At this point, all one could do was hope for the best.
"Yes, sweety, rest assured. I've asked my men to double-check everything. If there's any news, they'll call me right away. Don't worry anymore, okay?"
Those were the words from Magnus, and Natalia had no choice but to suppress her anxiousness for the time being.
The next day, Natalia drove her son, Jonas, to school.
Jonas attended an elite private school, and though the school provided a dedicated chauffeur service, Natalia felt she had time to spare and preferred to take him herself.
The morning was bright and sunny, lifting Natalia's spirits as she drove. Halfway through the trip, she felt a sudden discomfort. A warm sensation washed over her, and she realized her period had arrived unexpectedly.
In an awkward predicament, she pulled over at a convenience store, turned to Jonas, and said, “Jonas, I need to buy some things. Stay in the car and don't wander off, okay?”
"Okay, Mommy." Jonas nodded obediently, though confused as to why they had to stop.
With a sigh of relief, Natalia hurried into the store.
After buying some tampons and cleaning up, she also grabbed a pack of gum for Jonas before heading back to the car.
"Jonas, mommy got you some..." Her words were cut off as she dropped her items in shock.
Her car door was wide open, but Jonas was nowhere to be seen. Panicked, Natalia scanned the area, hoping to spot Jonas, but there was no sign of him.
Natalia felt her legs go weak. She had only left for a few minutes, where could Jonas have gone? Could he have come looking for her?
She bent down and searched the car for any signs or clues, but found nothing.
Stepping out of the car, she paced around it before heading back into the convenience store. Upon entering, the friendly cashier greeted her, "Welcome back."
With a desperate urgency, Natalia quickly said, “Hello, can I check your CCTV footage, please?”
The cashier hesitated, shaking his head after a moment. "I'm sorry, only the police are allowed to access the footage."
Natalia's face went pale, pleading, "Please, I left my son in the car when I came in, and now he's missing. I need to check your CCTV to see if I can find out where he's gone."
Just as the cashier was at a loss for what to do, the manager of the store stepped in. "Ma'am, please follow me."
Natalia gratefully followed him, profusely thanking him along the way, "Thank you! Thank you!"
The manager shook his head, his expression filled with concern. "Let's take a look quickly. I lost my child in front of a supermarket years ago. If there had been cameras then, maybe my child wouldn't have gone missing."
"You may have enemies, but children are innocent. I hope you find him soon," The manager said sincerely.
Natalia expressed her gratitude, "Thank you for your help. I have to go after that madwoman now. Goodbye."
With that, Natalia rushed out of the store, got back in her car, and sped off in the direction Addison had gone, dialing 911 as she drove. On the road, Natalia drove fast, desperate to catch up to Addison. She didn't know what that crazy woman would do to her son.
Meanwhile, Addison's car slowly pulled into her driveway. Looking at the unconscious Jonas in the back seat, a sinister glint flashed in her eyes.
"Ha! Little brat, you can't stand me badmouthing Natalia, huh? Oh, just wait, there's more where that came from! Natalia, you wait and see. Everything you've done to my daughter, I will make you pay!"
Her shriek of fury didn't stir Jonas. The little guy was snoozing away in the backseat. He was blissfully unaware that Addison, who came to stand just outside the car door swearing at Natalia, was purposefully provoking a confrontation with the sole intention of kidnapping him.
The car roared away, engine rumbling like the thunderous growl of a wild beast, and in no time, Addison pulled up at her home.
She parked the car, then hoisted the unconscious Jonas out of the backseat. If she weren't afraid of him suddenly waking up and causing a scene, she would have just yanked him out by his ankles. She despised this child, for he was the offspring of Natalia and Magnus!
Kyler was in the yard, sipping on his coffee, and looked up in surprise when he saw Addison carrying a child. "Why on earth have you brought a kid home?" He asked, perplexed.
Addison shot Kyler a glare. "You see me struggling and don't even offer to help? I'm exhausted."
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