The sun rose, casting a pale light over the town, but for Sophia Green and her team, there was no warmth in the new day. The night had passed without a single lead on Carla’s whereabouts, and the weight of the silence was suffocating. The police department buzzed with tension, officers moving with purpose but visibly drained. The frustration was palpable, and every second without news only added to the growing dread.
Sophia stood in the center of the operations room, her eyes fixed on the whiteboard covered in notes, timelines, and scattered photographs. Her fingers tapped against her crossed arms as she processed the lack of progress. She hated waiting, but at this point, there was little else to do.
One of the junior officers, a man with a tired face and a voice hardened by years of ex
