Chapter 8: The Girl Who Disappeared
512 Words
Emma sat in her small apartment, her mind racing.
Sophie.
A girl who had been in Liam’s life. A girl who had tried to leave him.
A girl who vanished.
Her fingers trembled as she opened her laptop.
If Sophie was real, there had to be something about her online.
She typed:
“Sophie Bennett, missing person.”
Her heart pounded as she hit ‘Search.’
Seconds later, multiple articles appeared.
And when she saw the headlines—
Emma’s blood ran cold.
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A Chilling Discovery
> “College Student, Sophie Bennett, Vanishes Without a Trace.”
“Boyfriend Claims She Left Town—But Is There More to the Story?”
“No Leads After Two Years—Case Remains Open.”
Emma’s breathing became shallow.
She clicked on the first article.
> Sophie Bennett, 22, was last seen on campus two years ago. According to her boyfriend, Liam Carter, she told him she needed a break and planned to move away. However, she left behind her belongings, her phone, and her bank account has not been active since.
Emma froze.
Liam Carter.
Liam.
The same man who claimed to love her.
She scrolled further.
The article continued—
> Police questioned Carter, but with no evidence of foul play, the case remains unsolved. Some of Bennett’s friends reported that she was afraid of Carter before her disappearance, but no reports were ever filed.
Emma couldn’t breathe.
Liam’s ex-girlfriend was missing.
And now—he was in her life.
Had Daniel been telling the truth all along?
Or was there another side to the story?
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An Unexpected Call
Emma’s hands trembled as she reached for her phone.
She needed to talk to someone.
Daniel.
She found his number and pressed ‘Call.’
Ring… Ring…
No answer.
She swallowed hard.
Was he avoiding her?
Or—was something wrong?
Then, her phone buzzed.
A text message.
From an unknown number.
Her stomach twisted as she opened it.
> "Stop digging, Emma. It’s dangerous."
Her heart dropped.
She looked at the message in horror.
Who sent this?
Daniel?
Liam?
Or… someone else?
Emma’s fingers felt numb as she typed a reply.
> "Who are you?"
Seconds later, another message arrived.
> "This is your only warning. Stay away from the past. Or you’ll disappear too."
Emma’s breath hitched.
Just like Sophie.
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A Race Against Time
Emma’s hands shook as she put down the phone.
Someone didn’t want her to know the truth.
But that only made her more determined.
She needed to find out what really happened to Sophie.
And she needed to do it before it was too late.
Her mind was made up.
Tomorrow, she would go to the police.
But before she could make a move—
A knock echoed through her apartment.
Emma’s heart stopped.
It was almost midnight.
Who would come at this hour?
Slowly, she stood up.
Another knock.
She swallowed hard. “Who’s there?”
Silence.
Then—
A voice she didn’t expect.
"Emma, open up. We need to talk."
Her breath caught.
Liam.
- Writer
