Hearts Collide (Lingorm)

Chapter 26

Faye stood in the corner, watching the scene unfold. Her gaze flickered between Freen and the others, her mind racing. She hadn't even known Freen had a daughter, but now... now it didn't matter. What mattered was that a child was missing. Her eyes darted toward the window, where the snowstorm raged violently outside. Her heart clenched, and for the first time in years, a flicker of concern for her estranged sister passed through her.

She wouldn't dare to imagine putting herself in their shoes..

 Becky was already unconscious, the exhaustion and terror of the night finally overpowering her. Her pale, tear-streaked face rested on Orm's chest, her hand still tightly clutching Amelia's tiny coat as if it were a lifeline. Her breath came in shallow, uneven bursts, and even in sleep, her body trembled with fear and grief.

Orm's arm was wrapped protectively around Becky, her eyes filled with a haunted look. She gently smoothed Becky's hair, whispering words of comfort that she wasn't sure Becky could even hear. "She'll be okay," Orm murmured, though the words felt hollow in her throat. "We'll find her...."

4 minutes has passed, 

Freen's patience had long worn thin. She had been pacing back and forth relentlessly, her footsteps quick and uneven, betraying the panic that twisted tighter and tighter inside her chest. 

Her fists clenched and unclenched at her sides, her breath growing ragged as her eyes darted toward the door. She couldn't stand still any longer. 

Enough.

Without another thought, Freen snatched her gun from the side table, the cold metal heavy in her hands. She turned toward the door, the storm outside howling like a beast waiting to swallow everything whole.

Lingling caught her movement from the corner of her eye and lunged forward. "Freen, stop!" she shouted, her voice ringing with authority. But Freen didn't even flinch.

Her eyes locked onto Lingling with a burning, raw desperation. "Stop me now, Kwong, and I'll shoot  you. My daughter is  out there. And I'll die here if I wait another damn second."

Lingling's breath hitched, the weight of Freen's words sinking in. She knew Freen wasn't bluffing. There was nothing in this world that could stop her now.

"I want this motherfucker killed and thrown outside!" Freen snapped, her voice like steel as she pointed her gun at Ricky, eyes blazed with fury. "You hear me, Kwong? I want him dead."

And with that, Freen wrenched the door open and stormed out into the violent blizzard, the wind slamming the door shut behind her.