Stefan''s jaw clenched. His fists trembled at his sides. He couldn''t stop the worst-case scenarios from crashing into his mind. Ruby tied up somewhere. Ruby bleeding. Ruby calling for him. Ivy trying to hurt her.

    His chest heaved, the panic wing at him. He couldn''t afford to think like that. He couldn''t afford to fall apart now.

    He had to stay sharp.

    He had to get her back.

    But deep down, a part of him—terrified and wounded—kept whispering… What if you''re already toote?

    Walter''s eyes flicked to Stefan, catching the torment in his expression. "We''re going to find her. Ivy won''t get far."

    But Stefan barely heard him. His thoughts were with Ruby.

    The woman he loved.

    The mother of his unborn child.

    And she had been taken, right from under his watch.

    "I was right there," he murmured, his voice breaking. "I was right beside her."

    "She''s tough, Stefan," Rayna whispered, her voice trembling. "She''ll hang on. We''ll get her back. This isn''t the time to me yourself. We have to find her as soon as possible."

    "Yes, you''re right. This isn''t the time." Stefan turned toward Ethan. "We have to search this building. Ivy''s not going to stop and we can''t wait till the police finds her."

    If Ivy had gotten this close… then Ruby was in more danger than any of them had feared.

    Walter''s radio crackled as more officers spread out through the hospital. His jaw was set, but his tone carried the weight of grim reality.

    "Look, I understand what you''re going through but right now, searching this building will take time and we don''t have much time," Walter said, scanning the hallway like he was already calcting all the ces someone could hide. "If she''s still in here, we''ll find her. But if she''s not…" His voice trailed for a beat, and his eyes locked with Stefan''s. "What do you think might''ve happened to her by the time we''ve searched everywhere and start searching elsewhere after wasting so much time?"

    Stefan''s heart dropped like a stone, heat flooding his chest. His hands curled into fists at his sides. "So what are you saying, Detective? That we just stand here and wait while she''s—" He stopped himself, his throat tight. "While she''s out there? You already said it, we don''t have much time!"

    Walter didn''t flinch. "I''m saying there''s another way to move faster. We check the CCTV footage."

    Rayna''s brow furrowed at his words. "But it was dark when she was taken. How would we even see where she went—or who took her?"

    "Exactly," Ethan cut in, frustration sharpening his words. "The ckout killed the lights. The cameras wouldn''t have been working either."

    Walter shook his head firmly, looking from one person to the other. "Actually, I already spoke to hospital management earlier when I was making sure we''d catch Ivy if she showed up to see her mother after Regina''s death. They assured me the cameras here run on a separate battery supply. They''re not connected to the general power grid. Even in a ckout, they''re still recording. Besides, we''d see who hade in and if they''d left with her at all. There are cameras at every point in the hospital."

    Stefan stepped forward, urgency radiating from every movement. "Then what the hell are we standing here for? Let''s go. I don''t trust Ivy one bit—and every second we waste is another second Ruby''s in her hands and in actual danger. I can''t lose her, please."

    Walter gave a short nod and gestured for them to follow. "Security room''s on the second floor. Stay close."

    Stefan didn''t need to be told twice. His strides were long, purposeful, but inside his chest, his heart was pounding so hard he could hear it in his ears.

    Rayna and Ethan kept pace, their footsteps echoing down the hallway as Walter led them toward the stairs.

    All Stefan could think was: If we can see her on those cameras, we''ll know where to go. We''ll know how to get her back.

    And if they didn''t?

    The thought threatened to rip him apart.

    They moved quickly, shoes striking the polished tile, passing nurses whispering in corners and officers scanning doorways. The fluorescent lights hummed above them, a cruel contrast to the chaos in Stefan''s chest. Every step brought him closer to the stairs—closer to an answer—but his mind wouldn''t stop.

    He kept hearing Ruby''s scream, the sound of her hand tearing away from his, the ckness swallowing her.

    Then another thought hit him like a gut punch. What if she''s still here, hidden away somewhere? What if they waste precious minutes walking to the security room while she''s locked in a storage closet or abandoned wing?

    Stefan slowed, then stoppedpletely before they reached the second-floor hallway.

    "What is it?" Ethan asked, forcing Walter and Rayna to halt.

    Stefan turned to face them, his eyes sharp but haunted. "You all go check the cameras. I''m not waiting until you''ve watched the footage before searching. I''ll check the storage rooms, the abandoned wards—anywhere someone could hide her. I need to find her now, not after we''ve wasted time."

    Walter studied him, clearly wanting to argue, but saw the fire in Stefan''s eyes and decided against it. "Alright."

    "I''ll go with you," Rayna said instantly, before Stefan could refuse.

    He gave a short nod.

    Ethan''s jaw tightened—he wanted to go with them to protect Rayna—but deep down, he knew finding Ruby was the only way to protect them all. Ruby was Rayna''s best friend.

    "Take care of yourself, babe," he said, his voice low but firm.

    Rayna nodded once, then turned with Stefan. Their footsteps faded in the opposite direction, driven by the same thought burning in both their minds:

    Find Ruby. Now. Before it''s toote.

    Away from there, Ruby''s eyes fluttered open to a dim, stale-smelling room. The air was heavy, almost suffocating. She blinked several times before her vision cleared, the cracked ceiling above her swimming into focus. She was lying on a thin, creaky bed.

    Her brow furrowed in confusion. Why… why was I asleep?

    Just as the question came to mind, everything came rushing back—the sudden ckout. The chaotic shuffle of bodies. Someone bumping into them. That sharp prick in her arm. Her own startled scream. And then… nothing but darkness.

    Her stomach twisted, hoping it wasn''t what she was thinking it was. How long had she passed out and why was Stefan still not here? Wasn''t she still at the hospital?

    Her gaze darted around. The walls were stained, the floor coated in dust. Abandoned. Forgotten. Where am I? Was this an abandoned ward or.....

    "Well, well, well…"

    Ruby''s heart jumped at the voice and all her thoughts ceased. She turned her head sharply to confirm what she knew.