Chapter 9: Abandoning the Search

**Benard Walter’s POV** I had been on edge for hours, anxiously awaiting news about Thelma Zane. Deep down, I couldn’t imagine her miraculously reappearing like some magician stepping into the spotlight to reveal that it had all been an elaborate trick. No, the reality was far grimmer than that. The search party combed the area along the stream relentlessly. They uncovered scattered items: a lone high heel, a broken bracelet, and a tattered piece of blood-stained cloth. Each discovery further solidified my conviction that she was gone. Falling from such a great height, coupled with the injuries she’d sustained, made survival impossible. Even if her body wasn’t found, there was no realistic hope that she was alive. Meanwhile, my father tried to comfort Mr. and Mrs. Zane, who stubbornly clung to the faintest glimmer of hope. Rhode had joined the search as well, tirelessly scouring the area. My father, drenched in sweat after hours by the riverbank, reassured them with soft words