My Cold-Hearted Husband Wants Me Back
Chapter 100: Missing

Chapter 100: Missing

Eryx stared blankly at the stack of papers in front of him, though he hadn’t read a single word. The study was dim, the morning light barely filtering through the curtains. His tie hung loose around his neck, and the couch beneath him bore the wrinkles of yet another night spent not sleeping.

He had told himself he was giving her space. Respecting her silence. But deep down, he knew it wasn’t just that. He didn’t know how to face her.

The soft sound of someone moving made him look up.

Footsteps. Familiar ones.

He stepped out of the study just in time to see Lunara coming down the hallway, already dressed, Mila’s tiny backpack slung over one shoulder. Her hair was pulled back neatly, her expression was not cold, not angry, just distant.

Their eyes met for a moment but she didn’t stop walking.

"Lunara," he said, quietly, "do you want to go out for breakfast?"

She didn’t answer.

He tried again. "We could take Mila. Just us."

Still nothing. She adjusted the strap on her shoulder and kept walking, passing by him like he was nothing more than a shadow on the wall.

The soft sound of her footsteps faded down the stairs.

Naomi came down a few steps behind Lunara. She waved casually when she saw Eryx.

"We’re heading to that indoor play center. What do they call it? The bouncy jungle or whatever," she said with a little smirk.

Eryx gave a small nod. "Alright. Call me right away if anything happens."

Naomi gave him a quick, knowing look. "Relax. We’ll be fine."

As they left, Eryx stood by the door, watching them go. A moment of silence hung in the air as he processed everything, Lunara’s indifference, the way she’d walked past him like he wasn’t even there. He couldn’t stand the distance between them, but it was what she wanted. He couldn’t force her to talk to him.

He pulled his phone from his pocket just as it rang.

It was Callum. "Sir, we’ve got a situation. Your grandmother’s preparing the official statement."

Eryx’s chest tightened. "She’s really pulling this move?"

"Yeah. She’s set to announce that you’re being replaced as heir. She’s chosen someone unrelated to the family, someone she thinks will be more compliant. She has the press release ready."

"And she’s waiting for me to kneel," Eryx muttered.

Callum paused. "She wants you to divorce Lunara and marry Valerie. If you do that, she’ll call everything off."

Eryx clenched his jaw, the anger rising in his chest. "She must be getting desperate."

"What should we do, sir?"

"I’m moving forward with the plan. Tell the legal team to bury the paperwork for now. I’m taking her down. This is the end of it."

"Yes, sir."

=====

The indoor playground was alive with bouncing kids, colorful slides, and the chaotic joy of childhood. Mila held tightly to Lunara’s hand as they navigated the padded play area, her eyes wide with excitement.

"I wanna go there!" she pointed toward a mini climbing tunnel shaped like a rainbow.

"Alright, alright," Lunara laughed softly, crouching to help her climb in while Naomi trailed behind, holding their drinks.

Lunara didn’t step too far back. She stayed within reach, watching Mila climb and tumble inside the soft enclosure. For a good thirty minutes, they followed Mila’s lead, helping her up slides, catching her at the bottom, even joining her briefly in the ball pit.

Eventually, they coaxed Mila into a short snack break. The three of them settled into a low table near the toddler zone. Mila munched happily on crackers while Naomi scrolled through her phone. Lunara smiled as she wiped some crumbs messing around Mila’s cheek.

All of a sudden, a staff member approached their table. "Hi... sorry to bother you. One of the parents is asking for help. A little boy got stuck behind the play structure, and we’re trying to move a few benches. Could you give us a hand?"

Lunara looked around. They seemed to be the only adults nearby, which was probably why the staff had approached them. She turned to Naomi. "Can you stay with her?"

"Of course."

But just as Lunara stood to follow, Mila spilled her juice.

"Ah, Mila, you just can’t let me rest, huh?" Naomi let out a small sigh and knelt to clean the mess with a few napkins, her eyes off Mila for only a few moments.

That was all it took.

Mila, curious as always, spotted a little girl she’d been playing with earlier. The girl waved from the other side of the play net, and Mila, thinking it was a game, climbed off her chair and toddled back into the play area.

By the time Naomi looked back up, the table was empty.

Her heart skipped. Then it dropped.

"Mila?" she called gently, expecting the little girl to pop out from behind the table or a nearby chair. But the only answer was the distant hum of a vending machine and the soft clatter of plastic balls in the play area.

She stood, her movements stiff, eyes darting left and right. "Mila?"

Nothing.

Naomi stepped around the table, her voice louder now. "Mila, come out. This isn’t funny." But she was already moving faster, weaving through the small space, her sneakers squeaking faintly against the clean floor.

It was a weekday. The play center was mostly empty, just a couple of toddlers in the corner and a bored-looking staff member at the counter. That should’ve made it easier. Mila should’ve been easy to spot. But she wasn’t.

Her chest began to tighten.

She rushed to the netted play structure, peering through the layers of bright foam and netting. She spotted the little girl Mila had waved to earlier but not Mila. She wasn’t on the slides, not in the ball pit, not anywhere.

Her stomach twisted.

"Mila?" Her voice cracked this time. "Mila!"

No answer.

She spun, frantically scanning every corner of the center. Her mind raced. How long had she looked away? Ten seconds? Twenty? Long enough.

Guilt clawed at her chest.

She turned and broke into a run. "Ara!"

"What?" Lunara looked up, surprised, still holding the bench she had just helped move.

Naomi nearly stumbled as she reached her. "Mila..." She sucked in a breath, her voice trembling now. "Mila... she’s gone. I—I can’t find her."