Chapter 19
Samantha’s POV
I immediately connected my charger as I settled on a chair my hotel room after was transferred here. Annie’s name glowed on the screen, followed by a string of message that I was not able to access earlier since my phone immediately died.
The first one brought a smile to my lips: “The twins wanted to stay up late, but don’t worry, I tucked them in on time. Devon tried to convince me otherwise, though!”
Scrolling through the others, I could almost hear Annie’s cheerful voice narrating their antics: Diana refusing to eat her carrots, Devon pretending to be a superhero, both of them begging for bedtime stories about wolves.”
But it was her last message that made my heart clench: “They’ve been asking for you all day, Samantha Devon said he missed your hugs, and Diana said she did not like how long you are gone.
I stared at the words, blinking hard. For a moment, the chaotic events from the day melted away, leaving only the ache in my chest, to see my twins again. They were my family now, my reason to fight, to survive, to keep moving forward, and this was the first time I had been away from them for too long.
I brushed away a tear threatening to fall and took a deep breath, trying to push aside the lingering thoughts of Dominic and focus on my twins. My phone buzzed again this time, a video call from Annie.
The screen lit up with her smiling face, “Hey, Samantha! I thought you would want to say goodnight to the kiddos. Let me grab them.”
Relief washed over me. “Thanks, Annie. You are a lifesaver!
She stepped away, calling for the twins in the background. But then, something shifted. Her voice grew louder, sharper, more… urgent. “Devon? Diana? Where are you?
I straightened in my chair as the relief evaporated in the air and was replaced with worry. “Annie? What’s wrong?” I asked.
Annie’s face appeared again and I could clearly see the worry etched into her features. “They are not here. They were in their room a few minutes ago… wait, what’s this?”
The screen tilted as Annie bent down, picking something up. Her face went pale as she read whatever it was.
“Annie, talk to me!” My voice came out harsher than I intended as panic bubbled in my chest.
“It’s… a note. From the twins.” Annie’s voice shook. “They said… they said they are going to find you.”
My heart dropped. “What?!” I exclaimed.
“I – I swear I did not hear them leave! I was just in the other room- oh my God, Samantha, I’m so sorry!”
My grip tightened on the phone as I hurriedly looked for my clothes. “Call the cops. Right now. I will figure something out on my end.”
Annie nodded frantically, already dialing. I ended the call and quickly removed my bathrobe to put on my clothes. My hands shook as I scrolled through my contacts. I needed help. I could not do this alone. And it was not that hard to know who to call if not the only person who had always been on my side no matter the case.
Killian
He picked up on the first ring. “Sam? What’s wrong?”
Chapter 19
“I need you,” I blurted out, pacing the small room. “The twins, they are gone. They left a note saying they are coming to find me.”
“What?!” he exclaimed, surprised, and at the same time, could hear him alarmed. “Where are you right now?”
“I am still in my room at the hotel. Please, Killian, I need you here.”
“I’m on my way.”
Killian arrived within minutes, mirroring the same worried expression that I had on my face.
“What happened?” he demanded.
1
I told him about Annie’s call and that the twins were not fit the house. “They are gone, Killian. I don’t know how far they could have gotten or where they might be.”
Ime.
His hand went on my shoulder, comfortingly firm as he reassured me, “Don’t worry, we will find them. I promise you that.”
I nodded, swallowing hard. “There is one more thing…” I trailed, my eyes going to the view outside the glass walls of my room as I made a decision.
His eyes met mine, and I hesitated before speaking, “Killian… Dominic is here at the Summit and I can’t… He can’t know about the twins.”
Killian froze for a moment, his eyes narrowing. “Why? Has the twins‘ father attended the Summit?”
“Just… he can’t know about them. I do not want him to find out about them.”
Killian nodded slowly despite her questioning gaze. “Alright. We will keep it that way. Regardless of the father, I would help you find the twins.”
I nodded. I have always been grateful for everything with Killian, he had never failed to be there for me and the twins, treating them as if his own. His loyalty was overwhelming, but it only made the situation more complicated. “Thank you, Killian.”
“Sam,” he held my gaze with pure sincerity in his eyes as he spoke, “I want you to know that I do not care who their father is,” he uttered firmly. “But if you will let me, lam more than willing to be their dad. They deserve someone who is there for them.”
“Killian…”
He shook his head. “I mean it, Sam.”
“Killian, I… I don’t know yet. For now, we should focus on finding them.”
Killian nodded in understanding, squeezing my shoulder, “You are right. Let’s start with alerting the staff if ever the twins found their way here.”
We scoured the hotel, questioning staff members and checking every hallway and corner and my panic grew with every passing minute. The twins were smart, but they were still just kids. Anything could happen. Killian had also alerted his men to investigate, following the twins‘ trail from the house, to where they could have been if they had not reached the hotel.
Killian stayed close to me, reassuring me as he received updates and kept tabs on his men’s progress in tracing their twins‘ route. “We will find them, Sam. They are strong, and smart, just like their mom. They will be fine.”
His words were meant to comfort me, but they only reminded me how much I had failed them. I should have been there. I should not have left them alone for too long.
+25 BONUS
The front desk called our attention again after asking their other associates if they had seen two kids that entered the hotel, and the receptionist confirmed that two children matching their description had been seen earlier in the lobby, but they had gone quickly afterward. My heart leaped and sank at the same time,
I closed my eyes, trying to feel their presence if they were around. “They are here,” I whispered, I felt it, the pull of their presence, but it was faint, too weak to reach them.
“But I can’t reach them, Killian. We need to find them before… something happens,” I said. I was scared that there might be rogues around the hotel just like last time, and hurt my twins. But one more thing I feared, was for them to be found out by Dominic.
Killian nodded, his hand resting lightly on my back as he agreed, “Then let’s go find them quick.”
Chapter 20
Chapter 20
