The police intensified their search for Daniel, treating it as a missing persons case. They discovered surveillance footage showing him leaving the house with an unknown man, both appearing agitated. The trail went cold quickly, but the revelation was chilling. My son hadn’t simply vanished—he had been taken.

In the quiet of the hospital room, I held Matthew close, vowing to protect him with every ounce of strength I had. The truth, once it finally emerged, might indeed shatter everything we knew. But for now, the priority was healing—mending Matthew’s broken spirit and piecing together the fragments of our fractured family.

The journey ahead was daunting, but we would face it together, step by step, until we could find Daniel and bring him back home.