Emily slowly lifted her bruised face.
Her breathing was uneven.
Every movement caused unbearable pain.
Still...
She smiled.
The expression confused Victor.
He stepped closer.
"What could possibly be funny?"
Emily looked directly into his eyes.
Then, gathering the last of her strength, she quietly whispered,
"Dad... it's time."
Victor burst into loud laughter.
"Who is going to look for you?"
He spread his arms confidently, certain no one even knew where they were hiding.
The older woman calmly continued writing in her notebook.
Neither of them noticed the distant sound growing louder outside.
At first...
It sounded like wind.
Then the windows began to vibrate.
The chandeliers trembled.
Victor frowned.
He slowly turned toward the massive windows overlooking the estate.
Bright lights suddenly swept across the darkness.
One helicopter.
Then another.
Then a third.
Powerful searchlights illuminated every corner of the mansion grounds.
The roar of helicopter rotors shook the building.
Victor's confident smile disappeared instantly.
The older woman stood so quickly that her notebook fell to the floor.
Outside, heavily armed rescue teams surrounded the estate from every direction.
There was nowhere left to run.
Emily closed her eyes in relief.
She hadn't been abandoned.
Her father had found her.
And the people who believed no one would ever come...
Were about to discover exactly how far a parent would go to bring their child home.