Henry stepped into his office, barely acknowledging the morning greetings from the staff. His head was pounding, his body felt heavy, and his mind—his mind was a storm of thoughts he couldn’t silence.
“Good morning, Mr. Henry,” Emilia greeted, standing at his desk with a stack of files in her arms. She was his personal assistant, sharp and efficient, always keeping things in order. But today, as she looked at him, her usual professional demeanor softened with concern.
She frowned. “You’ve been off work for days. What’s going on?”
Henry exhaled and ran a hand down his face. “Annie’s gone.”
Emilia blinked, confused. “Gone? What do you mean—?”
Henry leaned against his desk, his voice lower, rawer. “I don’t know how it happened. One minute she was here, the next…” He paused, shaking his h
