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“She has to be here, we’ll find her.” He assured me, not phased at all and we split up.

Everyone that had been inside was given orders to find her, but we came up empty handed. He had his men check the rest of the property outside but no luck.

I pressed my hand to my forehead, unable to think where else she could’ve gone. There was no way she could’ve just left through the front gates.

The property was huge, and the idea of her running out and getting lost tugged at my heart stings.

Antonio rushed out the front door but when I reached him, he was already in his car, driving up to the gate. The rain came pouring down as I watched him stop to speak to the security guard before he slipped back into his car.

“Miss Nirah?” Rosalia called from the front door. “Please, come inside. Mr. Antonio will call if he finds her,” she said and I hurried inside, dripping on the floor.

I headed up to change before her and I paced up and down in the living room.

After what felt like an eternity, the front door opened and we rushed into the foyer to see Antonio enter with a shivering Sally in his arms.

“Oh, goodness,” Rosalia exclaimed in relief and I rushed over, noticing how soaking wet she was.

“What happened?”

“That imbecile outside let her leave with James and Vivian.”

My eyebrows pinched together. “They were still outside?”

He nodded. “They’d been lingering outside in their car but when Sally appeared at the gate, they said they were her parents and he let her out.”

Brushing aside my anger and disbelief, I carefully took her from him and Rosalia hurried to run her a warm bath.

“Nirah?” she whispered, looking up at me with her teeth clattering.

“You okay?” I asked and her eyes flooded with tears as she wrapped her arms around my neck, sobbing.

It didn’t take a genius to know that her parents were probably pissed off at her because of what had happened. I didn’t even want to think how afraid she must’ve been.

After her bath I tucked her in and Rosalia made her some hot chocolate. She held the mug with both hands, sipping away slowly as I sat beside her, my arm around her shoulders.

She hadn’t said a word since she’d gotten back, and the joyous little girl I met seemed to be hidden away. Afraid.

The door opened and Antonio entered, closing it behind himself. Sally leaned over, lowering the mug to the nightstand.

“It’s time for me to leave, isn’t it?” she asked, not even bothering to look at either of us and he approached the edge of the bed.

“No, Sally.” He slipped both hands into the pockets of his slacks. “Your parents won’t be coming back.”

I’d never seen relief infiltrate someone’s body as quickly as it did hers. “Promise?” she peered up at him, her eyes glowing with hope.

His gaze flickered to mine before he nodded at her. “Yes, I promise.”

She jumped up and out of bed. “I knew the monsters would be afraid of you!” she charged for him, leaping into his arms. “Thank you, Antonio.” She clutched him tightly and a small smile appeared as he held her.

I lifted both hands to my chest, allowing the relief to soothe the ache that had been lingering.

“So, I’ll get to stay here?” she let go of him, jumping on the bed with a wide smile.

“Yes, but—“

“You can stay as long as you want.” I cut him off as I walked over.

My eyes very quickly shut him up because I didn’t want him ruining this moment for her.