Shadows Of A Forgotten Spring

Chapter 12

Events like these have never been Alex thing, and he was never that kind of person who enjoyed mingling with people who had only shallow successes to brag about, who pretended to admire him when all they wanted was something in return. If it weren't for Mrs. Walker, he would not have turned up tonight, and he wasn't planning to stay a second longer than he had to. Most of the evening he played the part, smiling when he had to, exchanging meaningless pleasantries with people who thought themselves lucky to catch his attention. But none of them mattered. Not tonight. The only person that mattered in the hall was Mrs. Walker, but he didn't want to appear too eager, so he just bided his time and blended in with the crowd, nodding at conversations that he hardly heard. His eyes, though, stayed alert, scanning the room for Mrs. Walker. But, all of a sudden, something or rather, someone caught his eye, and it felt like the world came to a grinding halt.

His heart stuttered.

At first, he had thought that it was his mind, playing cruel tricks on his. But, yet there she was. She wasn't supposed to be here. She shouldn't be in this hall, mingling with these people. His pulse pounded in his ears, and he blinked hard, trying to convince himself that it was just a mirage, a cruel trick his mind had conjured up. But no matter how many times he blinks, she doesn't disappear.

Emma.

She smiled at some guy, her face shone with a beauty that made his heart stop beating. The way her hair framed her face, the way her lips arced into that smile he knew so well once. Everything about her was magnetic. He couldn't see her fully from where he stood, only her side view, but it was enough. It was enough to know for certain that it was her.

There she was, Emma, the one he had been searching for through months, and she was even more beautiful than he had ever seen her. It felt as if his chest constricted, and for a moment it felt as though his heart stopped beating altogether. His body betrayed him, desire surging through him, his pulse quickening as memories flooded back. Standing right there, so close yet so far, and he couldn't understand how this was happening. Why now?

The conversations around him blurred into static, meaningless noise. His mind was fixed on her, his fists clenched as a wave of emotions he hadn't felt in months swallowed him whole. Anger. Desire. Confusion. A burning fire coursed through him/ begging to erupt, and yet he couldn't so much as move. He couldn't breathe. He just stood there, staring at her, utterly lost in the storms of emotion she'd stirred up within him.

Annie, who'd been at his side all night, tugged on his wrist to get his attention. But she was just a blur, a distant afterthought compared to the Emma. He barely noticed her as he shook her off, his entire focus trained on Emma.

He needed to know. He had to confirm. And just as he began moving toward her, she looked up, her lashes fluttering as their eyes met. For a split second, their gazes locked, and that was all he needed. The brief second was enough, sending a wave of certainty through me. It was her. Nothing more was needed. She was alive and she was here.

Without thinking, he started moving toward her, his steps quickening, but before he could reach her, she whirled and ran, bolting out of the hall like she saw a ghost. Panic shot through him. He couldn't lose her, not now. Not after all these months. His body acted on instinct, and he was up, running down the hall with his heart hammering in his chest. People turned to stare at him in confusion, but he didn't care.

All that mattered to him was catching up to Emma. Annie's voice was far off, echoing, but he didn't care. Jerking her hand off me, he picked up his pace, desperate to close the gap between them. Her gown billowed behind her as she dashed through the exit, and he cursed under his breath, knowing he wasn't going fast enough.

By the time he reached the lobby, she was gone, she vanished into the elevator. He was breathing in heavy, ragged gasps, but he didn't stop. He couldn't. Not after searching for months. The elevator doors closed in front of him, so he took the stairs, two at a time, his legs burning as he went up harder and faster. By the time he reached the ground floor, however, she was gone.

"Where is she?" He growled out to the first security guard he saw his voice rough with desperation.

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Tue, Dec

Chapter 12

The guard looked at him; bewildered. "Who, sir?"

"The

woman who has just run from the building!" he exclaimed, his patience thin, every second feeling like an eternity.

He blinked, still quite clearly confused. "She... she left just a moment ago, sir. Took a taxi."

"And what direction did she take?" he asked heaving his chest.

"I do not know, sir," he stammered.

Fire coursed through him, and he growled in frustration, his fist slamming into the nearest wall. He couldn't believe it. After all this time, after months of looking for her, he'd had her within reach, and now she had slipped through my fingers. But he wasn't giving up. Not now. Not ever.

He ran to his car, hands shaking, turning the key in the ignition. His mind was already racing, his heart pounding as he dialed Kevin's number. "I found her," he said, trying to keep my voice hard. "Emma was at the event tonight! I want every piece of footage pulled that you can find and track her. I don't care how long it takes. Do it!"

"Yes, sir," Kevin replied without hesitation.

He had driven for hours, scouring every street and every corner in the hope that a glimpse of her would come into view. But eventually, he had to admit defeat. She was gone for now.

But one thing was for sure: he wasn't leaving this country until he found Emma Black!

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