Chapter 27

Sofia rubbed the back of her head slowly as she informed her mother that she had given up hope of finding Mateo for the day and that she was going to rest for a while.

"Tomorrow, I am going to take my time to look for him," she said. "Right now, I am tired, and I really need to rest."

Eve smiled as she looked into her daughter's eyes. She understood how stressful it could be to look for someone who seemed to not be interested in being found.

Sofia climbed the stairs to her room, her body heavy with fatigue. She had spent the entire day scouring the city, asking anyone who would listen if they had seen Mateo. But her efforts had been in vain. It was as if he had vanished into thin air.

As she flopped onto her bed, her mind replayed the events of the past few days until she could no longer think again.

Sleep eventually found her, but it was fitful, plagued by dreams of Mateo lost and alone. When morning light filtered through her