Chapter - 37


    Nick''s POV


    I was getting tensed by then. It had been fifteen minutes since she had been to the washroom and I


    was waiting there. I turned to look inside the car. Ethan was sleeping in the backseat. I called her


    number but it was switched off.


    When it was around twenty minutes I was done waiting. I opened the car door and picked Ethan up.


    Putting his head on my shoulder, he kept sleeping. Locking the car , I walked towards the restaurant.


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    She wasn''t at the entrance, nor in front of the reception. I eventually was in front of the washroom.


    There was a waitress standing at a corner.


    " Can you please check if there is ady in green dress inside the washroom? It had been a pretty long


    time since she walked in." My voice came out impatient.


    " Sure Sir." She went in but came out a littleter .


    " No Sir , no one''s there." I was expecting or let''s say hoping for a positive answer. Never in my life had


    I been so disappointed with anything.


    I swiftly walked over to the reception. As soon as the receptionist saw me approaching, she stood up.


    " How may I-"


    " Did you see my wife walking out of here in a green dress?" I didn''t have the time for formalities. My


    patience was running thin. She looked a bit baffled at the sudden question and then after pondering


    over it a while, spoke up.


    " Yes , I saw ady, a brte in green dress leave from here." I felt my anxiety rise at her words. She


    said a brte in green dress. Obviously it''s her. She left !? Then where was she ? Why didn''t she


    " I want to see the CCTV footage of the entrance, now." Knowing of what I could do with a snap of my


    fingers , they dared not refuse.


    " Sure Sir , this way please." I followed her to a room. I stood in front of the screen and the footage of


    around the time we left , was yed.


    I saw Sophia entering the restaurant . After a few minutes I saw her stepping out. I was scared of what


    I was going to see. She took a few steps before a hand was ced on her mouth and another around


    her waist. I couldn''t make out anything of the man''s appearance as he waspletely dressed in ck


    and had a mask covering his face.


    Sophia was thrashing in his hold and I saw him drag her out of sight. That was it. There was nothing


    else.


    Sophia got kidnapped. It had been ten minutes that she was taken away. But where ? And by whom? I


    didn''t know a single thing about her current location. I didn''t know the number of the car in which she


    was taken away. Her phone was switched off so I couldn''t track her even.


    I clenched my eyes shut in pain.


    All of it was my fault. I shouldn''t have left her alone. How could I be so fucking careless? The familiar


    feeling of guilt hit me with full force.


    " Dammit ." I banged my fist on the table. This startled the workers who looked frightened of my


    outburst but I couldn''t care less. The sound woke Ethan up. He rubbed his eyes before taking in his


    surroundings.


    " Where are we ?" I closed my eyes and took deep breaths to calm myself but nothing seemed to work.


    I could only feel my panic rising with every second.


    " We''ll be home soon." I managed to calmly speak. He nodded before trying to get into afortable


    position in my hold once again. But suddenly as if remembering something , he jerked up and looked


    around.


    " Where is Mom?" I didn''t know how to reply . Putting on a rxed facade on my face, I spoke.


    " Mom , yeah, she met an old friend of hers and is going to stay with her for a few days . Why don''t I


    drop you off at Grandpa''s house? You can stay there until Mom returns?" I came up with a lie.


    Considering how paranoid he was these days about staying away from Sophia, I didn''t want him to


    know what had happened.


    " Old friend ? But Aunt Char and Uncle Ryan are her only friends." Obviously, he knew it. He has to


    know everything! I was getting so frustrated with the situation in hand but I had toe up with


    something assuring.


    " Yeah this is a childhood friend of hers. She didn''t tell you about her because they hadn''t met in ages.


    Even I came to know about her today itself." I ended with a nervous chuckle. At this point I didn''t know


    if I made sense or not but I wanted nothing more than to start my search for Sophia , which needed


    convincing Ethan to stay with Dad and Mom. So I was hoping that myme excuse of a story would


    work.


    He didn''t look very happy . Instead a gloomy expression covered his face. I knew what was going on in


    his mind.


    " Don''t worry , your Mom won''t leave you. She is going toe back." I was assuring him but I realized


    that somewhere I was trying to find a bit offort in my own words. I wanted to believe that she is


    going toe back to me , to us, unharmed .


    Ethan replied with a soft nod and a faint ''okay''.


    .........


    I dropped Ethan at Dad''s ce. From my face they knew that something was wrong but I signaled


    them not to ask anything in front of Ethan and they agreed. Mom took away Ethan with her leaving Dad


    with me.


    " What''s the matter , son ?" His eyebrows were furrowed and he looked at my face , as if trying to make


    out what was wrong with me.


    " Dad .. Sophia - Sophia got kidnapped." As soon as the words left my mouth his expression changed


    from that of concern to shock.


    " WHAT?" He yelled. His voice wasced with concern.


    " How did this happen?" I rubbed my forehead out of frustration. I was too restless to exin him


    everything but I needed to.


    So I gave him every detail. By the end of my narration, his face held an expression of pure horror. I


    knew that he loved Sophia like his own daughter and he was terrified to think of the consequences.


    " Well , we can''t sit here and be worried. We have to do something. " He sounded more impatient than I


    have ever heard him .


    " I was going to report it at the police station. I have a copy of the footage with me. " I had remembered


    to get the footage before it was tampered with. Although it didn''t give away shit that could help in the


    investigation, it was still important to make the cops believe that she was kidnapped and I wouldn''t


    have to wait for twenty four fucking hours before they would start looking for her.


    " I''lle with you. " I nodded at him and led my way back to my car. Settling back I started driving


    again. Dad called Mom, after getting into the passenger''s seat, letting her know of the current situation


    but I was lost in my mind . This time various thoughts were consuming me.


    What if the man who took Sophia was some serial killer ? What if he was involved in human trafficking


    ? What if he was a rapist ? Will she be alive by the time I reach her?


    I furiously shook my head to push away those thoughts. Even these thoughts were hurting so much


    and making me so weak. I couldn''t help but me myself. I was supposed to protect her but I couldn''t.


    I couldn''t do a job as simple as protecting my wife dammit!


    But I will not let anything happen to her.


    Hold on ,Sophia . I will find you, baby . I will .