When Love is a Question Mark
Chapter 94: Nightmare

Chapter 94: Nightmare

Timmy could see the same determination in the men’s eyes. They nodded, one of them saying, "We’ll get on it."

Timmy managed a tired, grateful smile. "Thanks," he said softly. But the weight of disappointment still hung on him as he made his way back to the small cottage where Samuel was.

When Timmy stepped inside, the soft sound of Samuel’s breathing was the first thing he noticed. Samuel was still asleep, his face relaxed, unaware of everything that had happened that night.

Timmy stood there for a moment, watching him, feeling his heart grow heavier. He didn’t know how he was going to tell Samuel that they hadn’t found James, that they had been mistaken.

Quietly, Timmy slipped into the room. He moved to a chair by the window and sat down, his body aching with exhaustion. He rested his head against the back of the chair and closed his eyes, but sleep wouldn’t come.

His mind was restless, running through the events of the night, replaying every moment over and over.

Back at the house, Zinnia had finally drifted off to sleep. She was curled up on the couch, her phone still in her hand. She hoped that when she woke up, Samuel would be there, and everything would be okay.

But her sleep was uneasy. She tossed and turned, her mind plagued by unsettling dreams.

In her nightmare, she saw Samuel drowning. The water was dark, churning around him, and he was struggling, fighting to stay above the surface. His hand reached out to her, but just as she was about to grab it, it slipped away, sinking into the murky depths.

Zinnia jolted awake, her breath coming fast, her heart pounding in her chest. For a moment, she just lay there, staring up at the dark ceiling, trying to shake off the lingering fear.

She reached for her phone, almost out of habit, and checked the time. It was past midnight.

She thought about calling Samuel, just to hear his voice, but she hesitated. Instead, she lay back down, her mind still buzzing, the uneasy feeling clinging to her.

Something felt terribly wrong, but she didn’t know what it was.

As the hours dragged on, exhaustion finally crept up on her, and she drifted off to sleep again. But it was a restless, fitful kind of sleep. Her mind kept churning, even as her body tried to rest.

Meanwhile, Timmy managed to doze off a little, but it was a light, uneasy sleep. He woke up before dawn, the faint light of early morning seeping through the window. He sat up, rubbing his eyes, feeling like he hadn’t rested at all.

His phone buzzed, snapping him out of his foggy state. It was a message from the men he had sent out the night before. They had found out more about the man at the villa.

Timmy quickly opened the report, his eyes scanning the words, trying to make sense of everything.

The man’s name was Marlo. His family had lived abroad for years, but a tragedy had struck them. His parents had died in a car accident, leaving him as the only survivor.

After the accident, Marlo had decided to come back to his grandparents’ house — the private villa where they had seen him.

Timmy read through the details slowly, taking it all in. Marlo had returned to his family’s home, seeking some kind of solace, but he had no connection to James. He just happened to resemble him.

It was a painful, bitter coincidence.

As Timmy absorbed the information, he heard movement from the room. Samuel was waking up, and Timmy’s stomach tightened. He knew he had to tell him the truth now.

Samuel sat up, stretching, still groggy from sleep. But the moment he opened his eyes, he was alert, his mind instantly going back to what he had been planning the night before.

"I need to find out about James," he said, his voice firm.

Timmy stepped forward, his hands clenched, his heart heavy. "Sir, wait," he said quietly. "There’s something you need to know."

Samuel’s eyes narrowed, confusion flickering across his face. "What is it?"

Timmy took a deep breath, trying to find the right words. "Last night... I sent some men to the villa. We thought we might have found James, but..."

He hesitated, watching Samuel’s expression carefully. "It wasn’t him. The man we saw wasn’t James. He just looked like him."

For a moment, Samuel didn’t react. He just stood there, staring at Timmy, as if he hadn’t heard him properly. "What?" he said, his voice barely more than a whisper.

Timmy nodded, swallowing hard. "I thought... I thought it was worth checking. I didn’t want to say anything until I was sure."

He paused, trying to gauge Samuel’s reaction. "The man’s name is Marlo. He came back to his family’s villa after his parents died. That’s all."

Samuel’s face was unreadable. He just stood there, silent, his eyes distant. Timmy could see the confusion, the pain, but there was something else there too — a kind of emptiness, as if Samuel didn’t know what to feel.

"I understand why you did it," Samuel said at last, his voice quiet. "You were trying to help."

Timmy’s shoulders slumped, relieved but still uncertain. "I’m sorry, Sir. I just... I thought it might lead to something."

Samuel’s lips twitched, a faint, bitter smile. "It’s okay," he said, though his eyes were clouded. "I just... I don’t know whether I should be relieved that we didn’t find James, or..." He trailed off, his thoughts tangled.

He turned away, staring out the window, his expression distant. Timmy could almost see the struggle going on inside him, the conflict between hope and fear, between wanting to find James and dreading what it might mean if they did.

After a long silence, Samuel finally spoke, his voice flat. "We should go back. I don’t want to worry Zinnia."

Timmy nodded, understanding. "I’ll book our flight," he said, reaching for his phone.

Samuel didn’t respond, just continued staring out the window, lost in his thoughts.

Back at the house, Zinnia stirred awake, her body stiff from sleeping on the couch. She glanced around, disoriented for a moment, before realizing Samuel hadn’t come home.

A wave of worry washed over her, but before she could dwell on it, her phone buzzed.

She reached for it, her heart skipping a beat when she saw Samuel’s name. His message was simple: I’m coming home soon. I hope you got some sleep. Sorry for missing dinner last night.

Zinnia’s heart eased a little. She typed a quick reply, her fingers trembling slightly. I’m glad you’re okay. I was worried. I didn’t sleep well, but I’ll be fine once you’re back. Let’s have lunch together?

Samuel’s reply came quickly. Of course. I’ll see you soon.

As Samuel looked at Zinnia’s reply, he felt a pang of guilt. He hadn’t told her about James, or the search.

Should he tell her when he returned?

He didn’t know. But he was running out of time to decide.