chapter 30

Zain's POV

I couldn't believe my eyes. There she was—Xhani—standing frozen, her tear-filled eyes locked on me. She looked completely heartbroken. My stomach churned with guilt.

As I let go of Dana, I almost dropped her to the floor.

"Ouch, what the fuck, Zain!" Dana yelled, rubbing her ankle in pain.

I didn't even respond to her. All I could focus on was Xhani, who turned and ran out as though she had seen a ghost.

I spun around, ready to chase after her, but Dana grabbed my wrist, stopping me in my tracks.

"Zain, I think I hurt my ankle. I can't walk," she whined, her voice laced with annoyance and pain.

Before I could react, Ziya stormed up to me, disgust written all over her face.

"You're an asshole," she spat, glaring at me before running after Xhani.

I stood there, stunned, trying to process what I had just done. What the hell is wrong with me? I thought.

Shaking off the shock, I picked Dana up and carried her to the sofa where the rest of the group was sitting. I gently placed her down before running out of the café to find Xhani.

I reached the parking lot, but her car was already gone. I frantically scanned the area, only to see Ziya standing next to a red car, her phone pressed to her ear.

I rushed up to her. "Where did Xhani go?" I demanded, my voice sharp with desperation.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" she snapped, still trying to reach Xhani on her phone.

After a few failed attempts, she lowered her phone, frustration and worry etched into her face.

"What the fuck was that, Zain?" she asked, her voice shaking with anger.

"It was nothing. Dana is just an old friend. There's nothing between us," I lied, trying to downplay the situation.

"You call that *nothing*? You had your mouth on another girl, and you're calling it nothing?" she yelled, completely losing her cool.

"Look, I don't owe you an explanation. This is between me and Xhani," I barked back, anger boiling in my veins.

Without waiting for her response, I turned and stormed toward my bike. Revving the engine, I sped off toward Xhani's house, praying she'd be there.

---

When I arrived, her car wasn't in the driveway. My heart sank. She hadn't come home.

I tried calling her over and over, but there was no answer. I drove to all the places I thought she might go—the school, the park, even her favorite lookout spot—but she was nowhere to be found.

After three hours of searching, my frustration turned to panic. I had no idea where she could be. In a last-ditch effort, I went to David and Ziya's house, but they slammed the door in my face.

I pounded on the door until David opened it again, his face twisted in rage.

"Get out of here, you bastard," he growled, stepping forward.

Before I could say a word, he punched me square in the face.

I stumbled back, clutching my jaw, as Ziya ran up and placed herself between us.

"Don't fight him, David. He's not worth it," she said, her voice trembling. "We just need to find Xhani."

"Look, I know I messed up, but I need your help," I pleaded, swallowing my pride.

"Get lost," David said coldly, turning his back on me.

"Wait! Xhani had an accident," I yelled, desperation dripping from my voice.

David froze. Ziya whipped around, her eyes wide with fear.

"What did you say?" she asked, stepping closer to me.

"I was on the phone with her when I heard her car crash. She's hurt—I know she is. I lost her after that," I said, my voice breaking.

Ziya let out a sob, collapsing to the ground as David rushed to her side.

"Please," I begged. "Do you know if there's anywhere she might go to clear her head?"

Ziya wiped her tears and stood, leaning on David for support. "Her father owns a lot of properties. She has the keys to all of them, but she hates going to those places because of her family. I don't know where she might've gone."

"Even if we did, we wouldn't tell *you*," David said coldly. He scooped Ziya into his arms and carried her back into the house, slamming the door behind them.

I stood there, my mind racing. I knew I had to do something—anything—to find her.

---

Suddenly, I remembered my friend William, a police sergeant. Pulling out my phone, I dialed his number.

"Hello, Zain," William answered.

"Hey, Will. I need your help," I said, my voice trembling.

"What's going on? Are you okay?"

"It's my girlfriend. She ran off after a fight, and I think she got into a car crash. I can't find her anywhere," I admitted, the weight of my guilt pressing down on me.

"Oh shit. Are you okay? What do you need from me?"

"I don't know where she is, and I can't get through to her. Can you help me locate her?"

"Send me a picture of her and her car's registration. I'll send it to the local stations and hospitals," he said quickly.

Relief flooded me. "Thank you, Will. I owe you big time."

"No problem. I'll get back to you as soon as I hear something," he said before hanging up.

---

I went back to Xhani's house, determined to find any clues about where she might have gone.

Her room was filled with old photo albums. I flipped through them, looking for any hints. One photo caught my eye—it was of her at a lake with a girl and two twin boys. The water was crystal clear, and the setting looked peaceful.

Something about that photo made my chest tighten. I didn't know why, but I felt a surge of jealousy seeing her with those boys.

The picture gave me a sliver of hope. Maybe this lake was where she had gone to clear her head.

With renewed determination, I grabbed my phone and started searching for any information about the location. I had to find her.