Crises in Love (Zora and Jaylan)
Chapter 518

I exchanged a glance with Hannah, feeling utterly at a loss. Those people's motives were a mystery, and now this mess had erupted without warning. I was unsure of what to do next. Hannah, observing my restless pacing, got the hint-I was weighing our options.

Camilla, on the other hand, was beside herself with worry. She suddenly burst into tears, muffling her sobs with her hands. "It's all my fault. I shouldn't have come. If I hadn't, you would have just taken her home, and none of this would've happened. It's all my fault..."

She was clearly overwhelmed, while my mind was spinning on a totally different track.

Finally, I broke the silence, "Let's head back to the front yard."

Camilla looked at me, her face the picture of helplessness, her complexion ghostly pale. "Aaliyah, does this mean someone has taken Fidelia? Who could do this? How did they even get here? Should... should we call the cops? What do we do?"

Her barrage of questions only added to my anxiety.

It was obvious Camilla was too panicked to think straight, following me with a trembling desperation, on the verge of a breakdown.

I tried to offer some comfort. "Camilla, don't panic. Fidelia will be okay. We'll find her, I promise."

Truth be told, my mind was racing despite my reassuring words.

We had no clue who we were dealing with. Could involving the police put the kid in danger?

From what I saw so far, this was an unexpected incident, perhaps Fidelia had stumbled upon some unexpected visitors in the manor and they'd taken her.

Where could they have taken her?

Then there was Oldtown Avenue, which was on the cusp of a big promotional push. The project team Catherine had been negotiating with was about to move in. This incident could spell disaster, sparking negative reactions and potentially stalling the project with rumors of security issues. But this was about Fidelia's life, and she had vanished on my watch.

"Hannah, call the police," I instructed firmly.

Hannah hesitated, knowing full well the implications of my decision.

"You guys can head to the parlor first; I'll check the surveillance and then we'll decide," she said before swiftly disappearing into the night.

Camilla looked puzzled as Hannah vanished, asking, "Where's Hannah going to check the cameras?"

I replied offhandedly, "The surveillance room's not in this old house, it's at the Wood Manor, just across the street."

Camilla nodded frantically, "Oh... can we go there?"

"We'll wait in the parlor. She'll be back soon," I assured her as we made our way back to the front yard.

Galen was still in the living room, awaiting our return. As we entered, he stepped forward and asked, "Did you find her?"

I shook my head, unable to discuss the backyard situation with Camilla there.

I hadn't had the chance to explain everything to my dad, only mentioning the issue in passing after returning from VitalAxis Pharmaceuticals. My dad suggested, "Looks like we need to take security here more seriously."

After I confirmed Fidelia had indeed been to the backyard, my dad immediately urged, "Call the cops!"

I read the determination in his eyes, and something else I couldn't quite grasp. He reinforced his point, "Fidelia's safety is what matters most!"

Camilla, already teetering on the edge, began to crumble, tears streaming down her face.

Without further ado, I dialed 911 and relayed the details.

Hannah returned soon after, showing us the surveillance footage from that time. Fidelia had indeed run down from the upstairs, straight to the backyard, and even carefully closed the back door behind her. Unfortunately, the courtyard camera installation wasn't complete, and the nearby alley cameras couldn't capture a clear view of the area.

The police arrived quickly, inquired meticulously, and examined the scene in the backyard. The ordeal lasted until the break of dawn before they finally left.

I had Hannah discreetly reach out to Ronan, giving him a full rundown of the situation. He immediately instructed Silverdale City police to keep a tight lid on the news to prevent any leaks that might impact Oldtown Avenue.

Ronan's intervention might have minimized the damage, but I was far from relieved. My whole heart was with Fidelia.