Chapter 11: Unexpected Reunion

As the days passed, the anxiety inside Oliver was festering. His patience was wearing thin as there was still no news from Reece, the trusted member of his command, tasked with finding information about Elena. The uncertainty was gnawing at him, leaving a restless unease in its wake.

His only source of information came from Elena’s friend, whom she had met during a year-long internship. Their friendship had grown, and Elena had shared bits of her family background: her mother, Sika Dawson, and her father, Robert Dawson, as well as her older brother, Jayden.

Initially, the knowledge that Jayden was Elena’s older brother had brought a measure of relief to Oliver. He had briefly entertained the notion that perhaps Elena had distanced herself because of a romantic involvement with a lover or a boyfriend. The constant uncertainty surrounding her location, emotions, and motives was slowly wearing down his composure.