Barra had just collapsed onto the sofa after finishing his daily routine—cleaning the house—when a sharp, insistent knocking echoed from the front door.
He opened it to find Erin standing there, her face tight with tension. "Is your phone dead?" she snapped.
"It’s charging. Why? What happened?"
"Alma..."
"What about her?" Barra’s pulse skyrocketed instantly.
"I contacted her guards yesterday to check on her. They said... Alma vanished in Surabaya."
"Vanished?!" Barra’s eyes widened in shock. "What do you mean, Rin? What was she even doing in Surabaya?"
"She was staying at her grandmother’s house there. But after only a few days, she just left. No message, no trace. No one knows where she is."
Barra froze. He stood there in the doorway, his brain struggling to process the information. "How long has she been gone?"
"Three days now."
"And they’re still looking?" His voice felt caught in his throat.
"They’re scouring everything." Erin shook her head helplessly. "I’ve tried calling all our other friends. No one has heard a word."
Barra felt the strength leave his legs. He leaned against the doorframe, his mind spinning, trying to fit the pieces of the puzzle together. Three days ago... he whispered to himself. He remembered the last note she had sent him: “I will prove it.”
***
"Barra..."
A familiar voice forced Barra to pull his eyes open. He saw his mother, already dressed for work, sitting on his bed.
"Are you sick?" she asked, pressing a hand to his forehead.
Barra shook his head slowly.
"You haven't left this room since last night. You didn't even come out for dinner. What’s wrong?" The worry in her voice was unmistakable.
"I just... don't feel like moving, Mom."
His mother looked at him with sharp, searching eyes. "Is this about Alma?"
Barra looked down, knowing there was no point in lying to her. "Alma is missing, Mom..." his voice trembled.
His mother took a long breath. "Since when?"
"Three days ago."
"Has she reached out to you?"
Barra shook his head.
"She’ll call you eventually. Maybe she just needs time to herself," she tried to reassure him.
"For what? Alma never goes anywhere alone. She doesn't even know how to navigate the city without a driver."
Barra reached for the white cardboard box and the note on his desk, showing them to his mother. "Then why did she give me this, Mom?"
YOU ARE READING
Kidnapping the General's Daughter
Romance"He thought he was rescuing their love. He didn't know he was just driving her escape." Barra is a brilliant law student, a high-achiever who built his future on a prestigious scholarship. He plays by the rules and carries the weight of his mother's...
