Chapter 217

Because Briar was scared to sleep alone, I arranged for her to sleep with Brett.

The two kids always had endless things to talk about before bed, and we had even scolded them for it before.

So my first thought was that Briar had gone back to her room.

But Leo shook his head and said, "No, I just checked. She didn't go back to her room. It's late, and I'm worried she might have run off. I'm not familiar with this area, so I need your help."

His voice carried a hint of subtle apology.

I quickly waved my hand. "Losing a child is a big deal. I'll grab a coat and go out with you to look for her."

After putting on my coat, I went to wake up Savannah.

She was still awake and immediately got up to join me when she heard Briar was missing.

Leo stayed at home to check if Briar was hiding in another room.

Since she wasn't familiar with the outside, Savannah and I went out to look for her.

The yard was pitch dark, with a dim yellow streetlight illuminating a small area, making the yard visible.

We didn't see Briar anywhere.

Savannah and I exchanged a glance. "Could she have run outside? Isn't she scared to be out alone this late?"

Savannah nodded. "It's possible. She's gotten pretty familiar with the area by now. She could be anywhere. Let's go look for her."

We decided to head out but wanted to inform Leo first.

Leo had checked several rooms but hadn't found Briar. He was starting to panic, sweat forming on his forehead.

"Leo, Savannah and I are going out to look for her. You stay here since you're not familiar with the area."

"Don't worry. Briar might have just found a place to hide. She's been running around here for over a month and knows the area well. She'll be fine."

Leo nodded, his face full of worry.

Our coming and going woke Kelly. She came out, wrapped in a coat, and asked what was happening.

"Mom, go back to sleep. It's nothing serious. Briar had a fight with her dad and ran off. We're just going to look for her."

Leo nodded. "I'm really sorry, Mrs. Sharp. I didn't expect Briar to be so stubborn. Please go back to rest. We'll handle it. Sorry for the trouble."

Kelly waved her hand. "It's no trouble. Do you need me to help look for her?"

"No, no, the three of us can handle it. I'm already feeling bad for troubling Savannah and Caroline."

I nodded. "Mom, don't worry. Go back to sleep. We can handle this."

Kelly nodded and went back inside, but not before advising Leo, "Kids are sensitive. Talk to her nicely and don't argue with her again."

After Kelly went back to her room, Savannah and I headed out to the alley.

I told Savannah, "Let's split up and search separately."

Savannah nodded but looked worried. "I'll go with you. We haven't checked the people in the yard yet. I'm afraid it might be dangerous for you to go alone."

"What danger could there be? Don't worry, I'll be fine."

"The most important thing now is to find Briar," I said firmly.

Savannah couldn't argue with me and reluctantly agreed.

We walked around the alley and met back at my front door, but there was no sign of Briar.

Leo was anxious. "Where could Briar have gone? Why is she so troublesome? I only said a few words to her."

Savannah and I tried to comfort him, telling him not to worry.

Our yard had a front and back section, but the back was usually locked since we didn't use it much.

However, a small child could easily crawl through the space.

Savannah and I decided to check the backyard, with Leo following us.

I took out the key and opened the backyard door.

There was a small building and a well covered by a stone slab, which Briar couldn't possibly lift.

There were two side rooms with locked doors, leaving no space to enter.

But the first-floor window of the small building was broken, and Briar could have crawled through it.

We decided to open the building door and go inside.

The building was empty, filled with old furniture and items we no longer used.

The air was thick with dust, making me cover my nose. It had been a long time since anyone had been here. Could Briar endure the dust?

Regardless, we had to search.

We looked around the first floor but found no trace of Briar.

We moved to the second floor, and Savannah suddenly stepped on something.

Looking down, we saw it was a hair clip.

Leo recognized it immediately. "It's Briar's hair clip. I brought it for her from Skyview City. She loved it and was wearing it earlier."

We exchanged glances. "It looks like Briar was here!"

But why did she lose her hair clip, and where did she go?

We had a bad feeling.

There were strangers around, and Briar's sudden disappearance was suspicious.

Leo frowned deeply, full of regret. "It's all my fault. If I had just taken her back, this wouldn't have happened."

"If I hadn't scolded her, maybe she wouldn't have run off."

We searched the second floor but found no sign of Briar. We had to go back to the front yard.

Leo looked at me, troubled. "Caroline, what should we do now?"

"Could Briar have been kidnapped?"

"Should we call the police? But what if they hurt Briar? She's my only daughter. If something happens to her, I don't know what I'll do."

I thought for a long time.

Briar running off and being kidnapped by those people seemed likely.

They might be hiding nearby.

Briar could be in danger, and the situation was urgent.

I gritted my teeth and told Savannah, "Call the police. We need their help. We can't find her on our own."

Savannah nodded and quickly went outside.

Leo was pulling at his hair in regret, tears falling.

I had never seen him like this and tried to comfort him. "Leo, don't be sad. We will find her. Briar is smart and will protect herself."

"Trust the police and trust us."