Unkown Pov:
The Call:
Speaker 1: "Do you have her?"
Speaker 2: "Yes."
Speaker 1: "Good."
Speaker 1: "Make sure she's beaten properly and starved for days, then return her to her family."
Speaker 2: "You got it."
Speaker 1: "And one more thing..."
Speaker 2: "Yes?"
Speaker 1: "Find out the whereabouts of Henry."
***
Hayden's Pov:
Harper's knack for disappearing had become a recurring nightmare, and the guilt of leaving her stranded at school weighed heavy on my conscience.
And to top it off, we fed Hades a tall tale that even Pinocchio would blush at. If he and Hunter sniffed out our fib, I was pretty sure our fate would be sealed faster than a pre-ordered pizza.
The moment Harper's absence was clocked, all hell broke loose in the household.
Even the maids, who usually moved at a snail's pace, were zipping around like caffeinated squirrels. Harper wasn't exactly the life of the party, so I doubted anyone outside our squad gave a hoot about her kidnapping; they were probably more worried about dodging Dad's legendary temper.
As I peered into her empty room, my imagination ran wilder than a herd of cats in a tuna factory, fueled by the sight of those eerie blood trails.
And to add insult to injury, the perp behind Harper's disappearance was about as elusive as a unicorn at a bingo night.
With Hades, Dad, Hunter, and Hardin off on a manhunt, our once peaceful abode resembled a boot camp run by drill sergeants on steroids.
Their attempts to fill the Harper-shaped hole in our lives with brute force turned the house into a battlefield faster than you could say "tactical retreat."
In the midst of the chaos, the three stooges – yours truly, Hansel, and Hendrix – found ourselves thrust into the role of Mum's personal cheer squad. Her melancholy vibe was like a wet blanket on a summer barbecue, and it didn't sit right with any of us.
"Come on, Harper, this isn't one of your hide-and-seek shenanigans," I muttered to myself, half-expecting her to pop out from under the bed with a smirk.
But as the seconds ticked by, the seriousness of the situation hit me like a ton of bricks. She's gone.
YOU ARE READING
Harper
RandomAt the tender age, a vibrant young girl was snatched away from her loving family, forced to endure 13 long years under the oppressive rule of her callous step-parents. These heartless guardians not only neglected her but harboured a deep-seated hatr...
