46. Missing

MATTEO’S POV

The unanswered call only added to the uneasiness that roiled inside me. My gaze roved the room, but it was as if the very space had swallowed them whole-Aria and Dennis, leaving behind an eerie emptiness. I tried once more, my fingers tapping the digits in a desperate rhythm, but still, there was no response.

Their disappearance left me reeling. I was becoming frustrated, but then I saw her friend, Rose, staring at me. When our eyes met, she tore her gaze from mine. I found it suspicious, so I rushed to her for answers.

“What do you want?”. She asked.

“Where is Aria?”. I asked.

“She’s your wife. Why ask me?”. She said she had a smart mouth, and I found it annoying.

“I can’t find her anywhere”. I said, and then I looked at her. “You know something”. This time, Rose walked away from me.

I followed her like a dog following its favorite bone, and she hastened her pace.

“Stop”. I said, but she wouldn’t listen. “Stop right there”. But she kept moving.