Chapter 11

Freddy had made up his mind. But the clock on the wall kept ticking. As daylight faded into dusk, Hazel still hadn't come back. Freddy frowned as he quickly scanned the room. It was only then that he realized something was off. There wasn't a single sign that anyone had been living here. Hazel had no friends in Southridge. That meant she couldn't be staying with anyone. So, where had she been all this time? It was only then that a sliver of panic crept into Freddy's chest. A vague, uneasy feeling began to grow. Suddenly, he remembered what Alvin had said at the engagement party earlier that day. A wave of dread surged through him. It was so intense it nearly drowned him. Before he could fully process it, hurried footsteps echoed outside the door, followed by Alvin's panicked voice. "Mr. Hoffman, bad news! The Hamilton family's private jet that Ms. Hamilton boarded has crashed!" "What?" The temperature had risen in the past few days, but Freddy felt cold. "What did you say?"