133 SEARCHING
LUKE’S POV
Andre and I hurried through the vast, empty warehouse, our footsteps echoing against the cavernous walls. The dim light from a few high windows cast long shadows across the dusty floor, adding to the eerie atmosphere. We had been searching for Ariel, our voices calling out her name but receiving only silence in return. I could feel frustration building within me.
“Andre,” I called out, my voice tinged with defeat. “I don’t think she’s here. Maybe we should call for help. Maybe we’re wasting our time.”
Andre’s voice echoed through the warehouse. “Luke, we can’t give up now. Ariel needs us, and we’re not leaving until we find her.”
I continued searching, pushing boxes aside and peering behind crates, but there was no trace of Ariel. It felt like an endless labyrinth, and hope was slipping through my fingers.
As I approached the center of the warehouse, André joined me. “Luke, I know this is tough, but we can’t lose hope. Ariel is counting on us. We’ve come too far to give up now. We’ll find her, I promise.”
His words stirred something within me. I nodded, steeling myself against the rising doubt. “You’re right, André. Let’s keep looking.”
We ventured further, and then I caught a glimpse of something in the far corner. “Andre, over here!” I called out.
We rushed over and found a little girl sitting on the floor, her expression a mix of relief and exhaustion.
“Hey there, are you okay?” I asked, my voice trembling with concern.
She nodded weakly, her eyes reflecting gratitude. “I’m okay, thanks to you both. I got lost in here and couldn’t find my way out.”
“How exactly?” I asked her, raising an eyebrow.
“Uhmm, Luke, we have a problem,” Andre spoke, and I turned around. It was the fearsome man, and he was walking in our direction.
Shit! This isn’t good,” I said, staring at the man who was glaring at us.
****
ARIEL’S POV
minute; you want to
She smirked,
so terrifying. I don’t even know you, and yet you want to take my life. Have I done anything wrong to you? Because if I can clearly remember, We haven’t met. So tell me, what’s the problem around
too much.”
“No, I don’t.”
and
me. I’m scared, alright?”
you talk too much
something like that. But being serious around here, who are
She quizzed,
we haven’t talked, and I haven’t even seen your face in my entire life,” I
you just a clown?”
then set my eyes back on her. ” Oh crap, how do you know
supposed to be your mother–in–law!” She responded coldly.
I gave her a bewildered
your mother–in–law,
what’s going on here? What are you talking
gosh, you’re just as dumb as your husband,” she said in hushed
“Who? Luke?”
how many husbands do
just trying to clarify things. But for
am his mother, Don’t you see the likeness?”
“I don’t, actually.”
“What?!”
calm down. Right now, I’ve got millions of
“Don’t even bother.”
been all these years? Because if I can clearly remember, Luke told me his mother died
glared at me and shook her
LUKE’S POV
tightly, and took a defensive
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
The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!