Next to You, Then Gone

Chapter 4: Questions and Lies

Elara forced a calm expression as the two police officers stared at her. The female officer, Sergeant Adeyemi, had sharp eyes that seemed to notice everything. Her partner, a middle-aged man, stood quietly taking notes.

“Miss Voss, when was the last time you saw Damien Cross?” Sergeant Adeyemi asked.

“Last night,” Elara answered, voice steadier than she felt. “Around 11 PM. We had wine, talked about our wedding plans, then went to bed.”

Sophie hovered nearby, arms crossed, looking worried. Too worried.

“And you noticed nothing strange? No arguments? No unusual phone calls?”

Elara shook her head. “We were happy. Really happy.” Her throat tightened. “He told me he loved me before we slept. This morning… he was just gone.”

The officers exchanged a quick look. Sergeant Adeyemi continued, “We saw the drop of blood in the office. We’ve sent it for testing. But Miss Voss, Damien Cross is a very wealthy man. Men like him sometimes disappear on purpose. New women. Business troubles. Hidden debts.”

“He wouldn’t leave me,” Elara said firmly. “Not like this.”

The male officer flipped through his notepad. “You mentioned threatening text messages. Can we see them?”

Elara hesitated. She had deleted the latest ones, but she showed them the first message. The officers read it, faces unreadable.

“These could be from anyone,” the male officer said. “Pranksters, ex-lovers, even someone trying to scare you after hearing he’s missing. We’ll look into the number, but blocked messages are hard to trace.”

Elara’s frustration grew. They didn’t believe her. To them, this was just another rich man who probably ran off.

Sergeant Adeyemi softened her tone slightly. “We’ll check CCTV from the building and surrounding areas. In the meantime, if you remember anything; business rivals, enemies, anything he said that seemed off, call us immediately.”

As the officers prepared to leave, Sergeant Adeyemi paused at the door. “One more thing. Damien Cross’s company, Cross Dynamics, has been under quiet investigation for months. International money movement. We suggest you stay away from his files and accounts for now. For your own safety.”

The door closed behind them.

Sophie let out a long breath. “See? They’re on it. You should rest, Elara. I can stay the night.”

“No,” Elara said quickly. “I need to be alone. I’ll call you if anything happens.”

Sophie looked hurt but nodded. “Okay. But please don’t do anything stupid. I love you, girl. We’ll find him.”

After Sophie left, the penthouse felt even emptier. Elara sank onto the couch and finally let the tears fall freely. She cried hard — deep, painful sobs that shook her whole body. She cried for the future they had planned, for the love that felt so real, and for the terrifying uncertainty of not knowing if Damien was alive or dead.

---

"One year ago."

Damien had taken her to a quiet hill outside the city at midnight. They lay on a blanket under the stars. He rarely talked about his past, but that night he opened up a little.

“I didn’t grow up with money, Elara,” he said, holding her hand. “I fought for every single thing I have. Some of the things I did… they weren’t clean. But meeting you made me want to be better. You make me want to leave all of that behind.”

She had kissed his knuckles. “Then leave it. We can build something new. Just us.”

He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “I wish it was that simple.”

---

Back in the silent penthouse, Elara checked the time. It was already 8:47 PM. The mysterious meeting was at 11.

She knew it was dangerous. Stupid, even. But what choice did she have? The police clearly weren’t taking this seriously yet. The USB was locked. Damien’s note told her to trust no one.

She changed into dark jeans, a black hoodie, and comfortable sneakers. She tucked the USB drive safely into her bra again, along with a small pepper spray and her pocket knife. Her hands shook as she tied her hair back.

Before leaving, she wrote a short note and left it on the kitchen counter:

"If I don’t come back, tell the world Damien Cross was taken. His enemies are powerful. — Elara"

She took one last look at their home, heart heavy with fear and love.

“I’m coming for the truth, Damien,” she whispered. “Even if it kills me.”

The drive to the old warehouse district on 7th and Harbor took nearly forty minutes. The area was deserted — abandoned buildings, broken streetlights, and the distant sound of ships on the river. Elara parked her car two blocks away and walked the rest, staying in the shadows.

Her phone showed 10:58 PM.

She reached the warehouse entrance, heart pounding so loudly she could hear it in her ears. The big metal door was slightly open.

“Hello?” she called, voice echoing. “I’m here. Alone, like you said.”

Silence.

She stepped inside carefully. The warehouse was dark, lit only by moonlight through broken windows. Dust floated in the air. Her footsteps sounded too loud.

Suddenly, a deep voice spoke from the shadows behind her.

“Elara Voss. You’re braver than he said.”

She spun around. A tall man in a black coat stepped forward. His face was partially hidden by a hood, but she could see a scar running down his left cheek.

“Who are you?” she demanded, hand tightening on her pepper spray.

“Call me Reyes. I worked with Damien years ago. Before he tried to go clean.” The man tilted his head. “He loved you. Stupidly so. That love is what got him taken.”

Elara’s breath caught. “Is he alive?”

Reyes stepped closer. “For now. But they’re breaking him. And they’re coming for you next.”

He pulled out a small device and plugged it into her USB drive. The files started unlocking.

“I can only give you a few minutes. Copy what you can. Names. Accounts. The Blackthorn Syndicate. They’re the ones who took him.”

Elara quickly pulled out her own phone and began transferring files.

Suddenly, bright headlights flooded the warehouse from outside. Multiple cars.

Reyes cursed. “They followed you! We have to go — now!”

Gunshots rang out. Bullets ricocheted off metal beams.

Elara’s heart nearly stopped. She ran after Reyes toward the back exit, files still transferring.

As they burst out into the night, a black van screeched to a stop in front of them.

Reyes pushed her behind him. “Run, Elara!”

The van door slid open. Two masked men jumped out.

One of them pointed a gun directly at her.

“Elara Voss. You should have listened to the warnings.”