Kiara’s POV
The soft light of dawn streamed through the curtains, casting a warm glow over the nursery. I blinked slowly, momentarily disoriented by the unfamiliarity of the room.
My baby’s room. I had fallen asleep here, cradled by the quiet and the gentle hum of the monitor on the shelf. The faint smell of baby powder lingered in the air, grounding me back into the moment.
I sat up, running a hand through my messy hair. I hadn’t intended to stay here last night, but I’d come in to look at my little girl, my precious daughter, and found myself making silent promises.
Promises to protect her. Promises to uncover the truth about the ring, the one that had been haunting my thoughts for hours. It was the key to everything, I just knew it. But I had to find out where it came from, and what it meant.
I rose from the rocking chair, my body heavy with exhaustion. After one last glance at my daughter’s crib, where she slept peacefully, I slipped out of the nursery and made my way down the hallway to the bedroom I shared with Wilson.
But something was wrong.
The door was slightly ajar, and when I pushed it open, the room felt emptier than it had in a long time. The closet doors were open, revealing shelves and hangers that were now partially bare.
My heart began to race. A wave of dread washed over me as I scanned the room, realizing with growing horror that Wilson was gone.
“No, no, no…” I muttered to myself, rushing over to the closet. His clothes and most of his essentials were missing. His shoes were gone, his bag wasn’t there.
He left.
My chest tightened painfully as I frantically tried to process the situation. Why? Why would he leave without saying anything? My thoughts spiraled in a hundred different directions. I had to find him. I had to know where he went.
Without wasting another moment, I sprinted out of the room, my bare feet slapping against the cold floor. I needed to find Pandora. She would know what to do.
I burst into Pandora’s chambers, nearly out of breath. My panic must have been written all over my face because she stood up the moment she saw me.
“Kiara, what’s wrong?” Pandora asked, her voice calm but tinged with concern.
“Wilson. He’s gone!” I blurted out, my voice cracking with desperation. “He left, Pandora. I don’t know where he is. He took his things and he’s just… gone.”
Pandora’s expression darkened as she exchanged a quick glance with Rolan, who had been standing nearby, his arms crossed. He looked just as troubled.
“We were just talking about Wilson,” Pandora said, her voice steady. “We were asking the same question. He didn’t say anything to you before leaving?”
I shook my head, my mind racing. “No. Nothing. I woke up, and he was just… gone. Why would he do this?” My voice trembled, and I fought to keep from breaking down.
Pandora stepped forward, placing a comforting hand on my arm. “Calm down, Kiara. We’ll figure this out. But before we do anything drastic, we need to consider the possibility that he’s trying to keep you safe. His mother is still out there, and so is her deranged lover. He might have gone to deal with them.”
Her words made sense, but they didn’t ease the knot of panic twisting in my chest. I swallowed hard, trying to breathe evenly. “What if something’s wrong? What if he is actually leaving me for good?”
“We’ll find out where he went,” Pandora assured me. “Just give us some time.”
I nodded, even though everything inside me screamed that I needed to find him now. Pandora was right, I had to calm down. Panicking wouldn’t help anyone. I reluctantly turned and headed back to my room, trying to gather my thoughts.
Back in the bedroom, the emptiness felt suffocating. I collapsed onto the bed, burying my face in my hands. My mind replayed every conversation we’d had in the past few days, trying to figure out where it had gone wrong.
Then, I saw it. A note, sitting on his nightstand. My heart skipped a beat as I reached for it with trembling fingers. Unfolding the piece of paper, I read Wilson’s handwriting, his words striking me like a physical blow.
“Kiara,
I can’t keep doing this. I know you’re not fully with me anymore. You’re always thinking about him, about Eric. I tried to be patient, but I couldn’t wait around forever. You need to figure out what you want. Until then, I’m gone. Don’t look for me.
-Wilson”
My blood ran cold. Eric? Did Wilson really believe that I was still tied to Eric? That my heart belonged to someone else? It was true that Eric and I had a history, but that was in the past. I had chosen Wilson. I had built a life with him. Now, he was gone, and he thought I was leaving him for someone else.
Tears stung my eyes as I crumpled the note in my hand. He couldn’t just leave like this. Not without talking to me, not without giving me a chance to explain. He didn’t understand, and now I was losing him.
I wasn’t going to let that happen. Not without a fight. I grabbed my keys from the dresser and raced out of the palace, barely stopping to throw on a pair of shoes.
My thoughts were a whirlwind as I reached my car. I didn’t even know where I was going, maybe to his old apartment, maybe to the edge of the territory, anywhere he could be. I just had to find him.
As I sped down the road, my heart pounded in my chest, each mile feeling like an eternity. He couldn’t have gotten far. He wouldn’t leave me. Not really. Not like this.
But a voice in the back of my mind whispered, What if it’s too late? What if he’s already gone too far?