𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝒎𝒖𝒓𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝐶𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑠 𝐾𝑛𝑜𝑐𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔

𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝐶𝑎𝑟𝑎

𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑙𝑖𝑒 ℎ𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑝𝑜𝑣 (𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑠 𝑓𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟)
(𝑊𝑎𝑟𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑚𝑎𝑦 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑡𝑜𝑝𝑖𝑐𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑚𝑎𝑦 𝑏𝑒 𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑠, 𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤𝑒𝑟 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑎𝑑𝑣𝑖𝑠𝑒𝑑.)

For months, my life felt like a fragile house of cards, ready to collapse at any moment. I was never one to indulge in drinking or smoking; my role as a lawyer consumed my days and nights, leaving little room for vices. But everything changed when I lost Cara. To numb the pain, I leaned into the bottle, drowning myself in tequila each night until the world faded into a blurry sleep. The smoke curled around me like a phantom, and existential dread draped itself heavily on my shoulders. My once-tidy home became a chaotic mess-a reflection of the turmoil in my mind. I felt lost, grappling with the devastation of loss, unsure of how this tsunami of despair had engulfed me. Then, in the stillness of the night, the phone rang-a flicker of hope ignited within me. Was it about Cara?

"Hello?" I answered, my heart racing in the dead of night. It felt almost surreal. Why was someone calling me with such urgency at this hour?

"Hey Charlie... how are you doing?" The voice on the other end was familiar yet heavy with sorrow.

"Fine... what's this call about?" My tone came out sharper than intended, but anxiety clawed at my insides. Surely, this wasn't just casual conversation?

"We need you to come to the hospital... we've found your daughter."

As I drove towards the hospital, I fought against the rising tide of hope. After all, I had learned that hope could be cruel. I was only partially intoxicated, having downed nearly half a bottle of tequila before getting behind the wheel. Not the smartest choice, but I couldn't bring myself to care; if there was even a chance to see her, I would risk it all. The road blurred and twisted, and I sped through the night like a man possessed.

When I finally arrived, the hospital loomed ahead, its sterile whiteness casting an unsettling glow in the darkness. I staggered out of my car, my leg nearly trapped by the closing door, my senses dulled, my heart racing.

"Mr. Henderson? Are you alright?" A voice broke through my fog. I turned to see an older detective, his weary eyes filled with something akin to sympathy.

"Yes... where is she?"

"Follow me."

The hospital felt like an endless labyrinth. We navigated through stark hallways and up sterile elevators, each moment stretching into eternity. Upon reaching Room 203, the detective paused before pushing the door open.

"What-"

"You should know something before you go in."

"I don't care... I need to see her." Why was he stopping me? What could possibly await me inside that was worse than this gnawing anxiety?

With a heavy sigh, he stepped aside, allowing me to enter. The room was pristine, almost surreal in its emptiness. My gaze found the figure on the bed-still, unmoving. A machine emitted a steady beep beside her, but all I could focus on was the sight before me. Her leg, encased in a thick white cast, and her face, marred with cuts and bandages. But her eyes-their unmistakable familiarity gripped my heart with an icy claw.

"What..." I choked on my words, tears stinging my vision. This couldn't be real.

"From what the doctors have said, she has a significant amount of alcohol in her system. They found her on the side of the road-a hit and run," the detective explained, his voice falling like a heavy weight on my chest. "The driver didn't see her. She might have sustained brain damage, perhaps even amnesia. When she wakes up... she may not remember who she is."

My breath caught in my throat, panic rising. How could this be happening? Imagine waking up and not even recognizing your own father...

"Did they catch the guy who did this?" It was all I could muster, the raw emotion threatening to spill over.

"Yes, he's in the station now. Would you like to speak with him?"

Hate curdled in my gut as sympathy warred with anger, but I couldn't deal with that now. All I wanted was my daughter back, the real Cara. I vowed that once she woke up, once she regained her memory, I would track down everyone involved in her abduction, and there would be hell to pay.

Thank you for finishing the end of book one! Let me know how it was for you❤️ book two will come out maybe this fall or later depending on if I'm busy or not so stick around for the sequel! I'm coming out with a new book so be sure to check that out too:)