Chapter 4 - The Hidden Witness
Rowan stared at the crimson stain, the heavy steel tire iron slipping from his trembling fingers.
The metallic clatter echoed loudly in the silent, ruined house.
He cautiously stepped over the broken glass, his mind racing through terrifying possibilities.
He called out for Selene, but the only response was the howling wind blowing through a broken window.
He checked the kitchen, finding the back door swinging wildly on its broken hinges.
Rowan pulled out his phone and immediately dialed 911, reporting a potential homicide at his sister’s address.
While he waited for the police, he slowly walked upstairs to check the girls' bedrooms.
Aurora’s room was completely empty, her closet doors thrown open and her clothes missing.
He pushed open the door to Nova’s room and found the exact same terrifying emptiness.
Selene had packed their bags in an incredible hurry, leaving behind everything except the absolute essentials.
Rowan realized that the blood on the floor might have been a staged distraction to delay anyone looking for her.
The wail of police sirens pierced the night, and flashing red and blue lights illuminated the suburban street.
Detectives swarmed the house, pushing Rowan outside and wrapping the property in yellow crime scene tape.
A stern detective questioned Rowan, immediately treating him as the prime suspect due to the viral video.
Rowan explained the entire horrific truth, begging them to find his nieces before Selene hurt them.
The detective listened skeptically, writing down notes in a small black notebook.
He informed Rowan that a neighbor had seen a dark van speeding away from the house just an hour ago.
Rowan felt a cold sweat break out across his forehead as he realized the magnitude of the situation.
Selene was completely unhinged and on the run with two vulnerable teenagers.
Rowan was finally allowed to leave the scene, completely exhausted and entirely out of options.
He drove back to his house, where Ivy was waiting on the porch with a look of pure desperation.
She told him that the lawyer was working on a court order, but it would take days to process.
Rowan collapsed onto the couch, burying his face in his hands as tears of absolute defeat spilled from his eyes.
He felt a gentle, timid tap on his shoulder.
Rowan looked up and gasped in pure, unadulterated shock.
Standing in his living room, completely drenched in freezing rain, was his sixteen-year-old niece, Aurora.
She was shivering violently, her clothes torn and her face bruised.
Ivy rushed forward, wrapping a warm blanket around the terrified girl and guiding her to a chair.
Rowan knelt in front of her, gently asking what had happened at the house.
Aurora sobbed, apologizing repeatedly for everything her mother had done to their family.
She explained that Selene had gone completely insane after Rowan cut off the money.
Selene had hired a dangerous man to fake a crime scene so she could disappear with the girls.
Aurora had managed to escape through a bathroom window before the man could force her into the van.
She reached into her soaked jacket pocket and pulled out a small, silver flash drive.
Aurora whispered that she had saved a hidden backup of the unedited video before her mother deleted it.
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She handed the drive to Rowan, giving him the ultimate key to getting his daughter back.
Before Rowan could even thank her, a heavy brick was thrown violently through the front window.
