Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph

Ellin slammed the phone down and grabbed Abby, rushing out the door.

Abby had caught the tail end of Ellin's angry words and could feel the tension. She clung to the door frame, crying, "I don't want to go! I want my daddy, I want my mommy..."

Ellin knew the cops would be there any minute and didn't have time to argue. She snapped at Abby, "Shut up. You better come with me, or I'll throw you off this building."

Abby was scared stiff and stopped crying.

Ellin dragged her into the elevator and headed down to the first floor.

The first floor was a restaurant, still buzzing with diners.

Ellin took out her phone and, when no one was looking, left it on a dining table. She quickly pulled Abby out of the restaurant and vanished into the night.

A guy who found the phone walked out of the restaurant and ducked into a nearby phone booth to check it out.

It was a nice phone, worth almost a grand.

Just as he was admiring his luck, the phone rang. He freaked out, thinking it was the owner calling.

He decided not to answer.

As he made up his mind, he heard police sirens.

Curious, he stepped out of the phone booth, only to be grabbed by two cops.

They found the phone on him and started questioning him.

The guy, shaking with fear, realized the phone was trouble and quickly spilled how he found it.

So, the cops ended up with Ellin's phone but no sign of her or Abby.

By morning, it was like they had disappeared into thin air.

A missing kid is every parent's nightmare. Sophie cried until her eyes were swollen, and Richard looked worried sick.

Given Ellin's harsh words before hanging up, the cops, for Abby's safety, decided to investigate quietly.

About thirty miles outside Starlight City, near Riverdale Falls, was Lindbrook Village, known for its beautiful scenery and eco-friendly vibe.

At the foot of the mountain on the east side of the village, there was a pond with a small wooden cabin beside it.

It was late autumn, and the once lush pond in front of the cabin looked pretty bleak.

A young boy stood by the pond, painting away.

He held a brush in one hand and a palette in the other. An autumn village scene was almost done on the easel.

The only thing breaking the peace was the boy's coughing.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps.

He was the only one living here, and as an outsider, he rarely interacted with the villagers, so it was unusual for anyone to come by.

Unless...

He stopped painting and looked toward the sound.

Seeing the visitor, the boy's delicate face lit up with a smile, but when he noticed the little girl with her, he frowned. "Who's the kid, Ellin?"

Ellin had dragged Abby all the way, and Abby had gone from struggling to reluctantly going along.

Ellin tossed her bag onto the table and collapsed into a chair, exhausted.

"A friend is on a business trip, and there's no one to take care of the kid, so I brought her here for a few days," Ellin explained.

Artists are observant, and even though Abby didn't argue, Hank Spencer could see the fear and resistance in her eyes.

"Ellin, aren't you always busy? How do you have time to visit me?" Hank asked while tidying up his brushes, but got no answer.

He looked over and saw Ellin staring at the pond, lost in thought.

"Ellin," he called again.

Ellin snapped out of it and forced a smile. "Nothing, I just finished filming a movie, and there's some time before the next one, so I came back to keep you company. I figured you must be pretty bored alone. By the way, since I'm back, I'll cook something nice for you," she said, getting up and heading inside.

As she was about to enter the house, she stopped and looked at Abby, who was standing silently. "We'll be staying here for a few days. Don't wander off. The roads in this village are tough, and many houses have dogs. If you get bitten, it won't be good."

Although Abby was young, she could tell that Ellin was warning her not to think about escaping.

Abby nodded, too scared to disobey.

After Ellin went inside, Hank waved at Abby.

But Abby, filled with fear, remembered Ellin's stern warnings not to speak, or she would never see her parents again.

So, even though this young man seemed kind and not like a bad person, Abby didn't dare to approach.

Ellin entered the open kitchen in the cabin. As she cooked, Hank's coughing made her already unsettled heart even more restless.

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Ellin was just her stage name; her real name was Ellin Spencer.

Hank had suffered from lung disease since childhood, and his coughing had never really gone away.

She chose to build a house here for Hank to live in because the scenery was beautiful, the air was fresh, and it was good for his health.

Moreover, Hank loved painting, and the beautiful environment here provided him with plenty of material and inspiration.

When it was time to eat, Hank savored the food Ellin had made and smiled, "It's been a long time since I had your cooking, Ellin. Your skills are as good as ever. My future brother-in-law is a lucky man."

Normally, she would have been thrilled and proud to hear that, but today she seemed a bit off. Hank noticed and asked, "Ellin, what's wrong? Did something go wrong at work?"

Ellin shook her head, not wanting to spill the truth. "No, I'm just tired from the slow pace of my recent schedule."

Abby held her bowl, watching them with wide, innocent eyes, not taking a single bite. Ellin glanced at her, and seeing those eyes that looked so much like Richard's, she suddenly got angry. "What are you looking at? Are you going to eat or not?" Startled by her sudden harshness, Abby began to cry.

Hank didn't get why Ellin was so mad and quickly tried to calm her down, "Ellin, she's just a kid. Don't be so harsh. Look, you've scared her."

Hearing him say that, Ellin's own frustrations bubbled up, and she almost lost her cool.

Things had spiraled out of control, and this wasn't what she wanted. She didn't want to ruin her life; she felt wronged and helpless.

"I'm not hungry, just tired. I'm going to sleep." On the verge of breaking down, she put down her chopsticks and left.

Hank felt even more that something was wrong with Ellin, but Abby's sobbing brought him back to reality.

He asked her gently, "Do you not like these dishes? Tell me what you like, and I'll go to the market tomorrow to buy it."

Abby just shook her head, letting her tears fall into her bowl.

After a while, Ellin came back out and took Abby to the room, making her share a room with her.

Abby lay in bed, feeling very sad.

Every night, Sophie used to sleep with her, but now Sophie was nowhere to be found.

But she didn't dare cry in front of Ellin anymore because Ellin would definitely scold

her. She could only hide under the covers and cry silently.

The next day in the village, the temperature suddenly dropped.

If you're loving the book, nel5s.com is where the adventure continues. Join us for the complete experience—all for free. The next chapter is eagerly waiting for you! Abby had come with very thin clothing, and she sneezed several times in the morning. That day, Ellin went out wearing a mask and came back not only with a lot of groceries but also with new clothes, shoes, gloves, children's cream, and snacks for Abby.

As soon as she got back, she put a thick coat on Abby, though she still had a stern face while doing it.

In the following days, Abby wasn't as scared and reserved as when she first arrived. This was because Ellin wasn't as harsh on her, probably because Abby was very obedient, neither running around nor talking too much.

Hank was very kind to her, taking care of her in every way. He even taught Abby how to paint and discovered her talent for it.

With no news of Abby, Sophie cried every day, and in just a few days, she had lost a lot of weight.

A dim light illuminated her as she sat on the sofa, holding a photo of Abby and crying.

For the past few days, every time Richard came over, he saw the same scene, as if she hadn't moved at all.

Whenever Richard appeared, Sophie, who seemed lifeless, would suddenly come alive, staring at him with intense hope in her eyes.noveldrama

But it was just a process of hope being shattered again and again.

After days of fruitless searching, Richard also felt exhausted. When he sat down, he was physically and mentally drained.

"Have you eaten?" he asked, rubbing his temples.

Sophie was silent for a moment, then answered with something unrelated. "Richard, do you know, when I first got pregnant with Abby, I had severe morning sickness and couldn't eat anything. But I was afraid the baby wouldn't get enough nutrients, so I forced myself to eat. I'd eat and throw up, and then eat again. It was very painful, but I had hope in my heart and felt very happy."

Sophie continued, "At four months, I felt Abby move for the first time. I was so excited. I always imagined what she would look like. I thought whether it was a boy or a girl, as long as they looked like you, they would be beautiful."

Sophie said, "On the day she was born, I thought I was going to die, but I felt I couldn't die. I had to bring the baby into the world, let her see it. Fortunately, I finally gave birth to her safely. Do you know? She was so tiny when she was born, but she grew so fast, changing every day."

Sophie added, "In the first few months, I hardly slept well. Then one day, she suddenly smiled. Seeing her innocent smile, all the fatigue disappeared."

Recalling these moments, Sophie smiled bitterly, tears streaming down her face.

After leaving Sophie, Richard sat alone in his car for a long time, feeling guilty as he thought about what Sophie had said.

As a father, he had not been qualified. He hadn't been there for the crucial early years

of his child's life.

When he found Abby, it would be time for him to make amends.

A few days later, in Lindbrook Village.

Hank had set up two easels, one tall and one short, and was teaching Abby to paint,

unaware that someone was walking straight towards them from a distance.