Chapter 81. Fruitless Search

RENEE

As I walked into my apartment, the soothing sound of SYML's 'Girl' played from the small stereo in the corner. 

The song brought with it a sense of peace and calm that I rarely experienced these days. It helped me relax, even if only for a short time. 

And that was precisely what I needed right now—to relax. To let myself breathe without being weighed down by my worries. The previous few days had been... trying. Trying and more challenging than I could’ve imagined. 

“Gosh!” I muttered to myself, shoulders slumping as I closed the door behind me, sighing exhaustedly against it. 

My body sagged in front of me. My hands reached up to push my long hair away from my face before reaching down to rub my tired eyes and pinch my nose. I knew my sleep-deprived appearance wasn't doing me any favors, and I wouldn't say I liked thinking about how I looked. 

Instead, I tried to distract myself by recalling everything that had happ