Chapter 121. “We Will Bring Her Back”

Xander’s POV

The emptiness was the first thing I noticed. The bed felt cold, her warmth missing, and it struck me immediately as I stirred awake. My hand instinctively reached out, grazing the cool sheets where Alison should have been.

But I didn’t panic. Alison had a tendency to wake before me, always up with the sun, often in the kitchen, humming softly as she prepared breakfast. I told myself it was one of those mornings, though the gnawing unease in my chest was harder to shake than usual.

I swung my legs off the bed, running a hand through my tousled hair before heading to the bathroom. The mirror reflected someone who was trying too hard to convince himself everything was fine. “She’s probably downstairs,” I muttered, splashing water on my face as if the cold would snap me out of my rising apprehension.

Once dressed, I made my way down the stairs, my ears tuned for any sign of her. The kitchen was my first stop, but it was empty, except for the f