Chapter 15

Months passed. Both men lost over twenty pounds. Their faces were gaunt, hollowed out, barely recognizable. When they couldn't take it anymore, they posted a public appeal online. "Money is no object. Just help us find her."

Netizens who knew the full story weren't having it. "She left on her own. If you really loved her, you'd let her go."

Others who'd once criticized Claire for being ungrateful were now furious on her behalf, hammering their keyboards in outrage. "People—if any of you find her, for the love of God, don't tell them. Giving them her location would be throwing her back into the fire."

"Exactly. They didn't appreciate her when they had her. What's the point of searching now?"

"This is a new low. She's better off as far away from that family as possible."

Julian tried to defend himself online. "It was Vivienne who manipulated us. She convinced us Claire was cursed. All we want now is to find her."

The internet was merciless. "So some girl tells you your own sister is bad luck, and you just... believe her? How deep could your love for her possibly have been?"

The more he said, the worse the backlash got. "And he has the audacity to post about it. Unbelievable."

In desperation, Julian shared his psychiatric evaluation. "I'm Claire's brother. I'm more worried about her than any of you. I've developed serious mental health issues because of what happened. I'm only posting this because I'm begging—please, help me find her."

Nobody felt sorry for him. "That's karma."

Eventually, Richard had to step in himself. He was skeletal, ravaged by months of relentless drinking. The doctors had diagnosed him with terminal stomach cancer.

In the video, he lay in a hospital bed, tears streaming down his face as he pleaded. "I don't have much time left. Before I die, all I want is to see my daughter one last time. Please. Help me. I just want to apologize to her in person."

The video drew some sympathy, but far more scorn. "Oh, so now everyone's sick and dying. Looks like karma's making the rounds."

Meanwhile, Ethan exhausted every connection he had, spent a fortune, and never stopped searching for Claire. He wanted to find her, to apologize face to face, to explain everything.

But Claire had vanished without a trace. No matter what he tried, there was nothing. In the first year, he told himself he'd find her eventually. He traveled to every city, followed every lead. Not a single one panned out.

Ethan began to unravel. He spent his days in Claire's old room at the Sterling house. The room was spotless—not a speck of dust, because everything had been cleaned out. She hadn't left behind so much as a single piece of clothing.

Julian appeared in the doorway. His eyes were bloodshot, his expression haunted as he looked around the empty room. His voice was hollow. "I let Vivienne move into this room. Can you imagine how that must have felt for Claire?"

The self-loathing was overwhelming. Their mother had entrusted Claire to him on her deathbed, and he'd lost her.

Mom, how do I get Claire back? If you're watching from somewhere, please—tell me where she is. Tell me what I'm supposed to do.

A tear slid down his cheek—the first he'd been unable to hold back. Ethan's cold voice came from behind him. "Stop it. You don't belong in this room. Neither of us has the right to say these things."

Julian's eyes were heavy with exhaustion. He left to deal with work, and Ethan sat alone, watching the security footage of Claire on the Sterling house cameras.

In the recordings, Claire carried boxes of her belongings to the door and handed them off. She gathered the stuffed animals and set them on fire.

Those things had represented their love for her. And she'd thrown every last piece of it away with her own hands.

He should have noticed. He should have seen it when the stuffed animals disappeared. But he'd been so consumed with Vivienne's affairs that he hadn't paid attention. Now all that remained was regret.

In the beginning, they'd managed to hold themselves together. But after ten months, then twenty, with still no sign of her, both Julian and Ethan shattered completely.

Why wouldn't she come back? Did she hate them that much?