David didn't say a word as he left the hotel room. His jaw was tight, his hands clenched at his sides. Every step felt like it carried more weight than the last. The cold morning air hit him the moment he stepped outside, but it did nothing to chill the burning frustration eating him up inside.
Emily was fucking gone.
His mind raced as he climbed into the Bugatti, the engine roaring to life, drowning out the endless questions that pounded in his skull. What the hell happened? Why couldn't he figure it out? His foot slammed on the gas pedal, and the car shot down the empty streets, the sound of the engine growing louder with each passing second.
His thoughts were scattered, but one thing kept replaying in his head: he needed to find her.
The drive to Miss Rachel's house felt like it dragged on forever. The city outside was waking up, people moving through their routines, but none of it mattered to him. Everything felt wrong. Emily was gone, and no one could tell him how or why.
When he finally pulled up to Miss Rachel's house, he barely gave himself time to breathe. He slammed the door behind him, making his way up the stairs to the front door. He didn't bother knocking, just banged his fist against the wood, hard.
The door swung open almost immediately. Miss Rachel stood in the doorway, her expression already set in that disapproving way she had when things weren't going the way she thought they should.
"David," she greeted, but her tone was clipped.
He didn't answer, just stepped inside. The moment he did, Miss Rachel raised an eyebrow, her eyes sweeping over him like she already knew something was wrong.
"Where is she?" she asked, her voice already sharp with concern.
David swallowed, his throat dry. He didn't have an answer. "I don't know," he muttered.
Miss Rachel shook her head, her disapproval hanging in the air. "I leave you two alone for one damn night, David, and this happens? Do you have any idea how this looks?" Her words were like daggers, sharp and unforgiving, and they cut deep.
David clenched his fists, but he couldn't bring himself to fight back. He just stood there, feeling the weight of her gaze, knowing she was right.
She paced the room, her hands twisting together nervously. "You've got connections, don't you?" she muttered under her breath, clearly trying to keep herself together. "You're going to use them. Find her. Now."
David reached for his phone, dialing number after number. But every call led to a dead end. No one knew anything. Not one fucking person could give him a lead.
Miss Rachel didn't stop. She was on the phone herself, her old voice sharp with authority as she called in favors.
"I don't know what kind of mess you've gotten yourself into, David, but I swear, I'm going to find out what happened." Her words were laced with frustration, but there was something else there too. Worry.
David barely acknowledged her, his focus solely on the phone in his hand. Call after call, nothing.
Hours passed, and the tension in the room grew thick. Miss Rachel was still pacing, muttering curses under her breath. "This is just… unbelievable," she said, exasperated. "You had her for less than a day, and now you've lost her. How careless can you be?"
David didn't answer. He couldn't. He was already blaming himself, and Miss Rachel's scolding wasn't helping, but he didn't have the energy to fight it.
"God, David," she sighed, her voice softening only slightly. "I should've known better than to think you'd handle this. You let your guard down, and now look where we are." She threw up her hands, exasperated, before making another call.
David kept his eyes trained on his phone, his mind racing. "I'm trying," he muttered.
Miss Rachel stopped mid-pace, staring at him with that sharp, knowing look. "Trying? You better do more than try, young man. This is serious."
Her words hit him like a slap. His jaw tightened, but he didn't have an argument. The guilt was there, thick and suffocating. Every word she said felt like an accusation, even though he knew she only cared.
She continued her calls, her voice rising in frustration. "Where the hell could she be, huh? I don't know what you did, but I swear, David, I'm going to find out. I'm not letting this go."
David couldn't even bring himself to argue. His mind was spinning, guilt and anger tangled together like a fucking mess.
"Do you even care, David? Or are you just going to sit there, waiting for someone else to fix this?" Miss Rachel's voice was louder now, almost shaking with the force of her anger.
"I care," he bit out, his voice low and strained.
She raised an eyebrow, her face still filled with that sharp disapproval. "You sure as hell don't show it."
The hours passed, but no news came. Dead ends. No leads.
"God help me, David," Miss Rachel muttered, exhaustion creeping into her voice. "I don't know what the hell you've done, but you better fix it."
David slammed his phone down on the counter, the sound echoing through the room. He was done with the calls for now. They weren't helping.
Miss Rachel didn't look at him, her phone pressed to her ear again, but he could feel her frustration. The silence stretched between them like a heavy weight.
Finally, she sighed, her shoulders sagging as she lowered her phone. "Maybe tomorrow, we'll get something."
David didn't answer. He couldn't.
Miss Rachel shook her head, muttering to herself. "This is all your fault, David. You better pray we find her."