Fashioned For Sin

Chapter 18

Leonardo

Two weeks. It’s been two weeks since Blair disappeared. Two weeks since Carlo took her. The weight of those days sits heavy on my shoulders, pressing down like a mountain I can’t crawl out from under. I haven’t slept. Haven’t eaten. Every waking moment is filled with the image of her face, with thoughts of where she could be, what those bastards might be doing to her. The helplessness eats away at me, gnaws at my insides until there’s nothing left but a hollow pit of rage and despair.

I canceled the fashion competition. There was no point. Blair was going to win it anyway; everyone knew that. But more than that, I couldn’t focus on anything else. Every design I tried to sketch came out wrong, every stitch felt like a waste of time. What did any of it matter without Blair here?

We’ve searched everywhere—the hideouts Carlo, Brian, Erik, and I used to go to when we were younger, the places we used to run deals out of, the spots we thought no one knew about. But there was nothing. They’re smarter than that now. They’ve got new places, better ones. Ones I don’t know about. It’s like they vanished off the face of the earth, taking Blair with them. And every day that passes, I feel the hope slipping further away, like sand through my fingers.

Today, I’m supposed to meet with Henry in the woods. A dead body was found in the forest on the outskirts of New York, and something about it set off alarm bells for him. He called me late last night, his voice tense, telling me he could get me in with the search team. I don’t know why I agreed. Maybe because I’ve got nothing else. Maybe because it’s the only lead we’ve had in days.

I drive out to the edge of the city, the trees rising up like dark sentinels, their branches swaying in the wind. The sun is barely up, the sky a dull gray. I pull up next to the police cars, my stomach twisting into knots. Henry meets me at the edge of the clearing, his face grim. He’s been a friend for years, a detective with the NYPD, but even he’s starting to lose hope. I can see it in his eyes. I know he can see it in mine too.

“Leo,” he says, his voice low. “Thanks for coming. I thought… I thought you’d want to see this.”

“What did you find?” I ask, my throat tight.

Henry nods toward the forest. “This way. The body’s been here a while, probably since before Blair went missing. But there’s something else. I thought it might be hers.”

My heart pounds as I follow him into the trees, the underbrush crunching under our feet. I don’t want to see a body. I don’t want to think about what that could mean. But I have to know. I have to see for myself. We walk for what feels like hours, the cold biting into my skin, until we reach a small clearing. There, on the ground, half-covered in leaves and dirt, is the body. I can’t make out much—a woman, mid-thirties maybe. Dark hair, but it’s matted with mud and blood. My stomach turns.

Henry points to the ground a few feet away. “There,” he says. “Found these nearby.”

I look down, and my breath catches in my throat. Blair’s cross necklace. Her ring. Her bracelet with the black and gold beads. I recognize them instantly. I’d bought that bracelet for her on our last trip to Italy when we had an interview with a famous fashion brand. She never took it off.

A spark of hope ignites in my chest. It’s small, fragile, but it’s there. “These are hers,” I whisper, my fingers trembling as I reach down to pick them up. The cross necklace slips through my fingers, the chain broken. My mind races. If these are here, then maybe… maybe she’s been here too. Maybe she’s still nearby.

“Where did you find these?” I ask, my voice tight with urgency.Henry gestures to the area around us.

“Scattered around. Like someone dropped them in a hurry. We’re still searching the perimeter. I thought you’d want to see them before we bagged them.”

I nod, my mind spinning. I turn to the officers standing nearby. “We need to expand the search,” I say, my voice stronger now. “She could still be out here. We need to keep looking.”

The officers exchange glances, but Henry nods. “I’ll get them on it,” he says. “We’ll cover every inch of this place.”

I clutch the bracelet in my hand, holding onto it like a lifeline. This is a start. It’s something. I can’t lose hope now. Not when we’re so close. I can feel it in my bones—Blair is still out there. And I’m going to find her, no matter what it takes.

Henry and I continue deeper into the woods, moving quickly. The officers are fanning out behind us, combing the area in a tight sweep. Every muscle in my body is tense, every sense on high alert. The forest is dense, almost suffocating, the thick canopy blocking out most of the sunlight. I can hear the rustle of leaves, the crunch of twigs underfoot, the distant calls of birds. But there’s something else—something that feels off, like a presence lingering just beyond the tree line.

“We’re getting close,” Henry says beside me, his eyes scanning the surroundings.

“Yeah,” I reply, my voice tight. “I feel it too.”

Then, through the trees, I see it—a structure, barely visible behind a wall of overgrown vines and tall grass. It’s small, like a shed or a storage unit, with its paint peeling and windows cracked. I motion to Henry, and we move toward it, crouching low to avoid being seen. The other officers follow our lead, closing in silently.

“Looks like someone’s been here recently,” Henry whispers, his hand on his holster. “Be careful.”

I nod, and we approach the door. I push it open with the tip of my boot, and it creaks loudly, the sound echoing in the stillness.

Inside, it’s dark, the only light coming from a small window high up on the far wall. The place is empty—no furniture, no signs of life. But then I see it: a dark, glistening stain on the floor.

Blood. Fresh blood.

“Jesus,” Henry mutters, stepping inside and crouching down to examine it. “This is recent.”

My stomach tightens. Blair. I force myself to look around, scanning every inch of the small space.

There’s a pile of old blankets in one corner, a few discarded food wrappers, and then—my heart stops.

There, on the floor, partially hidden under a dirty cloth, is something small and shiny. I move quickly, reaching down to pick it up.My breath catches in my throat.It’s Blair’s butterfly belly button piercing.

I know it instantly. I remember the day she got it, how she’d shown it off, laughing as she twirled around in a crop top. She loved that damn thing.

"This is blair's! I think she's leaving us clues for where to find her, the bracelets and the others must've been ripped off by Carlo, Brian and Erik, but this one is perfectly intact, she knew we were gonna find this place.

This is a sign. It’s small, but it’s something. She left it for me to find, I’m sure of it. She’s trying to tell me she’s still fighting. She’s still holding on.