Chapter 49

Hayden

The moment I stepped down from my car into her neighborhood something in me changed. Every fiber in the body tensed up ..thrummed in anticipation.

And something else.

Just a few people were walking about the streets.

I approached the house I knew was hers slowly.

This was her house.

I was this close to her... If I just walked inside...

Suddenly my gaze focused on sight just a few feet from where I stood. Just sitting on the carpeted grass floor was a little girl with two pigtails who was focused on drawing something on her book.

I haven't seen her face yet, her back was faced to me but I couldn't take a step further.

I think for the first time in my entire life I was brought up short.

This was Her daughter.

She must have noticed my presence and turned around. The moment her gaze found mine everything paused.

It felt as if we were the only ones in the entire world.

At least for me.

I stared at the little girl in front of me who was returning my stare with open curiosity. Her young childlike features were so much like hers.it knocked the wind out of me.

Her eyes..they held me in an unbreakable trance.

Those unmistakable pair were mine.

This was my kid.

There was no fucking doubt in my mind about that.

She gave birth to my own kid .so many emotions that I couldn't even describe were pulsating every fiber of my being.

I shut my eyes closed briefly and peered them back open. This was real.

"Are you alright Mister? "

Her sweet childlike voice snapped me back to the present. Once more I could only stare at her.

I have so many things to say but at the same time don't know what to say to her, my throat was clogged tight with so many emotions at the same time unable to form words.

"Do you wanna play with me? " she offered with a smile that captivated my forbidden soul.

I could only nod slowly, I took a glance around, there was no one nearby, at least not this close to where she sat.

I felt a little bit of anger began to stir up, Why would she leave a kid her age outside unprotected.

Not just any kid but my own daughter.

My daughter...

My own very flesh and blood.

It was new and felt utmost strange. but the growing emotions in my heart were damn real.

"What's your name? " I finally managed out straightening down to her little height.

"Hazel," she replied.

Hazel. The name was perfect. She was perfect. Her voice....features...name..just everything about her in this short instance of time imprinted In my heart forever.

I wanted to know more about her... Know everything, and I will soon enough.

"That's a very beautiful name you have Hazel"

She giggled aloud showing off two tiny dimples my heart clenched as if a tight fist have been pulled on it.

"May I also know your name, Mister? "

For the first time in ages, I felt my lips curved in a real smile, I took her hands gently.

Maybe because I still wanted to convince myself that this little miracle was real.

Her eyes widened almost comically as if she'd just remembered something

"Oops momma said not to talk to strangers.." she gasped covering her mouth with both her little hands, I wouldn't lie it was one hell of a cute sight. I couldn't help but chuckle aloud at it.

"She's right, you should have listened to her Hazel"

A tiny furrow settled on her forehead as she clasped my hand tightly like she's known me ever since and not just for the last ten minutes.

"But I still want to know your name "

She was definitely a curious one.

"Hayden. You can call me that " I replied

She smiled up at me triumphantly as if she'd just gotten the best news of her entire life.

"Then I'll call you uncle Hayden! " she exclaimed

"I would like that very much, Hazel "

"Can we be friends? " she offered, extending her much smaller hands.

Once again my throat clogged up tightly with raw emotions. Was she this friendly and trusting towards everyone or was it just me?

I slowly searched around with my gaze but there was still no one in sight.

"Where is your mother ?"

"You know my mother? " She asked curiously.

"I'm uh..an old friend of hers paying a little visit "

"You are going to give her a surprise?, but she's not home yet " She spoke, eagerly taking a look around.

The corners of my lips twitched. The surprise wasn't the word for it.

The word shock wouldn't even be able to describe it.

"Hazel, would you like to go somewhere with me? "

GRACIE

Three days.

It's been three days since I returned.

I had escaped from his grasp that night while he was still knocked out, I could call it sheer luck or a miracle. Since that day no matter how hard I tried I couldn't erase the gnawing feeling of dread that settled in the deepest pit of my stomach.

That it wasn't over yet...

I've been continually spacing out ever since then, watching my back every five seconds.

I wasn't able to find my purse, I concluded that it must have fallen somewhere around the road when Ashley had drugged me.

I refused to let myself think about the consequences it was by any chance left inside the mansion.

I walked into our neighborhood and approached hastily in the direction of Mrs. Paula's house, I just needed Hazel right at this moment, her soft baby warmth would reassure me that everything was fine.

That we weren't discovered just yet.

I didn't like leaving Hazel with Mrs. Paula but I didn't want to bring her with me to the grocery.

These days I always watched my back closely wherever I went and I don't want her to figure out there was anything wrong with me.

Seeing her was the only thing that always could manage to convince me that we were really safe.

I approached their front patio and knew something was wrong before I even stepped inside, I could hear Mrs. Paula saying something in muffled sobbing and Shawn's voice promising her that he would find her.

Find who?

it couldn't be...

My palms began to get sweaty, even if I was walking on a ground filled with needles I don't think I would have noticed

I barged into their living room in a panic, directing my fearful gaze from Shawn to Mrs. Paula who was wiping her face with a handkerchief, her eyes are swollen and red-rimmed.

"what's wrong Mrs. Paula? " my voice came out breathless and tiny, unrecognizable even to my own ears.

She looked up at me teary-eyed and took a glance at her grandson before directing her gaze to me once more.

"I'm so sorry, I'm really sorry Grace. .i.. d.. didn't.. " she managed out amidst fresh sobs.

The wheels were beginning to turn in my head but I refused to let myself believe that this was really happening.. right now...

"Where is Hazel !" my voice came out rough with raw fear and panic

I searched around frantically with my gaze before directing it back on her and Shawn

"Where is she!" I repeated stronger and forcefully this time.

Shawn came to clasp a hand over my shoulders but I shrugged it off, I knew that look In his eyes, I've seen it so many times whenever something went wrong with other people.

"We've been trying to find her for the last two hours, Grace I need you to just wait and..... "

"What do you mean you can't find her! " I screamed

Mrs. Paula was full-blown crying right now and panicked but so was I, panic couldn't anywhere describe how I was feeling right now.

"I swear to God she was just playing right outside and I was keeping an eye on her I only just went inside for only about a minute and when I came out... She... She wasn't there anymore... I searched everywhere but she was... Just gon.."

"What do you mean gone? Did I leave her with you right? You said you were going to watch her! so why weren't you!" my voice rose with each word

"Grace calm down. " Shawn began but I didn't let him.

"I won't calm down! My daughter has been missing for two whole hours and you're telling me to calm down! oh god! Where could she be? " I sobbed.

I couldn't believe it...I refused to believe that he...

"Don't worry we'll find her for sure, you can't file a case as it not been twenty-four hours yet, but I'll help you in every way I can " he promised

I didn't want a promise, I just wanted to find Hazel

He shook his head his gaze sympathetic as he made his way over to produce a white looking...

"She'd been playing with this according to what grandmother says "

I stared frozen at the sight, all my nerves were pricked with sheer horror

On his hands was a harmless-looking doll, at least to an outsider it wasn't in any way dangerous.

It was a white little bunny.

My very air was kicked out of my lungs.