CHAPTER NINETY–TWO–When Trust is All That’s Left
The car pulled away from the curb, leaving the clamoring reporters behind. Laura stared out the window, watching the city blur past.
“Tim,” she said quietly. “What if what if Ryan doesn’t want to be found?”
He was silent for a long moment. When he spoke, his voice was heavy with concem. “That’s what I’m afraid of. But we can’t give up on him, Laura Ryan’s been there for both of us. Now it’s our turn.”
Laura nodded, determination setting in. “You’re right. Where to first?”
“I’ll take the Hamptons,“Tim said. “You hit his Manhattan apartment. We’ll meet back at Sivarra HQ tonight to compare notes.”
As the car dropped Laura off at Ryan’s building, she steeled herself for another potentially fruitless search. The doorman recognized her immediately, his expression a mix of sympathy and wariness.
“Ms. McKenna,” he greeted her. “I’m sorry, but Mr. Gallis still hasn’t returned. “
Laura smiled, channeling all her charm. “I understand. But I really need to check his apartment. It’s important.”
The doorman hesitated, clearly torn. “I’m not supposed to let anyone up without Mr. Callis’s permission.”
“Please,” Laura saki sodily. “I’m worried about him. We all are. I just need to see if there are any clues, anything that might help us
H
After a long moment, the doorman nodded. “Alright. But please, be quick about it.”
Laura’s heart raced as the elevator climbed to the penthouse. As the doors slid open, she found herself holding her breath. “Ryan?” she called out, stepping into the silent apartment.
Everything was immaculate, untouched. No sign of Ryan, no hint of where he might have gone. Laura moved through the rooms, searching for anything out of place. In his office, she noticed his passport was missing from its usual spot in the desk drawer.
Her phone buzzed with a text from Tim. “Nothing at the Hamptons house You?
Laura typed back quickly. “No luck here either. But his passport is gone.”
She continued her search, growing more frustrated with each empty room. As she was about to leave, a framed photo on Ryan’s nightstand caught her eye. It was from years ago, the two of them laughing at some long–forgotten joke. Laura’s throat tightened as she stared at Ryan’s carefree smile.
“Where are you?” the whispered, touching the glass gently.
The sun was setting as Laura made her way back to Sivarra HQ, She found Tim in the executive conference room, surrounded by papers and looking as exhausted as she felt.
“Anything” she asked, though she already knew the answer from his expression.
Tim shook his head. “Dead ends everywhere. You?”
Laura collapsed into a chair. “Same. God, Tim, where could he be?”
They spent the next hour going over their findings, or lack thereof. The list of potential hideouts grew shorter, their options dwindling.
“We need to think outside the box,” Tim said, pacing the room. “Where would Ryan go if he really wanted to disappear?”
Laura’s mind raced, considering and discarding possibilities. “What about his college roommate? The one who moved to Australia?”
Tim’s eyes lit up. “Mark Jennings! Why didn’t I think of that? I’ll give him a call right now.”
As Tim stepped out to make the call, Laura’s phone buzzed. Her heart nearly stopped as she saw the message from an unknown. number:
“42 W44th St, Manhattan”
Laura McKenna’s heart raced as she approached the upscale Manhattan apartment building. The address from the mysterious text message led her here, to a gleaming tower of glass and steel that screamed exclusivity. She took a deep breath, smoothing down her blouse before pushing through the revolving door.
The lobby was all marble and soft lighting, with a uniformed doorman standing at attention behind a polished desk. Laura approached him, summoning her most professional demeanor.
“Good afternoon,” she said, flashing a smile. “I’m here to see Ryan Callis.”
CHAPTER NINETY–TWO–When Trust in All That’s Left
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The doorman’s expression remained impassive. “I’m sorry, ma’am, but I can’t confirm or deny any resident’s presence in the building.
Laura leaned in, lowering her voice. “Please, it’s important. I work for Mr. Callis, and we’re all very concerned about him.”
“I understand, ma’am,” the doorman replied, his tone softening slightly. “But I have strict instructions regarding privacy. I can’t help you.”
Frustrationbubbled up inside Laura, but she forced it down. “Could you at least tell me if you’ve seen him recently?”
The doorman shook his head. “I’m sorry, but I can’t discuss any resident’s comings or goings.”
Laura nodded, realizing she wasn’t going to get anywhere. “I understand. Thank you for your time.”
As she left the building, Laura’s mind raced. Was Ryan really here? Or was this just another dead end? She glanced up at the towering structure, eyes scanning the endless rows of windows. Somewhere up there, Ryan might be hiding, nursing his wounds from the wedding disaster.
Making a split–second decision, Laura crossed the street to a small café with outdoor seating. She ordered a coffee and settled into a chair with a clear view of the apartment building’s entrance. If Ryan was here, sooner or later, he’d have to come out.
Hours passed, and the sun began to set. Laura’s coffee had long since gone cold, but she remained vigilant, her eyes never leaving the building’s entrance. Her phone buzzed with a text from Tim.
“No luck at the cabin. Heading back to the city. Any updates?”
Laura quickly typed back: “Staking out an apartment building. No sign of Ryan yet, but I’m not giving up.”
As night fell, Laura realized she needed backup. She scrolled through her contacts, landing on Zaya Patel’s name. If anyone could help trace that mysterious text, it was Zaya.
“Hey, Zaya,” Laura said when her coworker picked up. “I need your tech wizardry. Can you meet me?”
Twenty minutes later, Zaya slid into the seat across from Laura, her laptop bag slung over her shoulder. “Alright, McKenna,” she said, dark eyes twinkling with excitement. “What kind of cyber sleuthing are we doing tonight?”
Laura pulled out her phone, showing Zaya the mysterious text. “I need to know where this came from. Can you trace it?”
Zaya’s fingers flew over her laptop keyboard. “Let’s see what we’ve got. First things first, we’ll run the number through a reverse lookup.”
Laura watched, impressed, as windows of code flashed across Zaya’s screen. After a few minutes, Zaya frowned.
“Well, that’s interesting,” she muttered.
“What is it?” Laura leaned forward, eager for any lead.
Zaya turned the laptop so Laura could see. “This number? It’s from a burner phone. Prepaid, no contract. Whoever sent you this message didn’t want to be traced.”
Laura’s heart sank. “So it’s another dead end?”
“Not necessarily,” Zaya said, her fingers already flying over the keys again. “We can try to triangulate the location where the text was sent from, based on cell tower data.”
For the next hour, Laura watched as Zaya worked her magic, muttering to herself and occasionally asking Laura questions about the text and its context. Finally, Zaya sat back with a sigh.
“I’ve got good news and bad news,” she said. “The good news is, I managed to narrow down the location where the text was sent from It’s definitely in Manhattan, within a few block radius of where we are now.”
Laura’s pulse quickened. “And the bad news?”
“The phone was only activated for a short time–just long enough to send that text. Then it went dark. My guess? Whoever sent it probably ditched the phone right after.”
