Chapter 341

Ava's POV My chest tightened painfully as I stared at my phone. Indefinite leave? Without telling me? Without answering my calls? I couldn't breathe as I leaned against the wall in the hallway. My lungs felt like they were shrinking, refusing to take in enough air. I'd been avoiding the obvious conclusion for days, trying to convince myself there was some innocent explanation for my mother's disappearance. A broken phone. A busy work schedule. Maybe she was angry with me. But I couldn't lie to myself anymore. My mother, like my grandmother, had vanished. I was alone now. "Ava?" Caroline's voice came from down the hall. "Are you okay?" I quickly wiped away the tears and forced a smile. "Actually, I'm not feeling great. I think I might need to head home and rest." Caroline frowned, approaching me with concern. "What's wrong? You look really pale." "Just a migraine," I lied, unable to burden her with my problems. Not when she was days away from her wedding. "I took some medicine, but I th