Chapter 52

As we settled into the new house, Christian poured himself a glass of wine. I joined him, albeit with trepidation. The tension in the air was palpable, as if the walls themselves held their breath.

"Do you think we'll ever see her again?" I asked softly, fear wrapping around every word. The thought of losing Hailey was unbearable.

Christian leaned against the balcony railing, his focus fixed on the horizon. "It's hard to say. But we never mentioned Hailey to anyone except Xan, and he's loyal. So how does Leo know? He must have had someone watching us." He sighed, frustration mingled with an undercurrent of guilt.

I bit my lip, considering. "This doesn't make sense. Why her?"

"Maybe because she's the most important person in our lives?" Christian's voice dropped, darkness threading through. "Or maybe because he knows how much we care," he added, self-loathing in his tone.

"Leo's a jerk, but he's also smart. If he wants to send a message, taking Hailey is the best way to do it," I replied, anger surging once more.

Three days of waiting turned to a week, and still, we were lost in a fog of frustration. Whenever Christian got the call from Xan with news of the investigation, he would shut down, retreating into shadows heavy with guilt. Yet he couldn't hide from me forever; there were moments when I caught glimpses of the boy struggling to step out from the darkness.

But as days turned to weeks, the anxiety morphed from desperation to determination. I become obsessed with hunting Leo down, my own sharp instincts honed by this perilous world we inhabited.

Finally, after what felt like eons, I received a call while Christian was out. Xan had made a breakthrough. Leo's haven was located outside the city, a dank warehouse long abandoned. The thoughts of bustling between shadows, of ending Leo's madness, ignited a fire beneath my skin.

"Haiden, we've got an address," Xan said, urgency in his tone as he laid out the plan. "We're going in now."

"I'm in," I growled, feeling the adrenaline rush through my veins. Christian could brood later; right now, I needed action.

When Christian returned minutes later, I skated over to him, determination firm in my chin. "We found Hailey," I said, meeting his glare with the fire of conviction. "Xan has the address. We're taking him down."

"Damn right we are," he said, adrenaline suddenly coursing through him, eclipsing all earlier doubts. "Get packed."

Hailey's laughter echoed in my ears, a fleeting memory as we aimed for the heart of darkness. We didn't know what awaited us, but the promise of finding her propelled us forward. She was our diamond, hidden amidst the dust of deception. And we were coming to reclaim her.

With one final nod exchanged, we ventured into the night, shadows swirling around us—our resolve unbroken, our hearts steadfastly aligned. We would find Hailey, no matter the cost. Because love is fierce, and ours burned brighter than any diamond.

And in the end, we would grasp that light once more.