Seeing you again

Chapter 36

Third person POV
The past

Zach arrived at Donna's fashion agency, his mind racing with questions and worries about Wendy and Francisca's disappearance. As the elevator rose to Donna's top floor office, Zach steeled himself for the confrontation. Though normally even-tempered, the desperation of the last few weeks had taken its toll.

The doors opened with a ding, revealing Donna's opulent reception area. Zach went ahead towards the door paying no mind to the protests of Donna's secretary.

"Wait sir you can't jus-!"

Zach barged into Donna's spacious office on the 30th floor, taking in the minimalist modern decor and sweeping city views. Donna sat behind her glass desk, typing on her laptop. At the sound of the door, she looked up with a polite smile that faded as she recognized Zach.

"Zach, what a surprise. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Donna said, a slight waver in her usually composed tone.

Zach approached the desk calmly yet with an undercurrent of menace and sat down in a way that contradicted his expression. "Cut the pleasantries, Donna. We both know why I'm here."

Donna didn't say anything keeping herself steading and emotionless in front of the angered father.

"It's been weeks with no word from Wendy or Francisca. The police have found nothing. As Wendy's best friend, I need to know - did she contact you?

Donna said nothing for a beat. Then Zach narrowed his eyes at her "Did you help them disappear?"

Donna stiffened. "I understand your concern for your family, but I am afraid I know nothing about this. Wendy hasn't spoken to me."

"Really? Then how do you explain the missing money trail and neither her nor Francisca's whereabouts being traceable for over a month?" Zach said quietly.

"I have no idea how she could've achieved this". Donna sighed and met Zach's face steadily. "I'm just as worried as you are."

Zach leaned forward. "Don't lie to me, Donna. Wendy trusted you - I know she came to you for help." His voice remained low and threatening. "If you had anything to do with their disappearance, you'll want to tell me now. I have resources that could...find them, one way or another."

A flash of fear crossed Donna's face, but then her expression hardened with resolve. "I care about Wendy's happiness, Zach. And she was scared you'd take everything from her. But I had nothing to do with this. Facilitating kidnapping is illegal, so you can stop threatening me now."

Zach studied her face, searching for cracks in her façade. Donna met his gaze without flinching, though sweat beaded her brow. Finally, Zach stood back with a grunt. "For Francisca's sake, I pray you're telling the truth. But if I find out otherwise..."

He left without finishing the threat. Donna let out a shaky breath, unsettled by the encounter yet convinced she'd convinced him of her innocence, for now. But would that work for long? No matter, Donna had connections and friends in high places, Zach can't know, she made sure of it.

Zach left the building, his rage barely contained. It was clear Donna would not break, but he knew in his gut she was involved. He would find another way to prove it, and make her pay if needed. His family would be reunited, one way or another.

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Zachary's POV
*present day*

Rage. Rage is all I feel.

All this time. And I was right.

Not that it matters anymore. I could've used this information 6 years ago, 5, 4. Hell, I could've used it at the start of this year. But I didn't know the person who conspired to hide my daughter from me then. No. I find out for sure when I have already lost years, years, of my daughter's life. When she's with us and has been with us for months.

Donna Carlisle. I'm going to ki-

"Who is Donna Carlisle?" Matt's question snaps me out of my thoughts.

Agatha and I look turn to look at Matt, and then look at each other.

I sigh "she was Wendy's friend".

"Best friend" Agatha interrupts.

"Best friend" I correct irritated.

"When Wendy first disappeared with Fran I suspected that Donna had something to do with it".

"Why?" Matt asks.

"It's what made the most since, Donna is a powerful person, with a lot of connections, with a lot of money. Wendy didn't take a dime out of hers or my bank accounts".

"And certainly not mine or my husband's" Agatha interrupts....again.

"I-we looked for proof for a long time but Donna was good, better than I thought at covering her tracks. We never found anything that linked her with Wendy and her disappearance. Nothing.

"Which leads me to the question, how do you know?" I ask as I turn to look at my children's grandmother.

"I got a call from Mr Larson". She says

I raise a brow at the mention of the familiar name.

"Who's mister Larson?" Matt asks.

"Private investigator" I answer.

"We hired him when we were getting desperate" Agatha adds. "Turned up with nothing too, it was all really weird. But he just called, he has started working with Donna on something and he found proof that she helped Wendy!"

"What proof?" Matt asks.

As much as I'm happy to finally be close to getting answers, answers to questions I've had for years. I shouldn't have let my emotions take over like this, I didn't even think about proof I only looked for someone to tell me that I was right. I knew who had taken my daughter all this time.

But I was too weak to find her.

"There is record of a phone call" Agatha says.

"A phone call?" I ask skeptically. "That doesn't prove anything."

Agatha shoots me an irritated look. "Let me finish, Zachary. Mr. Larson obtained the phone logs from the night Wendy fled. There's an entry showing a late-night call placed from Donna's phone to an unlisted number outside the city."

She hands me her phone and shows me a message of a worn paper. I scan the grainy text, seeing the damning detail plain as day. My hands ball into fists at my sides, even as my mind works furiously.

"Go on," I say evenly.

"Mr. Larson traced the number," Agatha continues. "It belongs to a storage facility. That same evening, one of the units was rented under an alias."

The cogs slowly turn. I look up at her, realization dawning. "You think that's where Wendy hid,  And Donna helped her disappear by staging this."

Agatha nods. "It makes sense, doesn't it? Donna called to coordinate, and used the storage unit to stash Wendy's things initially. Then she must have helped Wendy and Fran start over elsewhere."

Virginia, where she met Matt and started a whole new life and took my daughter from me.

"What's our next move?" Matt asks, ever the logical one.

I take a steadying breath. " I have a long overdue chat with Donna." Rage still burns inside, but I'll keep my cool. Donna will regret ever messing with my family.

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