Love Me Back (Amelia and Daniel) novel Chapter 195

Daniel shouted until his voice was hoarse, venting every bit of frustration before shaking off Cedric’s hand and storming away.

Cedric stood by the elevator, his voice quiet but urgent. “Daniel, still no news.”

It was only a dozen paces between them, but Daniel’s eyes were bloodshot, red and wild, every vein stark against the whites.

“I don’t pay you this much to hear ‘no news’! Keep looking—do whatever it takes, I don’t care how!”

Cedric had rarely, if ever, seen Daniel like this. Outwardly, he looked composed, but Cedric could see he was teetering on the edge of losing control.

“Check her visa, her passport, credit cards—airports, train stations, anything. She can’t just disappear without leaving a trace. I want to know where she is in two hours. No excuses.”

Two hours ticked by. Nothing.

Another two hours. Still nothing.

A third stretch of silence passed as the first pale light crept over the horizon; the night was over, but Daniel hadn’t slept at all—he hadn’t even closed his eyes.

He’d pulled every string, called in every favor, legal and illegal. Every contact, every friend, every underworld tie—everyone was hunting for Amelia. It was as if she’d vanished into thin air, leaving not the faintest trace.

The floor was littered with cigarette butts; he’d lost count of how many he’d smoked. The air in the penthouse was thick with haze.

Finley stepped in and nearly gagged on the smoke. “How many packs did you go through?” He glanced at the mess and shook his head. “You should stop. At this rate, you’ll kill yourself before you find her.”

“Any news?” Daniel’s voice was so raw it barely sounded human. He already knew the answer—if there were news, Finley’s face wouldn’t look this grim—but he still had to ask, still clung to a shred of hope.

“Nothing. I’ve never seen anyone disappear this completely,” Finley replied.

Suddenly, Daniel sat up straight. “She hasn’t disappeared. She must still be in the house.”

“Finley, say that again, and we’re done. Don’t ever say that again.”

Finley wanted to argue, but at that moment Daniel’s phone rang on the coffee table. He almost ignored it—until he saw the caller ID: Sophia.

Right. He hadn’t checked Sophia’s place yet. Amelia and Sophia were close; maybe she’d gone there.

He snatched up the phone. “Is Amelia with you? Please, tell her I’m not angry. She doesn’t need to hide—just come home, okay?”

Sophia had woken up to a scheduled message from Amelia, her heart pounding before her mind was even clear. She’d barely processed it before calling Daniel, and hearing his voice now only made her heart sink deeper, like a stone dropped into a lake.

“You messed with her again, didn’t you?” Sophia snapped. “Damn it, Daniel, can’t you just leave her alone? Why do you have to push her away every single time?”

Daniel went rigid, his voice trembling as he fought to steady it. “What are you talking about? She left? Where did she go?”