The Parent Trap

Chapter 53

Chase Jacobs

POV

"I still think you’re underreacting." Cole says leaning back in his seat.

I looked up from the stack of filming schedules spread across my dining room table and rolled my eyes at my younger brother. Cole was only a few years younger than me but he acted like a teenager most of the time.

"Cole, at one point Amelia was like a mother to Stella, I planned to destroy her career not her life..." I remind him.

He shrugs his shoulder lazily. "I think you forget the woman lost your child, put her in front of cameras to come across motherly, you nearly lost my niece to her. You’re being too nice to the woman."

I sigh. He didn’t understand. It wasn’t because I had any lingering attachment to Amelia. I just didn’t want Stella thinking I’m a monster when she grows older.

We get back to work. The conference table disappeared underneath all the contracts, my filming schedules and my travel itineraries. Running a production company was a fun idea my brother and I came up with when we couldn’t get a production company to work on a script we had. Now most of the planning and casting fell on Cole and I, we have staff but being perfectionist we didn’t trust anyone else with this.

In three days, I’m set to begin filming my next big movie.

It was action packed and I was excited for what was to come. But a part of me wanted to stay, I didn’t want to leave Stella alone for a month.

I look at my brother...

"Have you thought about settling down and having a family of your own? I ask.

Cole looks taken aback by my sudden question. He looks somewhat distant and despondent. "I don’t think that’s in the cards for me. I’m happier with Stella in my life. Settling down isn’t really my thing." He tells me. "Don’t worry about Stella mom and I will spoil her rotten." He teases.

I realize he is trying to change the subject so I wouldn’t ask any further and I comply.

"That’s what I’m worried about..."

He laughs.

"I’ve written everything down." I tell him handing I’m notes I’ve made over the last two days.

Cole reaches for the notes I hand them to him. Cole let’s out a low whistle.

"You actually made me a parenting guide?" he jokes.

I roll my eyes. "I just want to make sure she’s comfortable..." I tell him.

If I could I would bring her with me but we will be in the middle of nowhere sleeping in tents and Stella’s never even been camping enduring that for a whole month would be torture for her.

Of course I’ll visit when I have time off bit it won’t be daily.

Cole reads the notes for a few seconds before he looks up. "Why do I have to say they’re Dino eggs?" he asks.

"Because Stella refuses to eat peas unless you tell her they’re dinosaur eggs."

I wish I was lying but I either have to negotiate with her or lie and say they’re Dino eggs, or carrots are fairy tree stumps.

His eyebrows shoot up. "Seriously?" he asks.

I nod. "It works."

He chuckles before reading the next line. "Mr. Buggy gets extra treats when he’s good?" He looks up at me. "You got a dog?" He asks confused.

"No, Mr. Buggy is her stuffed dragon..."

"So it’s a teddy bear and it gets treats?" he asks.

I sigh getting up. "You know what I’ll talk to mom instead..."

He stops me. "Tell me about it? This isn’t the first time I’ve watched Stella but this is the first time it’s over night. I didn’t realize there’s so much that she needs. It surprises me..." he says softly.

I sit back down and look at him, I explain about her nightmares, her nightlight, the way she likes her pancakes. Everything. I made sure I didn’t leave anything out.

Once we were done Cole looked at me. "So what about Carly?" he asks.

"What about her?" I ask confused.

"Do you trust her? I know she’s Stella’s mother but everything feels too pretty..." he looks at me as if to search my face for something.

"Of course I trust her. Carly hasn’t given me a reason not to trust her." I wasn’t lying Carly has been nothing but honest with me. Not once has she ever lied to me. Even when it seemed like it would end badly for her, she told me the truth. She confessed to being Stella’s biological mother even when she herself hated Stella’s biological mother for abandoning her.

"That’s interesting..." Cole says snapping me out of my thoughts.

I leaned back in my chair. "What do you mean?" I ask.

"You get this sparkle in your eyes when you speak about her. I say my big brother has a crush on Carly..." he teases.

I shake my head. "I respect her. Remember she’s going to be in my life for a very long time because she’s Stella’s mother..."

"Or because she’ll be your wife. You can deny it all you want, but you can’t hide the sparkle in your eyes big brother..."

I wanted to tell him he was speaking out of his ass, but I now remember the night we met. I remembered the way she made me feel. The way I felt lighter than I ever had before and now she was back and she was going to be a part of Stella’s life.

My life for a very, very long time. It didn’t matter how I felt about her as long as she was good to my daughter.

I’ve watched her with Stella, the way Stella whole face lights up when she’s around how I’m seeing more and more of her in Stella. Knowing Carly didn’t willingly abandon Stella brought me a sense of peace I didn’t know I needed.

"It’s not about..." I get cut off by my phone ringing.

I was about to ignore it when I saw it was Michael.

"Everything good?" I answer.

I’m met with silence. I chill runs down my spine. Dread settled in my chest.

"Michael?" I call out.

"Sir..." Michael’s voice came out strained.

"Did something happen?" I ask already standing on my feet.

"Something happened at the mall..." he sounds pained.

My legs went weak. "Did something happen to Carly and Stella?" my voice was barely a whisper.

"Carly and Stella has been taken." he says.

My ears felt like it was ringing. I didn’t think I heard him right.

There was no way... I just spoke to them. They were fine. Stella and Carly had just gotten their hair and nails done.

"What?" I ask tears already pooling in my eyes.

"I was called because Carly’s car was left in the parking garage both passenger and driver’s door were left open a concerned shopper called security and they called me when they realized it was Stella."

I couldn’t breathe. I was in disbelief. I couldn’t believe something had happened to my daughter.

"There were no witnesses. But the security footage shows four men grabbing them. Two grabbed Carly and the other two grabbed Stella. They were thrown in a van and drove off. It took like three minutes for them to subdue Carly and grab Stella."

My grip tightened around the phone. "Do we have nay leads?" I ask.

Could this be related to Carly’s past?

My eyes found Cole. "I’ll call every contact I have we’ll find them Chase..." he says already on the phone with someone.

I nod. Something cold settles inside of me. Like a light switches on. I push away the fear and terror I’m feeling. All I wanted now was to find my daughter.

"I’ve got people looking into it." Michael says.

"Call every contact we’ve got." I tell him.

"I’m already doing it." He says. I can hear him typing in the other side of the line.

"Do we have access to traffic cameras?" I ask.

"I’ve contacted the police chief, he is setting up roadblocks and checking every traffic light. They’re checking every toll booth, airports, even private airports and train stations. We’ll find them sir..." he says.

Cole grabs his keys. "I’m going over to mom’s house. I’m going to make sure she doesn’t find out.."

I nod. "Thank you..." I tell him.

He squeezes my arm before before rushing out of the office, his phone to his ear again.

I turned my attention back to Michael on the call. "Get every PI, or investigator we have on payroll." I order.

"On it..."

"I’ll meet you at the mall." I tell him.

I end the call and rush out of the office and to my car.

I needed to get my daughter back.

For the first in years. I prayed.

I prayed for my daughter’s safety.

The drive to the mall was pretty much a blur to me. I ran red lights, overtook cars and was speeding well above the speed limit.

By the time I got to the mall the police were already there.

Michael saw me and walked over.

The area around Carly’s car was already blocked off by the yellow police tape.

My eyes swept over Carly’s car. The back seat door was open and I saw two large stuffed animals on the seat.

It stabbed at my heart.

I couldn’t even imagine where my daughter might be. If she was hurt or worse crying out for me when I couldn’t even hear her.

My eyes fell on Stella’s shoe laying on the ground not far from the car.

The tears wanted to fall again, this time I closed my eyes and looked away. I couldn’t look at it.

"Here’s the footage..." Michael says.

I open my eyes and look at him.

He hands me a tablet.

The security footage begins to play and I watch...

Carly and Stella walking to the car, Carly strapping Stella in her placing the things from their cart in the trunk before getting in the car.

She gets back out again, and I see she forgot the keys in the trunk.

I watch as Carly’s grabbed from behind and tries to fight only for the man in front to grab her legs.

I watch her fight harder when Stella’s grabbed.

I watch my daughter be roughly thrown in the back of the van and Carly’s thrown right after.

The vans door slams shut and the van disappears from the screen.

I stared at the screen even though the video is done.

I couldn’t believe it.

I still remember how excited Carly was this morning about taking Stella to the mall to get herself and Stella a few things.

Was she right to be worried about the phone call? I just thought it was a empty threat.

"Could this have anything to do with Carly’s past?" I ask Michael.

He shakes his head. "I don’t think so. No one has tried to search for her. I kept alerts on her name but nothing so far..." he tells me.

I don’t say anything. There’s a lot of information Michael doesn’t know about yet.

"We’ve already ran a trace on the licence plate. It was stolen." he says.

"And the van?" I ask.

"Reported stolen yesterday." he says taking the tablet from me.

"This doesn’t sound like an opportunity. They must have been watching Stella and Carly..." I tell him.

He nods. "They tried searching for prints but found nothing..."

I rub a hand over my face. My head was killing me. My head was pounding like a someone was banging on my head with a hammer.

Michael’s phone rings, he answers it immediately.

I watch his face change and hope floods my system.

Then his face changes again and every instinct in me screams to cover my ears.

"Sir we found them..." he says softly.

Relief washes over me so hard I nearly lose all control over my body. But that only lasted for a second.

"We found them just outside of town, at a farmhouse. The farmhouse is on fire the fire fighters are putting out the fire now. And searching for them." he tells me.

It felt like the world tilted beneath my feet. And I collapsed to the ground my daughter was in a burning building.

Michael helped me up and into his SUV. Not them.

I prayed my daughter was safe. I prayed harder than I ever had in my life.

I couldn’t lose her. I couldn’t lose Stella.