CHAPTER 515. TO BELIEVE AGAIN. Friends and EnemiesThe room remained silent for several seconds before breaking into a beautiful ovation that brought tears to Anja’s eyes. She quickly asked Milo to come up and provide more details about the organization’s efforts.Milo's speech was brief and to the point, as he didn’t want to overshadow Anja’s moment. It was the empathy people felt for her that was needed that night."That was fantastic," Milo told her as soon as she stepped down from the podium, pulling her into a hug. "I’ve got to say, everything about this has been wonderful because you made it happen. Don’t doubt that, babe."Anja smiled, but they were soon separated, surrounded by a flood of guests eager to speak with one or the other. At some point, Anja wasn’t sure when, one of the catering staff approached her with a concerned look on her face.Anja was always on top of things, making sure everything was perfect. It was an important night, and the catering service had to be fl
CHAPTER 516. TO BELIEVE AGAIN. DesperationInstinctively, Anja covered her mouth and nose, but the fumes were too strong. She had no idea what they were, but the liquid was still spilling from the containers, and she suspected it had to be some kind of cleaning product because the effect was immediate. Panic gripped her as she saw Hamish leave. She ran to the door, desperate to escape the dangerous environment.However, when she reached the door, she only managed to slam into it, hearing Hamish laugh after locking it from the outside. His disturbingly expressive face, twisted into a satisfied smile, appeared through the small window, heightening Anja's fear."Hamish, let me out! This is dangerous!"Hamish stared at her without moving or speaking, and Anja quickly tore a piece of her dress to cover her nose, feeling panic and frustration building inside her."Hamish! This isn't just a stupid robbery anymore," she hissed, coughing violently. "If you don't let me out, I’ll accuse you of
CHAPTER 517. TO BELIEVE AGAIN. No, baby, no“Uh... the head of service said she went to get her,” one of the girls mumbled. “We had issues with the champagne.”“Where’s the head of service?” Milo growled, and everyone began looking around to see if they could spot her.“She’s not here, Mr. Keller.”Milo felt a tightening in his chest that was hard to describe.“Where the hell could she be?”There was clear nervousness and uncertainty in the kitchen, as most of the staff had no idea what was happening. But the same girl stepped forward, her expression more confident this time.“The drinks are stored in the supply room. If they went to fix the problem, they must be there.”“Where’s that?”“One floor below, last corridor on the right.”“Take me there! Now!” Milo ordered.He didn’t know what it was, but he felt a creeping sense of dread, like his skin was tingling in anticipation, as if something was about to explode.The girl hurried ahead of him, and Milo pulled out his phone, gritting
CHAPTER 518. TO BELIEVE AGAIN. Stay strongA second later, Milo climbed into the ambulance while Speedy went to inform the family of what had happened and to gather everyone to head home. He lifted little Niko and left in the first truck. One disaster per night was more than enough—he wasn't about to take his eyes off that child for anything in the world.Meanwhile, Milo prayed for everything to turn out well. Sitting in a corner of the vehicle, he held Anja’s hand as two paramedics struggled to intubate her."We can't do a tracheotomy here!""But the tube won’t pass, and she’s not breathing!"The paramedic paused, thinking for a terrible moment."Wait! We’ve got pediatric equipment! The endotracheal tubes are smaller. Maybe a smaller one will work..."It was a desperate measure, but just a minute before they reached the hospital, they finally managed to ventilate her. The ambulance screeched to a stop on the pavement, its lights flashing and siren wailing in the cold night air. Anja
CHAPTER 519. TO BELIEVE AGAIN. Pray and Wait"There’s good news and bad news," the doctor explained. "Chlorine gas is highly toxic, but Anja’s asthma may have actually prevented the worst consequences. Her airways inflamed and closed off so quickly that the vapor barely reached her lungs. That’s definitely a good thing."Milo nodded with some relief, but he knew there was more."And the bad news?""She reached a state of hypoxia. We don’t know how long her brain went without oxygen," the doctor said sadly, "so we won’t be able to assess the damage until she’s more stable and, if God wills it, wakes up."Milo felt immense pain at the thought of losing Anja. His family tried to comfort him with encouraging words, but no one seemed to have the answers he sought. There were so many questions, and the uncertainty grew with every passing second."What can I do?" he asked, his eyes brimming with tears. "You have to tell me there’s something I can do! Anything!"He was desperate, but besides
CHAPTER 520. TO BELIEVE AGAIN. Go away!Milo grabbed the phone and started going through the files of each server, comparing the faces in the photos with the one he remembered. After a few minutes, he found what he was looking for. Her name was Mélanie, and she had been working as a server for two years."This is her," he confirmed.“Let me find her address.”After a few more minutes of searching, they discovered that the girl lived nearby, just seven blocks from the building."Let’s go."They left quickly, and a few minutes later, they arrived at Melanie’s apartment, located in a somewhat rundown but central building in the city. It was early morning when they knocked on the door, and judging by how quickly the girl answered, it was clear she hadn’t been able to sleep."Hasn’t anyone ever told you to look through the peephole before opening?" Jhon said, irritated. "Do you know how many girls your age get kidnapped for being careless?"Melanie stepped back, frightened, but then she sa
CHAPTER 521. TO BELIEVE AGAIN. The Hunt“What do you mean you just got him back? Where were you coming from with him at this hour?”The woman hugged her son desperately and shook her head."A man took him yesterday," she sobbed, stroking his head. "He took him after school and called me. He said that if I didn’t take Anja Lieben to the supply room, he would hurt my son!"Milo clenched his jaw in frustration.“So, there wasn’t any emergency,” he murmured, watching the woman shake her head."No… I just broke those bottles to have an excuse to talk to her. She came with me, and then that man showed up and told me to leave. He gave me a paper with the address of a park where he left my son, and I ran… I ran to find him!"Looking at the child, it was clear she was telling the truth. That enraged Milo more than anything. Whoever was behind the attack on Anja was dangerous and willing to do anything. However, Jhon remained focused on the task at hand."Ma’am, is this the man who took your so
CHAPTER 522. TO BELIEVE AGAIN. Don’t let anyone leave.The two SUVs sped down the highway, heading toward the German border. Their engines roared as the wind whipped furiously outside the windows. Billy, sitting in the passenger seat, stared intently at his laptop. Beside him, two other men were focused, waiting for the right moment to act.Milo drove with a steady hand, while in the vehicle behind him, Jhon led another group of friends.“Guys, I’ve got a notification!” Billy shouted, breaking the dawn’s silence.“What’s up, Billy?” Milo asked.It was nearly sunrise, and though none of them had slept, they looked as if they’d just stepped out of a movie set, ready for action.“Hamish’s car stopped at a roadside store a few miles from here. We can catch him if we step on it!”Milo, driving one of the SUVs, pressed down on the accelerator with determination, propelling the vehicle forward.“We’re not letting him get away! Call Jhon, tell him what we’re about to do... Let’s just hope he’