Chapter 430
My heart stops as I stare at the message on my screen, my eyes moving over the words again and again because I can’t seem to process what I’m seeing.
My mind starts spiraling immediately, trying to convince me that maybe I imagined it, maybe grief and exhaustion have finally pushed me over the edge and I’m hallucinating the one thing I’ve desperately wanted to hear for months.
Before I even realize it, my knees give out beneath me and I sink onto the couch, my fingers clutching the phone so tightly it almost hurts. I try to breathe, but the air keeps getting trapped in my chest as I continue staring at the screen.
A tear finally slips down my face, followed quickly by another, and suddenly I’m crying without even noticing when it started. I don’t know if this is real or if someone is playing some cruel joke on me, but my heart latches onto hope instantly because this is exactly the kind of sign I’ve been praying for. These are the words I begged God to let me hear during nights where grief hollowed me out so completely that the only thing keeping me together was clutching my daughter’s picture to my chest and pretending for a few seconds that she was with me.
Before I can overthink it, before fear can fully settle in and poison the hope blooming inside me, I quickly dial Noah’s number with shaking hands.
He answers on the first ring. “Sierra p>
I open my mouth to speak, but nothing comes out except shaky breaths.
“Sierra?” he says again, his voice instantly changing with concern.
I press my hand harder against my mouth, trying to force myself to speak, but my throat feels too tight.
“Hey, listen to me; take a deep breath,” Noah says gently, calmer this time.
I squeeze my eyes shut and take a breath.
“That’s it,” he murmurs softly. “Take another one p>
I focus on the steadiness of his voice and little by little, the trembling eases enough for me to finally force words past my throat.
“I got a message,” I whisper, my voice somehow still shaky.
There is a bit of silence on the other side before he asks, “What kind of message p>
I look back at the screen, fresh tears filling my eyes, and my voice cracks as I answer, “It says… It says our daughter is alive and safe p>
A loud scrape sounds through the phone like he shoved his chair back too fast, or maybe he shoved it in disbelief, or maybe a bit of both.
“When did you receive it?” he asks, and I can hear his footsteps, like he’s already moving.
“Just a few minutes ago p>
“Okay, stay right where you are. I’m coming,” he says, his own voice sounding rougher now.
Before I can even tell him where I am, the line disconnects. I think about calling him again, but I push the thought away. This is Noah we are talking about. If he wanted to find me, it would be very easy.
I sit there staring at nothing as hope, fear, panic and desperation all collide violently together inside me until I can barely separate one emotion from the next.
What if it’s true? What if this is finally the breakthrough we’ve been waiting for? But then another voice whispers darker things. What if it’s fake? What if someone is trying to manipulate me? What if this is another trap?
I don’t even know how much time passes before the elevator doors suddenly slide open. I look up and immediately my eyes clash with those of Noah. He strides out first with two of his men following closely behind him.
The second his eyes land on me, his expression changes. He crosses the room quickly, and before I can even stand properly, he pulls me into his arms. One of his hands cradles the back of my head while the other wraps tightly around me, holding me against him.