The jet landed without ceremony.
Just a soft shift in pressure.
A quiet descent.
Like even the sky didn't want to announce it.
Washington outside was dark.
Cold.
Unfamiliar in a way that made Lillian's chest tighten instantly.
She stepped down first.
Coat pulled tight.
Phone already in her hand.
Still nothing.
No calls.
No messages.
No read receipts.
Four days of silence sitting in her palm like it weighed more than it should.
Chloe came down beside her.
"…You're doing that thing again," Chloe said.
Lillian didn't look at her.
"…What thing."
"…Checking your phone like it's going to change."
Lillian's fingers tightened slightly.
"…It might."
Chloe didn't argue.
Just exhaled.
"…He's not here."
That stopped Lillian for half a second.
Not emotionally.
Just physically.
Then—
"…Then we find him."
Chloe looked at her.
Carefully.
"…We don't even know where 'him' is in this city."
Lillian didn't hesitate.
"…The estate."
Chloe frowned.
"…And you know where that is?"
Silence.
Lillian's grip tightened.
"…No."
That word landed heavier than either of them liked.
Chloe rubbed her face once.
"…Okay. That's the problem."
The airport outside felt too bright for the situation.
Too normal.
People passed them like nothing was wrong.
Like Sebastian Wolfe wasn't missing.
Like Lillian wasn't slowly losing her patience with every unanswered second.
Chloe stopped near the curb.
"…We need somewhere to base ourselves."
Lillian shook her head immediately.
"…No. We find him now."
Chloe turned to her fully.
"…We don't even know where to start."
Lillian's voice sharpened.
"…We start by not stopping."
A pause.
Chloe studied her for a moment.
Then softened slightly.
"…You're exhausted."
"I'm fine."
Chloe gave her a look.
"…You haven't slept properly in days."
Lillian didn't answer.
Because it was true.
And she didn't care.
"…If we walk around blind at night, we'll waste hours," Chloe said.
"…We'll be worse off tomorrow."
That word—tomorrow—felt wrong.
Too far away.
Lillian looked down at her phone again.
Still nothing.
Her jaw tightened.
"…One night," Chloe added gently.
"…We get a room. Then we go straight in the morning."
Lillian didn't move.
For a long moment, she just stood there.
Then finally—
"…Fine."
It wasn't agreement.
It was surrender to logic she didn't want to hear.
The hotel was too clean.
Too bright.
Too normal.
Like nothing bad ever happened there.
Which made Lillian hate it immediately.
Chloe handled the booking quickly.
Lillian didn't speak.
Didn't look around much.
Just followed.
Room key.
Elevator.
Door.
Inside.
Two beds.
Neutral colours.
Quiet air conditioning humming softly like nothing in the world was wrong.
Chloe dropped her bag.
"…I'm sleeping," she said simply.
"…You should too."
Lillian nodded automatically.
"…Yeah."
But she didn't move.
Chloe looked at her for a second longer than usual.
Then sighed.
"…Lillian."
That made her look up.
Chloe's voice softened.
"…We're closer than we've been in days. Don't crash now."
A pause.
Lillian swallowed.
"…I just need to find him."
Chloe nodded.
"…Tomorrow. We do it properly."
Then she lay down.
Within minutes—
asleep.
The room shifted into silence.
Lillian didn't.
She sat on the edge of the bed.
Phone in her hand.
Still.
Unmoving.
The screen lit her face in the dark.
Sebastian Wolfe.
No response.
Four days.
Her thumb hovered.
Then she opened their messages.
Scrolled.
Past small updates.
Past work notes.
Past late-night "are you still working?" messages.
Then she stopped.
Not on a message.
On something older.
A photo.
She didn't even remember opening it.
But she did.
It was them.
Weeks ago.
Sebastian standing beside her.
Not facing the camera.
Looking at her instead.
That small expression.
Soft.
Unguarded.
Different from everything he showed the world.
Lillian stared at it.
Longer than she meant to.
Her chest tightened slowly.
Like something was pulling inward.
"…Sebastian…" she whispered.
No reply.
Of course not.
Her fingers trembled slightly as she held the phone tighter.
And then—
something shifted.
Not emotion.
Not memory.
Focus.
She pulled back slightly.
Scrolled out of the photo.
Opened maps.
Her movements became faster now.
Sharper.
More deliberate.
"…Come on…" she muttered under her breath.
Search bar.
Wolfe estate.
Nothing.
She frowned.
Tried again.
Wolfe family estate Washington.
Still nothing official.
Her jaw tightened.
"…Of course it's hidden."
Chloe shifted slightly in her sleep behind her.
Lillian didn't notice.
She tried another variation.
Wolfe residence Washington state private estate.
A result appeared.
Not a clear listing.
Not public.
But something close.
A mention.
Old article.
Closed estate.
Private access.
Restricted grounds.
Her eyes narrowed.
She tapped it.
Scrolled fast.
Names.
Locations.
Hints buried in formal language.
Then she stopped.
A line.
Not bold.
Not obvious.
Just there.
Wolfe Family Estate – Northern Private Grounds, outskirts of Washington border access via restricted road off Alder Ridge route.
Lillian stared at it.
Still.
Then slowly zoomed in.
"…Found it."
Her voice was quiet.
But sharp.
Real.
She opened maps again.
Typed it carefully.
Alder Ridge Route.
The pin appeared.
Far outside the city.
Hidden away.
Exactly like something Sebastian's family would do.
Lillian stared at it for a long moment.
Then stood up immediately.
Chloe stirred slightly.
"…What are you doing?" she mumbled half-asleep.
Lillian grabbed her coat.
"…I found it."
That woke Chloe up instantly.
"…What?"
Lillian turned the phone.
Showed her the map.
Chloe sat up slowly.
Focused.
Then frowned.
"…That's… far out."
"I don't care."
Chloe rubbed her face.
"…Lillian, it's night."
"I know."
"…We go in the morning."
Lillian shook her head.
"…No."
That was firm.
Final.
Chloe watched her carefully.
"…If we go now and we're wrong—."
"We're not wrong."
A pause.
Lillian's voice dropped slightly.
"…I can't wait anymore."
That changed something in Chloe's expression.
Not agreement.
Understanding.
Chloe exhaled slowly.
"…You really think he's there."
Lillian didn't hesitate.
"…I know he is."
Silence.
Then Chloe nodded once.
"…Okay."
Outside, Washington was darker than before.
Colder.
The car ride felt longer than it should have.
Neither of them spoke much.
Lillian kept her eyes on the map.
Holding it like it might disappear if she blinked.
Chloe watched the road.
Occasionally glancing at her.
"…You're sure about this?" she asked quietly.
Lillian didn't look up.
"…Yes."
A pause.
"…I should've gone sooner."
Chloe didn't argue.
Just nodded slightly.
"…Then let's get him."
Miles away.
Not seen.
Not heard.
Sebastian sat where he had been left.
Still in the same room.
Still on the same cold floor.
But his breathing had changed.
Slower now.
Weaker.
His head rested slightly against the wall.
Eyes half-lowered.
"…Lillian…" he whispered again.
Barely anything left in it now.
Not strength.
Just instinct.
Darkness answered him.
Like it always had.
New York no longer existed in this moment.
Only distance.
Only movement.
Only the road pulling them closer to something that had been waiting in silence.
Lillian didn't look away from the map once.
"…I'm coming," she said quietly.
Not to Chloe.
Not to the car.
Not to the world.
To him.