Lost Me Gained Regret

My heart was racing, and I blurted out without a second thought, "Something terrible has happened, Ramona's gone missing."

"Hey, hey, take a breath. I'll help you look for her," Mark reassured me, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"But weren't you here on some business? You should probably get that sorted first..."

"No worries, finding Ramona is way more important. Let's not waste any more time, let's go!"

With that, Mark joined me as we rushed into the nursing home.

The room was quiet, save for Dr. Andrews and his assistant.

Dr. Andrews furrowed his brows upon seeing me. "Ms. Webster, what in the world is going on? Ramona was on the verge of recovery, how could she just disappear at a time like this?"

"Dr. Andrews, I'm sorry, I only just got the news myself."

I scanned the room, finding no signs of disarray, which only added to my anxiety.Content bel0ngs to Nôvel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

Before jumping to any conclusions, I sought confirmation from Dr. Andrews, "Doctor, given Ramona's current recovery state, is it possible she became confused again and wandered off?"

"That's unlikely."

Dr. Andrews was firm in his answer, confident. "Ramona was nearly fully recovered. With the treatment planned for today and tomorrow, she was supposed to be discharged. Even without these last sessions, it's improbable she would relapse so suddenly; her nervous system has pretty much healed."

"So, you're saying Ramona was definitely lucid?"

Dr. Andrews nodded. "Yes, that seems to be the case."

I clenched my hands nervously.

The absence of chaos in the room suggested Ramona might have been taken away quietly while asleep.

Mark frowned, asking, "Could Dorothy and her crew be behind this?"

"It's not out of the question."

I was about to call the police on my cell when an unknown number suddenly called.

Under normal circumstances, I'd dismiss it as spam and hang up. But now, I had to answer, "Hello?"

"Should I address you as Ms. Webster, or perhaps Ms. Myers, or... Ms. Taylor?" The man's voice on the other end was chillingly eerie.

With just a few words, he made it clear he had dug deep into my background, while I knew nothing about him!

I shivered involuntarily as I asked, "Who are you?"

"My identity isn't important." He dodged the question, "But what is important, for you, is that I have Ramona."

"Who exactly are you?!"

I took a deep breath, trying to suppress the panic rising within me, and focused on the crucial matter, "What do you want?"

"Talking to someone smart sure makes things easier."

He let out a sinister chuckle, "I'll text you an address. Don't call the cops, and come alone."

I frowned. "Alone?"

Hearing this, Mark's expression

turned serious as he took the phone from me and spoke firmly, "I don't care who you are, but there's no way I'm letting her go alone. Either I go with her, or we involve the police."

"Mark..."

I was worried this might provoke the caller, but Mark shook his head at me and continued, "You're not doing this for a ransom, or you wouldn't be doing this at all. I'm going to ensure her safety, that's all."

"Fine!" The caller pondered for a moment before agreeing, "But you have only half an hour, or I can't guarantee Ramona's safety o anymore!"

With that, he hung up.

My heart was in turmoil as I glanced at the address he had sent, and we sprinted towards the parking lot.

It was an abandoned factory on the outskirts of town.

Even at our fastest, it would take nearly half an hour to get there from the nursing home, leaving no time to spare.