Chapter 11

Zachary shot to his feet and dashed toward the bedroom on the upper floor, but his legs felt inexplicably weak. As he ascended the stairs, he inadvertently skipped a step. He fell down the stairs with a resounding thud. The sharp pain jolted him back to his senses. Clenching his teeth, he used the stair railing to pull himself up and then limped his way back upstairs. This time, possibly due to his slower pace, there were no further mishaps. He reached the bedroom without incident. A quick look revealed that only his possessions were left in the room. It was true. Yvette was truly gone. Even the photo frames that once held pictures of them together on both nightstands were now empty. Only the vacant frames remained in their spots. Zachary suddenly had a realization, and panic returned to his eyes. He opened the wardrobe and the drawers, but once he removed his belongings, they were completely empty. He searched the bedroom, the bathroom, and the study—every possible spot in