Chapter 281: What do we do now

The tension in the room was suffocating. Isabel and I sat around the small table in my apartment, scattered papers and maps spread before us like pieces of a puzzle we couldn't quite solve.

Every minute that ticked by felt like sand slipping through an hourglass, each grain reminding me that Carmen was still out there, and we were no closer to finding her.

"Okay," Isabel said, her voice low and thoughtful as she tapped a pen against her chin. "We know Sydney's family has her, but they're not going to keep her in a place that's easy to find. We need to narrow down our options."

I tried to focus on her words, but my mind kept drifting. Every thought led back to Carmen where she might be, what they might be doing to her.

The image of her locked away, helpless and alone, gnawed at me. I clenched my fists under the table, fighting the rising panic.