Once She Came Like a Flash novel Chapter 15

**TITLE: Faith Didn’t Survive Time – by Aadi Sharma**

**Chapter 15**

The investigator wasted no time, swiftly presenting Charlie with a comprehensive list of individuals who had previously interacted with Lola. With a determined resolve, Charlie began to dial each name, one after the other, his heart racing with a mix of hope and dread.

Yet, the lingering scandal of his affair and the brutal manner in which he had pushed her away still loomed large, a heavy cloud overshadowing his every attempt to reconnect. Each call was met with a barrage of insults, the lines going dead with a finality that echoed his despair.

In a desperate bid, he resorted to fabricating a story about Edwin being unwell, missing his mother terribly, pleading with them to reach out for the sake of the little boy. Only then did some of them soften, but their responses remained frustratingly consistent—they hadn’t heard a whisper from Lola, had no inkling of her whereabouts.

The investigator’s report was equally disheartening: following her official statement, Lola had seemingly evaporated from public life, vanishing as if she had never existed, leaving no trace behind.

An unsettling fear gripped Charlie for the very first time. The thought that he might not be able to reach her sent chills down his spine. Not even the mention of Edwin’s name seemed to stir any response within her.

“Keep digging,” he ordered sharply, irritation bubbling beneath the surface. “Find out if she left the country.”

Restless and agitated, Charlie returned home, his mind racing with thoughts of searching through her belongings for any clues that might lead him to her.

What he stumbled upon instead froze him in his tracks.

Edwin was sprawled cross-legged in the living room, absorbed in the flickering lights of the television screen, a game controller gripped tightly in his small hands. He was so engrossed in the digital chaos that he hadn’t even noticed his father’s arrival.

Around him lay a chaotic array of empty snack wrappers and takeout containers, a clear sign that the boy had been indulging in junk food far too often. His clothes were rumpled and stained, his hair tousled and wild. He bore little resemblance to the tidy, bright-eyed child he once was; he looked more like a lost soul wandering the streets.

Charlie’s expression darkened as he recalled Rose’s promise to take Edwin abroad for a “break.” Why, then, was the boy left here, alone and half-feral, surrounded by nothing but fast food and video games?

With a surge of anger, he strode forward and snatched the controller from Edwin’s hands. The boy spun around, ready to protest, but his words caught in his throat when he saw his father’s furious face. He lowered his gaze, silence enveloping him.

“Why are you here all by yourself? Where’s Rose? Why didn’t she take you with her?” Charlie’s voice was a mix of frustration and concern.

Edwin blinked up at him, confusion etched on his face. “You mean Rose? She said she was going overseas. She left me some money and told me to behave at home. She promised to bring me back gifts when she comes back.”

Charlie felt his jaw tighten, anger boiling within him until the veins in his temples throbbed. Rose had abandoned their son, leaving him to languish in front of a screen, with no one to care for him.

Thank goodness Edwin had kept things low-key: gaming at home and ordering takeout. Otherwise, with no one watching over him, who knew what kind of trouble he could have stumbled into?

If only Lola were here… none of this would have happened.

That thought struck him harder than he was willing to admit. His mind spiraled back to that fateful night—the accusations, the way he had insisted it was Lola who had drugged Edwin and shoved him into the trunk of the car.

But was that truly the reality?

Her desperate pleas echoed in his mind, urging him to check the surveillance footage, to witness for himself who had really committed the act.

Charlie called for the housekeeper to help clean Edwin up, then drove straight to retrieve the surveillance footage. He found the file folder for that date without much trouble, but to his dismay, the videos were mysteriously absent, deleted without a trace.

A wave of dark suspicion washed over him, his fists clenching so tightly that his knuckles cracked audibly.

What else could he doubt?

Lola had never been the type to linger behind, and she certainly had no opportunity to erase the footage. Only Rose had the motive to destroy the evidence.

But when she handed over the card, the machine beeped ominously. Declined.

Rose froze, confusion washing over her. That card was supposed to be Charlie’s secondary card. How could there be insufficient funds? The only explanation that made sense was that Charlie had cut her off.

The thought of this realization sent a jolt of panic through her. “Forget it,” she muttered, avoiding the clerk’s barely concealed disdain and the whispers of the other customers as she slinked away, her cheeks burning with embarrassment.

Out of sight, she quickly pulled out her phone and dialed Charlie’s number.

To her surprise, he didn’t explode with rage as she had anticipated. Instead, his voice was calm, almost too calm. “Why did you go abroad without taking Edwin?”

Her heart raced, a nervous lurch settling in her stomach. Of course, she hadn’t taken him. Why would she? That brat was Lola’s son, not hers. He was a burden, not a blessing. Besides, she had left him with cash and food. What could possibly go wrong?

Still, she lowered her voice, weaving innocence into every word. “Edwin didn’t want to come. He said traveling made him too tired, so I thought it would be better for him to rest at home. Is he… unhappy?”

She crafted her tone to sound pitiful, subtly shifting the blame onto the boy’s “stubbornness.”

“No,” Charlie replied evenly. “He said he misses you. I have something for you as well. You’ve been through a lot these past days. Come back.”

His words were smooth, almost gentle, but there was a cold glint in his eyes that sent a shiver down her spine.

Rose let out a shaky breath of relief, convincing herself that the card incident had been a mere fluke. She nodded immediately, eager to return.

When he hung up, Charlie descended the stairs. Edwin, freshly bathed by the housekeeper, sat on the couch with his head bowed, his small frame rigid with fear. He didn’t even glance up when his father approached, as if bracing himself for a reprimand.