Later that day, Elian sat alone in the living room.
A glass of whiskey rested in his hand.
He hadn't been able to think about anything else since morning.
His grandmother was missing.
And despite all his anger, fear kept creeping into his heart.
Elian took another drink, staring blankly at the floor.
His eyes were red, filled with tears he refused to let fall.
He angrily wiped his face.
"No…"
His voice cracked.
"She'll be okay."
He kept repeating it to himself.
"She has to be okay."
But deep down, he was terrified.
The doorbell suddenly rang.
Elian looked toward the door.
For a moment, he didn't move.
Then he slowly got up and walked over.
He opened the door.
Cherry stood outside.
"Elian…"
The moment she saw his face, her expression changed.
His eyes were red, and the exhaustion on his face was impossible to hide.
She stepped inside.
"What happened?"
Elian looked away.
"Nothing."
Cherry immediately shook her head.
"Don't lie to me."
He remained silent.
Cherry gently took the glass from his hand and placed it on the nearby table.
"You've been drinking."
"I just needed something to calm me down."
Cherry looked at him sadly.
"Is it because of Grandma Anna?"
Elian's jaw tightened.
He tried to hold himself together.
"I couldn't protect her."
Cherry stepped closer.
"Elian…"
"I was supposed to be there."
His voice trembled.
"She was alone because I was working late. If I had come home earlier, maybe…"
He stopped.
Cherry reached for his hands.
"This isn't your fault."
"I should've been there."
"No."
She shook her head firmly.
"You couldn't have known this would happen."
Elian looked at her.
His eyes were glistening.
"I don't know where she is, Cherry."
His voice finally broke.
"I don't know if she's hurt. I don't know if she's scared. I don't even know if she's okay."
Cherry wrapped her arms around him.
Elian stood completely still for a moment.
Then everything he had been holding inside finally collapsed.
He buried his face against her shoulder and began to cry.
Cherry held him tightly, one hand gently stroking his back.
"It's okay," she whispered.
Elian clutched onto her.
"I was so scared…"
"I know."
"I can't lose her."
"You won't."
Cherry held him even tighter.
"We're going to find her."
Elian sobbed quietly against her shoulder.
"She raised me. She's all I've ever known."
"I know."
"She can't just disappear."
"She won't," Cherry whispered again. "We'll find her, Elian."
He pulled her closer, finally allowing himself to cry without hiding it.
For the first time since his grandmother disappeared, he stopped trying to be strong.
He simply let himself fall apart in the arms of the woman he loved.
Cherry continued holding Elian until his breathing slowly began to settle.
She gently ran her fingers through his hair.
"Let it out," she whispered. "You don't have to be strong with me."
Elian closed his eyes.
After a while, he lifted his head, wiping his face with the back of his hand.
"I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"For breaking down like that."
Cherry frowned.
"You don't ever have to apologize for crying."
Elian looked at her quietly.
"I just keep thinking about her."
"I know."
"She was alone when it happened."
Cherry took his hand.
"But you're not alone now."
Elian looked down at their hands.
"You came here even after everything that happened today."
"Of course I did."
She stepped closer.
"You're the person I love. If you're hurting, I want to be here."
Elian pulled her into another hug, this time holding her more gently.
"Thank you."
Cherry rested her cheek against his chest.
"We're going to find your grandmother."
Elian nodded.
"I already told my men to search everywhere."
"Did they find anything?"
"Nothing yet."
Cherry pulled back slightly.
"Then we'll keep looking."
Elian looked at her.
"You're really going to help me?"
"I'm not leaving you to deal with this alone."
A small smile finally appeared on his face.
"I love you."
"I love you too."
Elian kissed her forehead.
Then his expression suddenly became serious.
"There is something else."
"What?"
"I know who took her."
Cherry's eyes widened.
"Who?"
"Nicklaus."
She stared at him.
"Elian…"
"I saw the security footage. The people who took Grandma were wearing masks, but I recognized the watch on one of them."
"Nicklaus's watch?"
Elian nodded.
"I've seen it too many times to mistake it."
Cherry's expression became troubled.
"But he denied it."
"I know."
"And your father and mother…"
"They don't believe him either."
Elian walked toward the table and picked up his phone.
"I can't just wait for him to confess."
He looked at Cherry.
"I'm going to find Grandma myself."
Cherry immediately took his hand.
"Then I'm coming with you."
Elian shook his head.
"No. It's dangerous."
"So is letting you go alone while you're this angry."
"Cherry—"
"I mean it."
She squeezed his hand.
"Whatever happens, we're finding her together."
Elian stared at her for a moment before finally nodding.
"Okay."
He pulled her into his arms again.
"Then stay close to me."
"I will."
Outside, the evening grew darker.
And somewhere far away, Mrs. Anna was still waiting for the grandson she knew would never stop searching for her.
The next morning, Elian arrived at the Haynes residence with thirty of his most trusted men.
The large gates opened, and the men spread throughout the property, taking positions around the entrance, garden, driveway, and other access points.
Nicholas stepped outside, immediately noticing the sudden presence of so many people.
"Elian, what is this?"
Elian walked toward him, his expression cold and determined.
"Until my grandmother is found, nobody leaves this house."
Nicholas's expression hardened.
"What are you talking about?"
"You heard me."
Elian looked toward the guards.
"I don't care who you are or what your position is. No one goes in or out without my permission."
Jennie came outside after hearing the argument.
"Elian, this is our home."
"I know."
His voice remained firm.
"But I believe the person who took my grandmother has a connection to this family."
Nicklaus, who had been standing farther back, suddenly went still.
Elian's eyes briefly moved toward him.
Nicklaus avoided his gaze.
Elian turned back to Nicholas.
"My men will remain here until she's found."
Nicholas stepped closer.
"You can't just surround my house and keep my family inside."
"I can."
Elian's voice was low.
"And I will."
Cherry hurried outside.
"Elian…"
He looked at her, and his expression softened slightly.
"I have to find Grandma Anna."
Cherry nodded.
"I understand."
Nicholas looked between them, clearly frustrated.
"What happens if someone needs to leave?"
"They don't."
Elian turned toward his men.
"Keep the gates secured. Nobody leaves without being cleared."
"Yes, sir."
The men immediately returned to their positions.
Nicklaus watched silently from the doorway.
His face was tense.
Elian had no idea where Anna was.
But he was closing every possible escape route around the people Nicklaus cared about.
And Nicklaus knew that if Elian's investigation continued, it was only a matter of time before the truth caught up with him.
Elian looked at Cherry before heading toward the gate.
"I need to go somewhere."
Cherry nodded, though worry was clear in her eyes.
"Be careful."
"I will."
Elian leaned down and kissed her forehead gently.
"I'll be back."
He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze before walking away.
As soon as he left, one of Elian's men stepped forward.
"Everyone, please go inside. We'll handle everything out here."
Nicholas, Jennie, Cherry, and Nicklaus reluctantly returned to the house.
---
Nicholas and Jennie went upstairs to their bedroom.
Nicholas closed the door behind them.
"This has gone too far," he said, frustration evident in his voice.
Jennie sat on the edge of the bed.
"I understand why he's doing it. He's terrified something has happened to Anna."
"But surrounding the entire house?"
"He doesn't trust Nicklaus."
Nicholas sighed.
"Neither do I anymore."
Jennie looked at him.
"Nicholas…"
"I can't ignore what we've seen."
He lowered his voice.
"If Nicklaus really knows something about Anna, we need to find out before this gets worse."
Jennie nodded quietly.
"I just want Anna to be safe."
---
Meanwhile, Cherry went to her room.
She stood beside the window, looking down at the men stationed around the property.
Her heart was heavy.
She kept thinking about Elian.
She knew how much his grandmother meant to him, and she could see how badly he was hurting.
"I hope you're okay," she whispered.
She continued watching the guards outside, waiting for the moment Elian would return.
---
Across the hall, Nicklaus stormed into his own room.
He slammed the door behind him.
"Damn Elian!"
He paced angrily across the room.
"He thinks he can control everyone!"
His frustration grew as he thought about the guards surrounding the house.
"He's making everything harder."
Nicklaus grabbed his phone and immediately called Cindy.
She answered.
"What happened?"
"Elian brought thirty men to the house."
Cindy went silent.
"What?"
"He's placed guards everywhere. Nobody is allowed to leave until he finds Anna."
Cindy's expression darkened.
"Then he's getting too close."
Nicklaus clenched his jaw.
"I know."
He lowered his voice.
"We need to figure out what to do next."
Cindy paused before replying.
"Then we need to think carefully. One mistake, and everything we've been hiding will come out."