Marcus.

“What did I do? She was the one that called the shots—”

Jemima raised a hand, silencing both men. "This isn't helping. We need to search the estate. Every room, every corner."

"Already on it," Marcus muttered, though his voice lacked its usual confidence.

Jemima didn't wait for further argument. She was already moving toward the garden, her steps quick and purposeful. The gravel crunched beneath her boots as she made her way down the winding path, her breath visible in the chilly night air.


The garden was quiet—too quiet. The faint rustle of leaves and the trickle of water from the central fountain were the only sounds. Jemima's fingers itched to grab the knife hidden beneath her coat, the weight of it against her thigh a small comfort.

She didn't call out Ava's name. Somehow, she knew it wouldn't help.

The deeper she ventured into the garden, the stronger the unease grew. The shadows seemed alive, shifting and stretching unnaturally under the glow of the estate's outdoor lights.

"Jem!" Jay's voice cut through the stillness.

She turned to see him crouched near the fountain, something silver glinting in his hand.

"What is it?" she asked, her voice steady despite the pounding of her heart.

He held up a bracelet, its charm—a delicate rose—catching the light. Jemima's breath hitched.

"It's Ava's," Jay said, standing.

Jemima reached for it, her fingers trembling as she took it from him. Ava never took this bracelet off. Ever.

"She wouldn't leave this behind," Jemima murmured, her grip tightening on the piece of jewelry.

Jay's gaze darkened. "No, she wouldn't."

Marcus joined them then, his sharp eyes scanning the area. "What's going on?"

"Ava was here," Jemima said, holding up the bracelet. "Something happened to her."

Before Marcus could respond, a sudden rustling from the bushes made all three of them freeze. Jemima's instincts kicked in, her hand flying to her knife.

"Stay here," Jay whispered, already moving toward the sound.

Jemima clenched her jaw, her heart pounding as she watched him disappear into the shadows. She could hear the faint crunch of his footsteps, each one heavier than the last.

Then, without warning, a hand gripped her shoulder.

She spun around, her knife flashing in the moonlight, only to stop short when she saw Marcus staring back at her with wide eyes.

"Easy, Jem!" he exclaimed, stepping back with his hands raised.

Her chest heaved as she lowered the knife. "Don't sneak up on me like that!"

Marcus frowned. "You're shaking," he said, his voice quieter now.

"I'm fine," she snapped, though the tremor in her voice betrayed her.

Before Marcus could say more, Jay returned, his expression grim. "Whoever it was, they're gone now."

The night dragged on. Back inside, the three of them gathered in the living room, the weight of Ava's disappearance pressing down on them like a physical force. Jemima sat on the couch, her hands clasped tightly in her lap.

"We'll organize a proper search in the morning," Marcus said, pacing the length of the room. "For now, we need to rest."

"I'm not going to sleep while Ava's missing," Jemima replied sharply.

"Jem," Jay began, his voice soft, "he's right. You need rest. We all do. I’ll call Dimitri and Vanessa and they’d help.”

She glared at him but didn't argue. Deep down, she knew they were right. But the thought of lying in bed, doing nothing, felt unbearable.

As the others retreated to their rooms, Jemima stayed behind, her eyes fixed on the dying embers in the fireplace. The room was eerily quiet, the only sound the faint crackle of wood as the flames dwindled.

She closed her eyes, exhaustion pulling at her, but the moment she did, a voice broke the silence.

“You won't find her."

Jemima's eyes snapped open, her heart racing. She glanced around the room, her breath quickening.

"Who's there?" she demanded, her voice shaking.

There was no response.

"Get a grip, Jemima," she muttered to herself, running a hand through her hair. But as she stood to leave, she caught sight of her reflection in the window.

For a brief moment, it wasn't her face staring back at her.

It was smiling.


The following morning, the estate was buzzing with activity. Guards combed the grounds while Marcus barked orders, his frustration palpable. Jay stayed close to Jemima, his concern for her growing with every passing hour.

Dimitri, Jay’s cousin, and Vanessa his fiancé had touched base and they were already helping with the search.

Jay observed that Jemima was quieter than usual, her movements slower, her gaze distant.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Jay asked as they stood by the fountain where Ava's bracelet had been found.

"I'm fine," she replied, though her voice lacked conviction.

Jay frowned. "You've been saying that a lot lately, but I don't think it's true. Jem, if something's going on, you can tell me."

She looked at him, her green eyes shadowed with something he couldn't quite place. "I don't know what's happening to me, Jay," she admitted finally. "I feel... disconnected. Like pieces of me are missing."

Jay reached for her hand, his touch grounding her. "We'll figure it out. Together."

But as Jemima nodded, a small, nagging thought crept into her mind.

‘What if I'm the one who's missing?’