Javier and Linda arrived at the base in no time. Linda pulled Lizzy into a tight embrace, tears pouring down her face.
“Oh, sweetheart… I was afraid I'd never see you again… I've been thinking of you every single day, dreaming of you every single night, worried sick…”
Allison stood nearby, tears silently streaming down her face.
These past few days, every time she tried to sleep, images of that lunatic Chris tormenting her sister haunted her. Nightmares plagued her, visions of him threatening to set her sister on fire, and demanding she trade her life for her sister's.
In this emotional moment, even Javier, strong as he was, couldn’t hold back his tears.
He had so much he wanted to say, but all that came out was, “Lizzy, Daddy missed you too.”
After their family cry, Linda noticed something off about Lizzy.
Through her red, tear-stained eyes, she said, “Lizzy was already traumatized from the first kidnapping, and now after being taken to America and nearly losing her life, I’m really worried about her…”
Her voice broke, unable to continue.
Lizzy, not even nine, had been through two kidnappings. How could such a young girl handle all this trauma? Her mental health was bound to suffer.
Javier’s exhaustion was evident from the dark circles under his eyes. During Lizzy's disappearance, he hadn’t slept properly at all.
Right now, he looked utterly drained, guilt and worry etched into his features as he gazed at his daughter. “I’ll reach out to the best child psychologist right away.”
Allison chimed in, “I’ll contact some friends to find the top child psychology expert. Aunt Linda, Lizzy's going to get through this.”
Linda sighed deeply, “I sure hope so.”
Outside, Joshua and Daniel were deep in conversation.
When the Owens family stepped out, they crossed paths. Joshua’s eyes found Allison’s, her eyes still red from crying. A tender pain filled Joshua’s gaze.
Allison pressed her lips together and looked away silently.
Linda wanted to thank Joshua, but the thought that her daughter’s kidnapping was linked to him made it impossible to say those words.
Javier shot a cold glance at Joshua.
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