My Great Escape Led Me to You (Emily Blair) novel Chapter 1164

Amelia slipped quietly into the house, suitcase in hand. She opened the main door as silently as she could, then flicked on her phone’s flashlight. Ethan was right behind her, both of them tiptoeing up the stairs.

Kevin Lane had barely slept lately. Even the smallest noise would wake him, so the whole villa had to stay absolutely quiet during the night. In the darkness, you could barely make out the furniture. The only sounds were their soft footsteps and the careful way they breathed.

They hadn’t told Kevin about their trip, and he hadn’t called or messaged them all day. He probably thought his younger siblings were still locked up in their rooms. That meant Amelia had to be extra careful. She couldn’t risk Kevin finding out she’d snuck back in so late.

They crept along as quietly as possible. Now and then, the suitcase would bump against a stair, making a dull thud, but otherwise, they were silent. When they finally reached the second floor, both of them let out a quiet breath, almost smiling with relief.

Amelia swept her flashlight across the hallway—and nearly had a heart attack. Right in the beam of light, a little boy stood on the deep red carpet, wearing baggy pajamas. His back was turned, and his messy black hair looked almost eerie in the dark.

For a second, Amelia could only think of those scary kids from horror movies. Her whole body went cold, and she felt goosebumps prickle up her arms.

Behind her, Ethan let out a shaky little gasp, but somehow managed not to make a scene.

Amelia forced herself to breathe and finally realized who it was. Dennis Lane.

Dennis rubbed his eyes and slowly turned around, still half-asleep. “Aunt Amelia? What are you doing here?”

Amelia jumped, then glanced up toward the third floor to make sure no one had heard. When it stayed quiet, she hurried over, grabbed Dennis by the arm, and pressed a finger to her lips. Shhh.

She nodded at Ethan to take the suitcase, then scooped Dennis up and carried him into her room.

Dennis shook his head again. “No. He doesn’t know.”

Amelia felt a wave of relief and motioned for Ethan to stash their suitcases under the bed.

Dennis walked over and tugged at her hand. He whispered, “Aunt Amelia, did you go to the capital to find my mom? Can you tell me where she is? I miss her so much. I just want her to come home.”

Amelia suddenly stilled. She glanced at Ethan, searching his face for a hint of what to say.

Then she turned back to Dennis, kneeling down so she could look him in the eyes. She took his arms in her hands and spoke gently, “Dennis, you really miss your mom, don’t you? You want her to come back.”