The hours dragged by, each second a needle pricking at their nerves. The family fanned out across town, scouring every possible place Fina might go. Antonio and Dante had contacted all of her closest friends, but none had heard from her. Luca and Matteo checked the parks and cafes, while Alessandro's cold efficiency had him calling in favors with local businesses to keep an eye out for her.

Isabella, left at home in case Fina returned, paced the living room, clutching her phone in a white-knuckled grip. Her heart raced every time it buzzed, only to plummet when it wasn't news of her daughter.

"She's smart," Antonio said over the phone, trying to comfort her from his car. "She won't do anything reckless, Mamma."

"She's hurt," Isabella whispered. "And when Fina's hurt, she shuts everyone out. She's not thinking clearly, Antonio."

Dante's Frustration

Dante and Enzo drove in circles around the outskirts of town, their usual teasing banter replaced with tense silence.

"She's always been like this," Dante muttered, gripping the steering wheel. "She bottles everything up, doesn't say a word, and then when it gets too much, she just—"

"Runs," Enzo finished, his jaw tight. "Yeah, I know. But she's never done this before. Not like this."

Dante slammed his hand against the wheel. "If that Aiden bastard—"

"Focus," Enzo snapped, his tone uncharacteristically sharp. "We don't know the whole story yet. Right now, we find her. Then we deal with him."

Aiden's Guilt

Aiden's car sped down the empty side streets, his hands gripping the wheel tightly. His mind raced with every possibility, every fear of where Fina might have gone. He knew her better than most—her favorite spots, the places she went to think, even the quiet corners of the library where she'd hide when she needed space.

But every place he checked came up empty.

"Damn it, Fina," he whispered, pulling over to catch his breath. "Where are you?"

He replayed the moment in his head for the hundredth time—the look on her face when she saw Sophia. Her heartbreak, her pain. He should have gone after her immediately. He shouldn't have let her walk away.

His phone buzzed, and he snatched it up, hoping it was news.

It was Luca. "Nothing at the park," his girlfriend brother's tone was clipped. "You?"

"Still looking," Aiden replied, his voice strained. "She has to be somewhere."

Back to Fina

Fina remained curled on the bench, her knees drawn to her chest as the sun dipped lower in the sky. The initial rush of anger and betrayal had given way to exhaustion, and now, only emptiness remained.

She stared blankly at the fading light, the soft rustling of leaves and distant hum of traffic the only sounds around her. Her phone stayed silent in her pocket, the weight of it heavy against her side. She knew her family was looking for her. She knew she should call. But the thought of facing them, of explaining what she'd seen—it was too much.

Her fingers toyed with the edges of her sleeve, her mind drifting to Aiden. The way he'd kissed her temple that night. The way he'd held her when she was in pain. How stupid she'd been to think someone like him could ever...

Stop. Don't think about him.

She wiped at her cheeks, standing up abruptly. She needed to keep moving. Staying still made it worse, made her thoughts louder.

At the House

The tension in the house was suffocating. Isabella sat at the kitchen table, her head in her hands as Alessandro stood behind her, his hand resting on her shoulder.

"Alessandro, what if..." Her voice cracked, unable to finish the thought.

"We'll find her," he said firmly. "She's our daughter. She knows we'll never stop looking."

Just then, the front door burst open, and Antonio stormed in, followed closely by Matteo. "Nothing at the mall or the library," Antonio reported, his frustration palpable.

"She's not anywhere obvious," Matteo added, running a hand through his hair. "What if she—"

"She didn't leave town," Alessandro interrupted, his voice steel. "She wouldn't do that to us. She's here. Somewhere."

a/n

where is sheeee?

catch you kids laterrr .