Logan’s hands were trembling on the wheel as he sped through the city. He jabbed at his phone screen, dialing the one person he knew could cut through this nightmare.

"Priya, it’s me," he said the moment she picked up. His voice was raw, frantic.

"Mr Kingsley? What happened?" Priya’s calm tone was already sharpening into alertness.

"It’s Jean. She’s gone. Since last night. I’ve searched the house, the surroundings... nothing. I need you to track her, anything you can find."

There was a short pause before Priya asked, "Did she take her phone? Laptop? Anything connected I can trace?"

The question slammed into him like a wall. Logan’s jaw tightened as his mind raced back through the house. The phone... still on the nightstand. The laptop... still in the study. Her purse, her essentials... untouched.

"Nothing," he muttered hoarsely. "She left with nothing, Priya. Not even her damn phone."

For the first time in years, Logan felt utterly helpless.

Then... his eyes widened, the memory hitting him like a punch. At the parking lot there was a vacant space. He slammed a hand against the wheel.

"The Mercedes!" He barked.

"What?"

"She took one of the cars. The Mercedes isn’t in the parking lot. She must’ve driven it."

"That’s good," Priya’s voice steadied. "I can work with that. Give me the plate number."

Logan rattled off the details, his knuckles white as he clutched the steering wheel.

"Track it now and Priya... sent it to my sister too. Hannah will be out searching. If you get anything, we all need to know instantly."

"Got it," Priya replied firmly. "Give me five minutes."

The line went dead. Logan exhaled a shaky breath, his chest burning with equal parts of rage and dread. His foot pressed harder on the accelerator.

Hold on, Jean. Wherever you are, I’m coming for you.

The minutes felt like hours. Logan drove aimlessly, every red light a curse, every ticking second another blow to his already fraying patience. His phone finally buzzed, and he snatched it up before the first ring ended.

"Priya?"

"I’ve got it," her voice came through, clipped but steady. "The Mercedes pinged on the trackers. It’s parked on the far side of the city, near the coastal highway."

Logan’s grip on the wheel tightened. "Where exactly?"

"Rocky cliffs. The area locals call Blackridge Point. It’s isolated. Mountains on one side, endless ocean on the other. The car’s been there since early this morning."

For a moment, Logan’s heart stopped.

Mountains.

Ocean.

Why is she alone at a place like this? 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

"Is she still there?" His voice was hoarse, almost breaking.

"I can’t confirm without eyes on the ground," Priya admitted. "But Mr Kingsley... It’s not a safe place. Landslides happen in those cliffs. People rarely go there unless..." she trailed off, hesitant.

"Unless what?" Logan snapped.

"Unless they want to disappear."

The words hollowed him out. A cold rush of dread crawled down his spine.

He hit the speed dial for Hannah before Priya could say more. "I’ve got her location. Blackridge Point. The Mercedes is there. Get Mom and Dad and meet me there now."

"On my way," Hannah replied instantly, panic in her voice.

Logan shoved the phone down, his jaw set, eyes burning in panic. He slammed the accelerator to the floor, the roar of the engine drowning out the sickening thoughts clawing at his mind.

Don’t you dare leave me, Jean. Not like this. Not now. I won’t be able to forgive myself then.

_____________________

"This is it... I can do this."

The rocky cliff stretched beneath her feet, jagged and sharp, yet the ocean below looked almost merciful. Its endless waves rose and fell in a rhythm that promised release, peace... freedom.

Jean’s eyes burned, though no more tears would come. She had cried herself empty.

What was left of her now but pain? Pain that clung to her skin like poison. Pain that dragged Logan into battles he never asked for.

Logan.

Her heart cracked at the thought of his name. She could still see his face when he whispered, why didn’t you tell me you were pregnant? The anguish in his eyes cut deeper than any wound she had ever carried. She hadn’t left him... not yet but maybe she should.

If she disappeared, wouldn’t it be easier for him? He wouldn’t have to fight Tyler. He wouldn’t have to drown in her shadows. He wouldn’t lose himself trying to save someone who was already too broken.

And Emma... even she would finally be free of the weight she carried like a curse.

Her lips trembled as she whispered to the sea, "If I’m gone... everyone will be okay."

The wind tangled in her hair, the salty spray stinging her cheeks. The cliff seemed to breathe beneath her feet, urging her forward. All she needed was one step.

Just one.

Gravity would do the rest.

Her chest rose and fell as she took in the sight of the ocean. How calm it looked from here, how deceptively peaceful.

It won’t be hard.

Her toes nudged the edge, small pebbles tumbling into the yawning blue below. The wind howled like a warning, but Jean’s heart was steady... steady in its decision, steady in its surrender.

One step.

Just one step.

She squeezed her eyes shut, inhaled the briny air, and leaned forward...

"Jean!"

She opened her eyes... her heart skipped a beat. No! It can’t be him.

"Jean! Wait..."

Her eyes flew open. The voice struck like lightning, sharp and impossible to ignore. She spun around, her body trembling.

And froze.

Shock stole the breath from her lungs. "What... what are you doing here?"

____________________

Logan slammed the brakes, gravel crunching under his tires as his eyes locked on the silver Mercedes parked crookedly at the side of the empty road. His chest tightened instantly.

"Jean..." he whispered, stumbling out of his car.

The door of her car was wide open.

Empty.

No sign of her.

He ran... around the car, toward the rocky path, scanning everywhere, his breaths turning ragged. "Jean! Jean!" His voice tore into the vast silence, but the ocean swallowed it whole. "Where are you!"

His knees buckled. The horror of realization struck him like a thousand knives. She had been here. She had been standing on these cliffs. And now...

"No... no, no, no." His hands clawed into his hair as he collapsed onto the cold earth. The world spun, his heart bleeding in panic and grief.

He didn’t even hear the approaching car engines until headlights bathed the cliffside in light.

"Logan!" His mother’s voice trembled as Martha rushed out, Jared and Hannah close behind. They froze at the sight of him... on his knees, broken, his face pale with terror.

"What happened?" Hannah cried, kneeling beside him.

But Logan couldn’t answer. His lips trembled, his throat closing around the words that refused to come out. All he could do was stare into the abyss where he feared Jean had gone.

Jared immediately pulled out his phone with trembling hands. His voice was steady for the sake of his son, but his eyes betrayed his fear. "This is Jared Kingsley. We need police at the coastal road near Blackridge cliffs. My daughter-in-law... she’s missing. Hurry!"

Within minutes, flashing red and blue lights painted the rocks and the still night. Uniformed officers swarmed the area, stringing yellow tape around Jean’s abandoned car, while others took Logan aside, their questions sharp and cold.

But Logan couldn’t speak. He just stood there, numb, staring at the restless waves crashing below. His chest rose and fell as if every breath was a war.

"Sir," one officer approached Jared quietly, casting a glance at Logan, "we’ll send divers into the water but I have to be honest with you... the currents here are vicious. Sometimes..." He hesitated. "Sometimes it’s impossible to recover a body."

Martha’s hand flew to her mouth as tears streamed down her face. Hannah shook her head violently. "Don’t say that! Don’t you dare say that!"

Logan crumbled to his knees again, his fists slamming into the dirt. His voice cracked, torn from his throat.

"No! She’s not gone! She can’t be gone!"

The divers prepared their gear, their flashlights sweeping across the dark waves. One by one, they plunged into the ocean, swallowed by its merciless depths.

The family stood on the cliff’s edge, the night stretching endlessly around them, as hope and despair clashed inside their hearts.

And Logan... Logan could only pray that the woman who carried both his love and his torment was still out there, fighting against the pull of death.

One of the officers spoke in a hushed, almost apologetic tone, "Mr. Kingsley... it is getting dark..."

"Enough!" Jared’s voice thundered, sharp as a blade. He stepped forward, his presence towering, his eyes burning with fury. "Don’t you dare speak of impossibilities when we haven’t even begun. This is my daughter-in-law we’re talking about. Search the perimeter. Check every rock, every trail. Send more men if you have to. Do your job before you throw hopelessness into the air!"

The officer stiffened, lips pressing shut, and quickly nodded. "Yes, sir." He motioned to his team, and immediately the search widened. Flashlights swept the rocky terrain, men calling Jean’s name into the dark night, while divers pushed deeper into the restless water.