The phone buzzed in Dane's hand, the persistent trill a jarring counterpoint to the tense silence clinging to the room. He snatched it up, his voice tight with a barely controlled fury. "Mr. Thompson? Where in the world have you been?"

The line crackled with static before a voice, hesitant and breathless, filled the receiver. "Mr. Wade? I apologize for the delay. I was out of town for some work. Bad network, you know, I couldn't get a signal."

Dane practically growled into the phone. "Might as well have thrown it off a cliff, Mr. Thompson, because Paige has gone missing." He could feel the rage simmering just beneath the surface, threatening to erupt.

"What?!" The response was immediate, a jolt of surprise momentarily replacing the practiced neutrality. "But I haven't even been to your house since yesterday! Where could he have gone? Did he try to contact you?"

"He's been off the grid since yesterday evening, around four. I just had a bad feeling so I decided to cut my shift short. I came home to find the house empty." Dane's voice hitched slightly, betraying the rising panic clawing at his throat.

"Oh goodness. This is terrible. Give me a moment, Mr. Wade. I'll be right down at your house." The urgency in Mr. Thompson's voice now seemed a touch too pronounced, a shade too theatrical.

"Despite your little story, Mr. Thompson, I have a sneaking suspicion it has something to do with you," Dane countered, his breath catching in his throat. "Paige wouldn't just go off with anyone. It had to be someone he knew, someone he trusted."

A beat of silence stretched between them, heavy with unspoken accusations. Dane could almost see Mr. Thompson on the other end, scrambling to maintain his composure, a bead of sweat trickling down his temple.

"Mr. Wade," He finally managed, his voice regaining a semblance of control, "I understand you're worried sick, and rightfully so. But please believe me, I have nothing to do with this. I'll be there in a flash. We'll find him together."

Dane wanted to scream, to hurl accusations, but a sliver of reason held him back. Hanging up abruptly, he tossed the phone onto the couch, the clatter echoing in the stillness.

He launched himself into a restless pace, his legs churning through the motions as his mind raced. Strangers were a rare occurrence at their doorstep. The few times they did appear, Paige was always meticulous about confirming their identity before even opening the door. The possibility of him willingly leaving with someone was slim to none.

Unless...

A horrifying possibility wormed its way into Dane's mind. Perhaps Paige had been distracted, engrossed in something and had simply assumed the knock at the door was Mr. Thompson returning early. The thought sent a fresh wave of terror crashing over him, the air suddenly thick and suffocating.

Dane's heart pounded in his chest as he considered the implications of that thought. If Paige had mistaken someone else for Mr. Thompson, it meant that whoever had taken him was someone familiar to him, someone he trusted. But who could it be? The list of people close enough to Paige to gain his trust was short and Dane wracked his brain trying to come up with a name that fit.

The doorbell rang, shattering the oppressive silence that had settled in the room. Dane hurried to answer it, his steps echoing loudly in the hallway. Mr. Thompson stood on the doorstep, his normally composed demeanor now replaced by a look of genuine concern.

"Mr. Wade, I'm so sorry about all this," he began, but Dane cut him off with a sharp gesture.

"No time for apologies. We need to find Paige," He said, his voice clipped with urgency.

Mr. Thompson nodded, his expression grim. "I agree. Let's retrace our steps. Start from the moment you last saw Paige and we'll work our way back."

Dane led Mr. Thompson through the house, recounting every detail of the previous day with a sense of desperation creeping into his voice. They examined every corner, every room, searching for any clue that might shed light on Paige's disappearance.

As they reached Paige's bedroom, something caught Mr. Thompson's eye. He crouched down and picked up a small, folded note lying on the floor. Unfolding it carefully, his eyes widened in surprise.

"Dane, look at this," Mr. Thompson said, holding out the note for him to see. It read: 

Meet me at our spot by the old oak tree. -B

Dane's heart skipped a beat as he read the note, recognizing the initials as belonging to Beatrice, Paige's childhood friend. But why would she be meeting him now? And why keep it a secret?

Without a word, Dane rushed to grab his coat, a hundred questions swirling in his mind as he practically dragged Mr. Thompson out the door. The drive to the old oak tree was tense, both men lost in their own thoughts. As they approached the familiar spot, Dane's heart pounded in his chest, fear and hope warring within him.

They arrived at the old oak tree, its gnarled branches stretching out like ancient arms embracing the sky. The air was heavy with the scent of moss and earth, a haunting reminder of all the secrets this place had witnessed over the years.

Dane's pulse quickened as he scanned the area, searching for any sign of Beatrice or Paige. Mr. Thompson placed a reassuring hand on Dane's shoulder, silently offering his support as they ventured closer to the tree.

The ground was littered with fallen leaves, their colors a vibrant tapestry of reds, yellows, and oranges. A gentle breeze stirred the branches above them, whispering secrets that only the forest could understand.

As they stood beneath the old oak tree, Dane's mind raced with a million questions, each more urgent than the last. The note in his hand seemed to taunt him, its cryptic message offering more confusion than clarity. Beside him, Mr. Thompson's brow furrowed in deep concentration, his eyes scanning the surroundings for any clue that might lead them to Paige.

"Dane, we need to think logically about this," Mr. Thompson said, breaking the tense silence that had settled between them. "Who could possibly have a grudge against you or your family? Think back to any recent cases, any conflicts that might have escalated to this point."

Dane's jaw tightened as he raked his memory for any hint of animosity or resentment. As a lawyer, he had dealt with his fair share of contentious cases, but nothing stood out as particularly volatile or threatening. Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something he was missing, some crucial detail that eluded him.

"I can't think of anyone who would go to such lengths," Dane admitted, frustration tingeing his voice. "But I'll check my office files. Maybe there's something I overlooked."

With a sense of urgency, they made their way to Dane's office, the familiar surroundings offering little comfort in the face of uncertainty.

As they sifted through the documents, each case seemed to blur into the next, leaving them no closer to uncovering a motive for Paige's abduction.

"This doesn't make any sense," Dane muttered, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "None of these cases seem to warrant such a drastic response. It's like we're chasing shadows."

Mr. Thompson nodded in agreement, his expression mirroring Dane's growing sense of helplessness. The weight of their failure pressed down on them, suffocating in its intensity.

Meanwhile, outside the confines of Dane's office, the police had launched an official search for Paige, their efforts hampered by the lack of any solid leads.

Officers combed the streets, questioning witnesses and canvassing the area in a desperate bid to find any trace of the missing teenager.

But as the hours stretched into days, hope began to wane, replaced by a gnawing sense of dread that threatened to consume them all. With each passing moment, the realization dawned upon them that their time was running out and that the key to finding Paige lay buried somewhere deep within the tangled web of their past.

Word Count: 1325

Another chapter is up, yay! I have a lot of plans for the characters and its been exciting :D (although kidnapping in itself isn't.. i meant the plot, okay? don't kill me now 😂)

Dane Wade, Mr. Thompson and there's a new character, Beatrice.. B seems to be a common theme name, isn't it? 👀 who could be possibly behind this all and how is it related to EOS or Eye of Osiris (E O Square is EOS btw)? Guess we gotta keep reading to find out!

I finally hit 9k word count mark with this chapter and its relieving that i am able to write, unless i missed the onc xD

The plot is getting thicker and at this point, almost everyone looks suspicious, and then there's people who haven't even been properly introduced yet xD

hope you enjoyed this update, keep reading, keep guessing and we gotta sit back (or sit at the edge of our seats to find out the truth)

till then, cheers!

sara <3