That's when it hit me. They were gone.
The moment that thought surfaced, my brain went completely blank, like I'd been hit with a sledgehammer. Then came the torrential rage and panic, crashing together in my chest, nearly tearing my sanity apart. Blood roared in my ears, and the world started spinning like I was standing on a ship's deck in a storm.
I rushed to Sofia's room and pushed open the door. Empty. The little bed was neatly made, but her favorite doll lay abandoned on the carpet—it should have been in her bed, where it spent every night with her. Now those black button eyes seemed to accuse me of my failure.
Drawings covered the wall, one showing our family of three holding hands in the garden. She'd drawn a red crayon heart above our heads with "Family" scrawled beside it in wobbly letters. Looking at those innocent strokes, something twisted painfully in my chest.
Every detail from last night's fight flooded back with crystal clarity. Anna's tear-filled eyes, the tremor in her voice, the slam of the door when I stormed out. How could I have been so fucking stupid? How could I say such cold things to a mother worried about her child's safety?
My chest tightened, breathing became difficult—that familiar suffocating feeling hit me. The room started spinning, walls pressing in, ceiling dropping low. I recognized the signs of my PTSD kicking in. Those bloody memories surged like a tide—my parents in pools of blood, the empty mansion, that bone-deep loneliness. Now it was back, threatening to swallow me whole again.
But I couldn't break down. Not now.
I took several deep breaths, digging my nails intomy palms. The pain helped me focus. If Anna really had left with Sofia, they were exposed to real danger right now. Marcus Warren was still out there, the Kolov family circling like vultures. Without my protection, they were walking naked among wolves.
I walked to the stairway and shouted down. "Mark!" My voice echoed through the empty house, carrying a tremor I didn't even realize was there.
Minutes later, Mark hurried upstairs. Usually calm and composed, now his brow was furrowed, his face troubled.
"Sir, what do you need?"
"Where are Anna and Sofia?" I asked, fighting to keep my voice steady.
Mark's expression grew even more grim. "I... I thought you knew. I haven't seen Miss Anna and Miss Sofia since last night. They didn't come down for breakfast—the kitchen prepared everything, but it's still sitting there untouched."
My heart sank. That icy feeling spread from my feet through my entire body, like being plunged into freezing water.
I told Mark to get Ivan to my study immediately—highest priority emergency. While waiting, I rechecked Anna's closet and vanity, hoping to find some clue that would prove me wrong. But each search only confirmed what I feared most—they were really gone.
Ten minutes later, Ivan rushed in. Still wearing last night's clothes, exhaustion written on his face, but when he saw my expression, he snapped to attention.
"Anna and Sofia are missing." I cut straight to the point, my voice cold as Siberian wind. "No one's seen them since last night."
Ivan's face immediately turned serious.
"I want every available man mobilized now. Lock down all transportation hubs, check every surveillance camera. Contact our people at airports, train stations, bus terminals—see if there's any record of them." My voice was steady, but the fire in my eyes could burn everything to ash.
"Yes, I'll arrange it immediately," Ivan nodded.
"And remember," I added, my voice carrying unmistakable authority, "under no circumstances are they to be harmed. No matter what happens, their safety is the top priority. If anyone touches a hair on their heads, I'll bury their entire family."
Ivan left quickly to execute the orders. I stood alone in Sofia's room, taking in this space filled with her presence. Her favorite storybook still lay on the nightstand, the closet door ajar, revealing her little pink dress. Everything so familiar, yet hollow without her here.
I walked to her bed and picked up the abandoned bunny toy. Its fur was matted from her hugs but still soft. I remembered when she got this gift half a month ago—she'd slept with it every night since. Once when it accidentally went to the laundry, she cried all night until I personally went to retrieve it.
Now she'd left behind even this most cherished companion. That fact hurt more than any accusation—Anna had taken Sofia, and they were so determined to leave this place, to leave me.
I realized the fatal mistake I'd made—I'd been so focused on protecting their physical safety that I'd completely ignored Anna's emotional needs. Tatyana moving into the manor, my "cooperation" with my ex, the things I'd said defending Tatyana—I was only now beginning to understand what all that meant to Anna.
Footsteps interrupted my thoughts. A maid approached nervously, holding an envelope.
"Sir, we found this by the front door..."
I took the envelope. Anna's neat handwriting, just my name. My hands trembled slightly. I opened it to find a single sheet with just a few brief lines:
Alexander,
I've taken Sofia and left. Not because I don't love you, but because I have to protect her. I can't keep her in this uncertain environment anymore.
