March 26, 2026.
The morning after the reveal was brutal.
Damien and I barely slept.
We stayed on the couch all night—curled together under a blanket, staring at the dark TV screen, waiting for the door to open. Waiting for Mia to come back.
She didn’t.
Her phone went straight to voicemail.
Texts unread.
By dawn, the house felt empty in a way it never had.
Damien made coffee on autopilot.
Hands shaking.
I sat at the island, necklace heavy against my throat.
“We should give her space,” he said quietly.
But his voice cracked.
I nodded.
We drank in silence.
At nine, he tried calling again.
Voicemail.
He set the phone down hard.
“I should go look for her.”
“Where?”
He rubbed his face. “Her friend Jenna’s. Or her aunt’s. Somewhere.”
I reached for his hand.
“Let’s wait a lit
