Chapter 178- Mom is Missing

ARIANA'S POV

The sound of Hardin’s car faded into the night as he drove away, leaving me standing at the doorstep. My lips still tingled from the kiss we had shared, and a warmth I couldn’t explain spread through me. For the first time in a long while, hope—fragile but persistent—found its way into my chest.

I turned toward the house, my thoughts a whirlwind of everything he’d said. Could we really work? Could I trust him? The soft smile on my face faltered as I reached for the front door, the overwhelming silence inside reminding me of the chaos still lurking in my life.

Pushing the door open, I stepped into the foyer, greeted by nothing but the faint ticking of the grandfather clock. The house felt unnaturally still, almost suffocating in its quietness. I shut the door behind me and stood for a moment, taking in the eerie calm.

I made my way to the kitchen, the sound of my heels echoing against the cold marble floors. My throat felt dry, and I desperately needed a glass of water to steady myself. As I reached for a glass, a faint glow caught my attention from the direction of the servants’ quarters down the hall.

“Agnes?” I called softly, my voice barely above a whisper.

The faint light didn’t move. Curious, I set the glass down and made my way toward it. Agnes, my mother’s trusted maid, was usually in bed by this hour. Finding her awake was odd.

“Agnes?” I called again, louder this time.

Her head popped out from the small room, her face lined with worry. “Miss Ariana,” she said, wringing her hands.

“Is everything okay? Where’s my mother?” I asked, frowning at her unusual demeanor.

Her eyes darted toward the staircase, and she hesitated before answering. “Your mother hasn’t left her room all day. I…I thought she might be resting.”

A sinking feeling settled in my stomach. My mother wasn’t the type to shut herself away, not even on bad days. “She’s been in there all day?” I repeated, already heading toward the stairs.

“Yes, miss,” Agnes replied, trailing behind me.

I didn’t wait for more answers. My mind raced as I climbed the stairs, each step amplifying my unease. The memory of my grandfather’s disappearance flashed vividly in my mind—the helplessness, the fear. It had all started just like this.

When I reached my mother’s door, I hesitated. My hand hovered over the knob as I called out, “Mom? Are you in there?”

No answer.

A chill ran down my spine. I turned the knob and pushed the door open. The room was dim, the curtains drawn tightly shut. I scanned the space, expecting to see her in bed or at her desk.

But the room was empty.

The bed was untouched, the air heavy and stale, as if no one had been inside for hours. Panic clawed at my chest as I turned back to Agnes.

“She’s not here,” I said, my voice trembling.

“What?” Agnes whispered, her eyes wide.

“She’s gone,” I repeated, rushing past her and down the hallway. My heart pounded as I searched every room I could think of—her study, the sitting room, even the library. Each one was the same: empty and cold.

“Where could she be?” I muttered to myself, my panic growing with each passing second.

“Ariana?” a familiar voice called from behind me.

I spun around to see Sasha, my best friend, standing at the top of the stairs. Her hair was disheveled, and she looked like she had just woken up.

“What’s going on?” she asked, frowning as she walked toward me.

“My mom. She’s gone,” I said, my voice shaking.

“What do you mean, gone?”

“She hasn’t been in her room all day. Agnes just told me,” I explained, trying to catch my breath. “She’s not anywhere in the house.”

Sasha’s face paled, and she immediately turned toward the stairs. “Let’s search the grounds,” she said.

We combed through every inch of the house and the surrounding property, calling her name and checking every corner. Minutes turned into what felt like hours, and still, there was no sign of her.

By the time we reconvened in the foyer, the air was thick with tension. Agnes looked like she was about to cry, and Sasha kept pacing, running her hands through her hair.

“Do you think someone took her?” Sasha asked hesitantly, voicing the fear none of us wanted to admit.

I didn’t answer. My mind was too busy spiraling, imagining every worst-case scenario. The parallels to what had happened with my grandfather were too strong to ignore.

And then my phone buzzed.

I grabbed it from my pocket with trembling hands, the screen glowing in the dark hallway. A text.

“Your mother is with us. Don’t involve the police if you want to see her alive.”

My blood ran cold as I stared at the words, my mind struggling to process what I was reading.

“Ariana?” Sasha’s voice pulled me back to reality.

I swallowed hard and locked the phone screen. “Nothing,” I said quickly, my voice shaking.

But my heart knew better. This wasn’t nothing. It was the beginning far worse than I have ever handled.
She's The Boss
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