The Absence that Cut Deep

Ava’s POV

I can’t believe this is happening. I can’t believe Orion would turn a blind eye when we needed him most. The man who once claimed he’d protect me no matter what was nowhere to be found when my sister’s life hung in the balance. I clenched my fists, trying to focus on anything but the rage burning inside me.

*Flashback*

I was resting my head against the wooden frame of the old cabin when the phone rang. I almost didn’t answer it, exhausted from hours of running and hiding. But something in my gut told me I needed to pick up. The moment I swiped to answer, Rose’s frantic voice exploded through the receiver.

“Ava! Holly’s gone! She’s not in her room, and the guards—oh my God, the guards are out cold!”

Panic gripped me like a chilling cold, freezing my body. My mind couldn’t process her words, couldn’t understand how this was even possible. For a moment, all I could hear was the sound of my heart pounding in my ears.

“Ava! Are you listening?!” Rose screamed, breaking my trance. In the background, I could hear the chaos—nurses shouting, alarms blaring, people scrambling. The phone vibrated once, twice, and then went dead.

“No, no, no!” I whispered, looking at the dark screen. There was no electricity in the godforsaken cabin. We were in the middle of nowhere. Tears blurred my vision as a single thought consumed me.

‘God, please. Let Holly be okay. If anything happens to her…’ I couldn’t even finish the thought.

I bolted outside, screaming for my uncle. “Theo! Uncle Theo!” My voice cracked, but I didn’t care. Seconds later, Theo came running out of the shed, wiping his hands on a rag.

“What is it? What’s wrong?” he asked, concern etched on his face.

“Holly—she’s—she’s missing!” I gasped, barely able to get the words out as my chest heaved with panic. “Rose said the guards are unconscious. Someone took her!”

Theo didn’t ask for details. He grabbed my arm and led me to his beat-up truck parked beside the cabin. “Get in,” he said, his voice steady. “We’ll head into town and figure this out.”

The truck roared to life, and we sped down the narrow, winding road. I barely registered the bumps and jolts as the vehicle rattled over the uneven terrain. My thoughts were a mess, a chaotic loop of fear and anger. Phone. I need to hear from Rose again.

“Uncle Theo,” I said frantically, my voice trembling. “Do you have a charger? The phone battery is dead, and I really need to call Rose.”

He reached into the glove compartment, but to me, it felt like he was moving in slow motion.

“Hurry!” I snapped, my nerves on edge. Finally, he pulled out a black charging cord, and I yanked it from his hand, plugging it in before he could say a word.

The moment his phone powered on, dozens of messages flooded my screen. My heart raced as I read the first few:

Rose: We haven’t found her yet.

Rose: I ran into Orion at the hospital…

My breath hitched. Orion? For a split second, my heart leapt at the thought of him being hurt. But the hope was short-lived when I read the rest of the message. He hadn’t come to help. He hadn’t come for us. He was there for something—someone—else.

I scrolled further, eyes wide with dread as I read the next message.

Rose: Security footage showed some men leaving with what looks like a person. Black SUV.

“Oh my God.” The words slipped out before I could stop them. “They took her. They left me and took my sister!” My voice rose to a scream, my hands trembling violently.

Theo tightened his grip on the steering wheel, his knuckles turning white. “Calm down, Ava. We’ll find her.”

“I should’ve let them catch me,” I whispered, tears streaming down my face. “If I hadn’t run, maybe they would’ve left Holly alone.”

Theo’s voice was steady but firm. “Don’t think like that. This isn’t your fault.”

Before I could respond, my phone buzzed with an incoming call. Rose’s number flashed on the screen, and I answered it immediately.

“Ava! Oh my God, I’ve been trying to reach you!” Rose’s voice was hoarse, as if she’d been screaming. “I’m with Mr Mason Brown. We were supposed to meet about the construction deal, but I told him about Holly, and he’s helping.”

Relief washed over me for a brief moment. Mason might not be the person I trusted most, but right now, any help was better than none.

“Where are you now?” I asked, wiping my tears with the back of my hand.

She gave me the location, and I relayed it to Theo. He pressed harder on the gas, the engine groaning in protest. Minutes later, another message came through from Rose: ‘We’ve moved. There’s new footage. They headed east.’

Theo cursed under his breath, turning the truck around and heading in the new direction. The silence in the truck was deafening, broken only by the hum of the engine and my erratic breathing.

By the time we reached the scene, my hands wouldn’t stop shaking. Theo barely had time to park before I jumped out, sprinting toward the small group gathered near the entrance of what seemed like an abandoned warehouse.

And there she was. Holly. Unconscious. Her head hung loosely as Rose cradled her frail body.

I staggered forward, my legs threatening to give out beneath me. “Holly…” My voice cracked as I dropped to my knees beside her.

Rose looked up, tears streaming down her face. “She’s breathing. We got to her in time.”

Relief flooded my entire being, but it was short-lived. I couldn’t forget the men who had taken her, the fear in Rose’s voice, and most of all, Orion’s absence.

Orion. He should’ve been here. He should’ve come for us. But he didn’t. And now, Mason was the one standing beside us, offering his help.

The man who didn’t owe us anything had stepped up. And the one who swore he loved me… turned away.