The moment I read the nanny's text, everything inside me went still.

The kids are gone? Those texts were all it took to crush me out.

A cold heaviness filled my chest. Oh God, not again, not after everything I had already survived. 

I felt like I had fallen into the same fire I barely survived after Vivian's death.

I grabbed my phone, my hands shaking as I called the nanny. 

It rang twice before she picked up.

"What happened?" My voice was already rising. 

"How did this happen? I left those kids with you! Can't I have a break without everything falling apart?"

" I-I don't know," she stammered, with panic in her voice. 

"They were right here, Madam Ava. I turned for a second to answer the doorbell. When I came back...."

I didn't let her finish and ended the call immediately. My hands shook uncontrollably.

I told Mom I needed to go take care of something urgent. I didn't lie exactly, it was urgent, just not the kind she thought. 

Now, that excuse felt like I had lied to her face.

Panic rushed in, and guilt followed like it had been waiting. I had no idea if what I felt was my natural bond with the triplets, or if it was the crushing fear of how ruthlessly Nicholas would react.

Nicholas. 

The ruthless billionaire who had already buried one woman, now her babies were missing while I was meant to protect them.

I typed quickly.

Hi Nicholas, it's Ava.

The triplets are missing.

I just went out for a moment, and I've been getting repeated calls from the nanny. Your presence is needed at the mansion. Please help. I'm trying my best to be calm, but things are a mess right now.

I hit send or thought I did.

Just as I was about to double-check, my phone rang, my mother's call came in. 

I answered right away, my voice shaking over every sentence during the conversation.

Hours passed. 

No response from Nicholas, and  still no trace of the children.

I walked crazily around the mansion, calling their names as if they would suddenly come out of the closets and laugh. 

But the house was too quiet, no trace of them. 

Unlike every child's room, their toys were untouched, and the room was neatly arranged. 

In fact, the whole house was like a crime scene.

The sharp slam of the front door dragged me out of my thoughts. 

Nicholas had arrived.

I turned around just as he stepped inside. His sharp eyes swept across the living room.

"Where are my kids?" he barked.

"Why is this house so silent?" Why isn't anyone here to greet me?" What's going on?"

I stepped forward, trying to explain. 

"Nicholas, I tried calling. I left a message"

He cut me off. 

"Message? I got nothing. What kind of joke is this?"

I quickly checked my phone, and the message was still unsent, sitting there like it was mocking me.

"I wrote it, but didn't get to send it because my mom called. I thought it sent"

Nicholas looked at me like I'd just lost my mind, like I was speaking another language.

"Don't stand there making excuses. Where are they, Ava?"

Tears filled my eyes. "I don't know."

He froze.

"You don't know?" His tone dropped dangerously low, more dangerous than a shout. 

"You left my children, and now they're gone?"

I chipped in, "I stepped out just briefly"

"For what? Another excuse?" His jaw clenched. 

"You took their mother. Now you want to take them too?"

I took a step backward like I had been shocked "Please don't say that"

"You have twenty-four hours, no, that's a lot, you've got twelve hours," he hissed. 

"Find them. Or don't bother showing your face again."

My throat tightened as I tried to speak. My voice barely came out. "Twelve hours?"

"That's generous," he spat. "You're supposed to be their guardian, Ava. This is on you."

And just like that, he marched into the hallway, voice sharp as he snapped orders into his phone.

***

I had never been this hurt my entire life, the pain was too deep. 

I couldn't breathe. 

I couldn't think. 

The fear held me so tightly that I couldn't move.

Where do I even start? I didn't have any idea on who would have taken them or why. 

The gates were always locked and security was supposed to be tight.

Unless it was someone on the inside.

I began searching every room again. The closets, the garden, even the laundry room.

I checked the CCTV footage, but the cameras had gone dark a few hours ago, sending a new chill down my spine.

Nicholas was on the phone nonstop, calling security firms and contacting the authorities. 

He moved like a machine, cold and sharp, never letting his eyes touch mine.

I tried to sit, but my legs wouldn't stop shaking, and my tummy twisted with every passing second. 

I was so exhausted I barely noticed when I collapsed on the couch with my phone still in hand.

By the time I had woken up, it was still dark, but I was covered with something warm-a blanket.

Strange, I didn't remember getting one.

I forced my sleepy eyes open, slowly sat up, and looked around.

The nanny passed by, and I called out to her.

"Did you put this blanket over me?"

She shook her head. "No. Mr Nicholas did. He came in about an hour ago, and you were shivering uncontrollably in your sleep."

I blinked again, unsure if I heard her right. Nicholas? Covered me?

That wasn't like him at all.

"That's so strange," I whispered to myself.

Maybe it was guilt, or perhaps the ruthless billionaire wasn't completely heartless.

Still, none of it mattered. The kids were gone, and time was running out.

***

I sat up fully, trying to reprocess everything, then remembered something.

The nanny said she turned around to answer the door.

What door?

I rushed to her room.

"Who came to the door earlier?"I questioned.

She blinked, clearly startled. 

"I...I don't know. I thought it was one of the staff. I opened it, and no one was there. Maybe it was a prank"

"A prank, who would want to play a prank?" My voice broke. "And you didn't think to tell me this earlier?"

"I tried telling you, but you cut me short, and I didn't want to make things worse. I thought maybe...maybe the kids were playing hide and seek."

I turned away from her, my whole body going numb. 

Something wasn't right. 

This wasn't just carelessness; it looked planned, like something carefully arranged and a targeted attack.

A notification flashed just as I grabbed my phone.

Private Number: You took something from me. Now it's your turn.

My breath was fastened.

What?

I read it again, my hands shaking uncontrollably.

Another message followed.

You have until sunrise.

I felt my heart drop.

This didn't happen by chance. Someone was taking revenge.

And I had no idea what was coming next.

I stood in the security room, staring at the security monitors like they had an answer to my problems, but the screens were blank. The person who did this, cut it off and wiped it clean.

Three children, my children. Gone.

The silence in this big house was everywhere, heavy and choking. It was too clean and too peaceful, too quiet to be real. 

This house was meant to be their safe place, but it had now become a goddamn tomb.

And she...oh God, I don't even know what to do with her at this point.

I turned sharply, moving fast almost stumbling in my hurry as I headed for the living room.

She was sitting there like a ghost, her eyes puffy and red, gripping her phone tightly. Her pale face made her look fragile, like a victim.

"You still haven't found them," I said coldly.

Ava, lifted her head up, startled. "I'm trying. I'm not resting until I..."

"No, don't give me that," I snapped. 

"This isn't about trying Ava; this is about failing. You failed the kids Ava."

She stood up, voice trembling. "Nicholas, I didn't take your children. Why would I ever..."

"But you lost them!" I shouted, letting all my frustration spill out, stepping closer. 

"They were supposed to be safe with you. I trusted you. You, of all people, you knew what those triplets meant to me."

Hot tears ran freely down her cheeks, but it only made me angrier because I didn't want her tears; I wanted my kids.

"You told me to stay forcefully," she said quietly, "even though the contract didn't require it. You asked me to raise them, and I do that even against my will. I didn't ask for this, I  never wanted to replace Vivian"

"Don't you dare say her name," I yelled sharply, frustration boiling over, my voice low and deadly. 

"You don't get to use her as your excuse. Not after what happened that night."

She shook her head. "I didn't kill her. I've told you that a thousand times."

"And now you expect me to believe this wasn't your fault, too?" I said, with anger boiling inside me. 

"First Vivian, now the kids? What's next? Are you planning to burn down the house while at it?"

She staggered backward like I had slapped her.

Good. 

Maybe that pain would keep her from forgetting the consequences of her carelessness.

"Why would I ever hurt them?" she whispered, with a trembling voice. "They're a part of me too."

I didn't answer because deep down, a part of me wanted to believe her, but I couldn't risk believing. 

Not now, not when my children are out there, unprotected. Maybe lifeless.

"I swear I didn't take them," she said again, looking wild with fear. "Someone's playing with us. Look"

She showed me her phone-two messages from a private number.

You took something from me. Now it's your turn.

You have until sunrise.

My teeth pressed hard together.

"What is this?" I demanded. 

"When did you get this?"

"A few hours ago," she said, voice small. "I didn't know who to show. I thought..."

"You thought what?" I yelled out. "That you could fix it alone? You would stumble across the triplets like they played their way out somewhere?"

Her lower lip trembled, but she didn't look away.

"Who did you piss off, Ava?" I asked, voice dangerously calm now. 

"Who did you owe, betray, threaten? Because I know this isn't about me. This message is about you."

Her shoulders straightened slowly, her spine hardening under tension. 

"I don't owe anyone. I don't have enemies."

"Then why are you the one getting threats?" I asked. 

"Why is your name tied to a war I didn't ask for?"

"I don't know!" she cried, voice breaking. 

"Maybe it's someone who hates Vivian! Someone from your past!"

I gave a dry empty laugh, cold and humourless. 

"Don't you dare throw my past into this. My enemies go after me, not my children. This..." I pointed at the phone, "...this is personal. And it's aimed at you."

"I've done nothing wrong," She whispered, with a trembling voice and breaking words. "I'm not the enemy here, Nicholas."

"Maybe not." I stepped closer. "But you're the mistake."

***

AVA'S POV

The words cut through me like I had been stabbed with a sharp knife. I stood there, couldn't move and my eyes were filled with hot tears. I refused to let the tears fall again.

He didn't mean something like that. He couldn't. I kept telling myself that just to feel better. But he did.

With my head lower, I knew he meant every syllable.

I didn't care what Nicholas thought of me. Not really, but hearing those words after what I'd endured, giving birth to his children, sacrificing my body, my time, my emotions, staying in a home where I wasn't wanted. 

It broke something in me.

"I stayed because you forced me to," I said, with a low voice. 

"You deprived me of freedom and fucking forced me not to leave."

He didn't answer, his silence screamed louder than anything he could have spoken.

"Vivian's gone," I said, my voice heavy with bitterness. "And you're looking for someone to blame. Fine, I get it, but  you don't get to spit that poison at me every time things go wrong."

He folded his arms, without moving.

My hands curled into fists, the anger burning hotter.  

"You think I wanted this? To be dragged into your cold, empty world? I gave birth in pain. I raised them alone for five years when you were too busy hiding behind grief, and I'm still here, I'm still fighting for them."

Nicholas's jaw ticked. Something dark flashed in his eyes, but it was gone before I could read it.

"Then prove it," he said flatly. 

"Bring them back."

I froze in shock.

And then, I realised: he didn't care about how broken I was. How much I was grieving, too. How much I loved those babies.

He only cared about results.

I turned on my heel and walked away, not because I had nothing more to say, but because if I stayed, I would break down, and I wasn't going to let myself fall apart in front of him.

Not this time.

***

I locked myself in the kids' room.

Their scent was still everywhere, the sweet smell of children's powder, soft lavender lotion, that warm, innocent smell only little kids carried.

I picked up one of their blankets and held it to my chest. The sob broke free from my throat before I could stop it.

My babies.

Gone.

A knock came at the door. Then a voice.

"Madam Ava?"

It was one of the security guards.

I opened the door slowly, wiping my face.

"Yes?"

"We found something by the back gate."

My heart skipped as he led me outside. Everywhere was dark, the sky bleeding soft streaks of purple.

A worn-out bunny plushie lay just beyond the gate under a bush.

I fell to my knees. 

"That's theirs. That's Rita's."

I picked it up, holding it like it was made of glass.

The security man cleared his throat. 

"There's more. We found tire marks. Someone drove through the west side and broke the lock. It wasn't noticed because it was the camera's blind spot."

"Can we trace the tire patterns?" I asked

"We've already started."

Just then, Nicholas appeared behind me. His voice was short and sharp. 

"What did you find?"

I held up the bunny.

He stared at it, then at me. "We're running out of time."

He turned to the security. "Double the staff. Block every road out of town. I want the press shut down." 

"Not a word leaves this compound until I give the order."

"And if they demand answers?" one asked.

"Tell them what I allow, strictly only what I permit," he lashed out. 

"Nothing more."

***

By the time the sun began to rise, I felt like I was older than my age. 

Every hour was a reminder they were still missing, and every minute was another weight crushing my chest.

Nicholas walked back and forth by the windows, his phone pressed tight to his ear. His tie was gone, his shirt wrinkled, but his eyes stayed cold and locked in.

I wanted to hate him for what he said earlier. I should hate him.

But there was something in the way he stared out the window. Something haunted.

"You didn't sleep either?" I asked quietly.

He didn't look at me. "Not until they're back."

I nodded.

Suddenly, the front gate buzzed.

One of the guards rushed in. 

"There's someone at the entrance. A man says he has information."

Nicholas and I exchanged glances.

We followed the guard out.

At the gate stood a man dressed in a delivery uniform. His cap was pulled low over his face.

"Who are you?" Nicholas demanded.

The man didn't answer.

He pulled out a phone, tapped the screen, and held it up.

A video began to play.

It was dark, shaky, but clear enough.

My children.

In a room, leaning against the wall, crying faintly.

My knees gave way, and I grabbed the gate for support.

Nicholas's entire body went stiff.

"What do you want?" he roared.

The man finally looked up. His smile was cruel.

"You'll know soon enough," he said.

Then he turned and drove off.

"Stop him" Nicholas shouted, but the man was already gone, dodging cars until he was out of sight. 

We stood there, breathless after the video had ended and the man left.

But those cries...

They still echoed in my ears.

We were out of time.

And whoever took them had just declared war.

I didn't close my eyes all night. I couldn't.

My body was drained, but my mind refused to stop. It kept replaying everything over and over, like a broken record.

The nanny's call, Nicholas's rage, the man who looked like a delivery person, the quietness in the house was suffocating; their room, desolate and cold. 

The triplets were still missing.

And Nicholas still hadn't looked me in the eyes.

He circled the living room like a lion waiting to strike, barking orders into his phone, yelling at every security agent, nanny, and household worker. 

I stood in a corner, trembling with exhaustion, my body refusing to move, yet too restless to sit.

Everything hurt-my head, my heart, my body.

Yet above all, it was the guilt that consumed me.

I knew it wasn't entirely my fault because I didn't harm the children. 

I didn't hand them to anyone, my only mistake was leaving them behind to see my Mother. 

I wasn't there when I should've been. 

And Nicholas... 

Nicholas had found the perfect reason to unleash everything he had bottled against me.

"Still standing there like a lost puppy?" His voice was sharp and cruel. 

"Or are you finally ready to confess how much you enjoy ruining my life?"

My body jerked.

"I've already said I'm sorry. I didn't mean for any of this to happen."

He chuckled coldly, walking closer. 

"Sorry?" he repeated. 

"You were 'sorry' the day Vivian died, too. Funny how every problem seems to lead back to you, and your only response is sorry."

My eyes burned unbearably. "Stop it."

"No," he let out a loud yell. 

"I won't stop, not until you take responsibility. You were entrusted with their care, yet you stepped out, and now three innocent children, my children, are missing". 

"Do you have any idea what that means?"

"I didn't abandon them!" I shouted back, unable to hold it in anymore. 

"I needed air...I needed to breathe for just a moment"

"You don't get that privilege anymore," he interrupted, his voice lowering, harsher now. 

"The moment you signed that surrogacy contract, you became connected to them, whether you like it or not. You think you could birth them and walk away? That I'd let someone like you, careless and manipulative, be free?"

His words hit me like a punch to the chest, knocking the breath out of me.

"Why are you doing this?" My voice shook, low and trembling. 

"Is it because you want to hate me so badly that you've forgotten what grief feels like?"

He leaned closer, his face inches from mine. 

"Don't talk to me about grief, Ava. I buried my wife. Now my kids are gone. If there's a curse following me around, it wears your face."

I gasped, like I'd been slapped. 

I wanted to scream, to cry, to hit him, but I did none of it. 

I just stood there, frozen, as he walked away and slammed the door to his study.

Everything went silent once more. Only now, it was heavier and dragged me down.

Almost deadly, nearly taking my life.

***

I went into the triplets' room again, searching through drawers, looking for anything, any clue, any hint, or anything they could've taken with them or something someone could've left behind.

Nothing.

I found their little pyjamas still on the bed. 

A stuffed giraffe was laying on the floor. I hugged it to my chest and fell to my knees.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. 

"I'm so, so sorry."

I didn't know how long I stayed like that, but my phone vibrated again.

It was a message from a private number.

"You shouldn't have left them alone. You'll regret it."

My heart nearly stopped.

I screamed and rushed to Nicholas's study, shoving the phone into his face. 

"Look! Someone just sent this. 

They know!"

He grabbed the phone and read the message. 

His face hardened.

"Trace it," he told someone on the line. 

"Find whoever sent this, now!"

Then he turned to me, and for a second, just one second, something shifted in his eyes.

Was it a worry? Panic? Regret?

It disappeared too quickly for me to tell.

An hour passed, then two.

Every corner of the house buzzed with tension.

They went over the security footage once more. 

Nicholas had people calling every hospital, checkpoint, orphanage, and police station. 

His lawyer showed up. 

Then his P.A (Anna).

Yet no one said a word to me.

I was invisible.

Or maybe just not important enough to be involved.

When I walked downstairs to check in, Nicholas glared at me like I had no right to breathe the same air. 

"Go upstairs," he ordered. "I don't want you here."

"But I can help"

"You've helped enough."

His voice was sharp and dangerous.

But in his bold blue eyes, hid something new I hadn't seen before.

Fear.

***

That night, I stayed in the triplets' room again, crouched low on the ground beside their beds. 

Every noise made me sit up. 

I saw hope in every shadow, it felt like it could carry my babies back to me.

At 2:36 a.m., I heard someone open the door. 

I stayed still, barely breathing.

Nicholas stepped in.

He didn't say a word. 

He just walked to the middle of the room and stared around like a restless spirit.

After a long silence, he muttered, "Vivian loved the kids even before they were born."

"She sang a lullaby to them, saying lullabies helped them sleep better."

I sat up slowly. 

"I remember. I tried doing the same sometimes."

He looked at me for the first time. 

"You think this is easy for me? Do you think I want to blame you?" His voice broke soft and slowly. 

"But I'm scared out of my mind. I don't know where to look anymore. And you're the only one left to blame."

I swallowed hard. 

"Then hate me if you must, but don't shut me out."

His stare remained fixed on me for a long moment.

Then he turned and walked out, shutting the door softly behind him.

***

Morning came.

Still no news.

The police began questioning everyone again-especially me.

Nicholas didn't defend me. 

He didn't interrupt when they suggested negligence.

But when I walked into the living room, I overheard him yelling into his phone: 

"If anything happens to my kids, I swear I'll burn this damn city down!"

His voice shook, not from anger but from fear.

At 11:23 a.m., another text came through. 

This time on Nicholas's phone.

He read it in front of me.

"If you want them back, stop playing hero. We're watching."

He looked at the message for several seconds before slowly lifting his head to meet my eyes.

For the first time since this all began

Nicholas froze, fear rooting him in place.

And then he whispered, raw and low.

"They're not after the kids, Ava. 

They're after us."