Inheritance Redefined

Chapter Thirty-Three

The sunlight had begun to soften as the three girls wandered along the edge of the lake, the leaves dappling the path with shifting patterns of gold and green. Anastasia skipped ahead, pointing out every little thing that looked interesting. Olivia stayed close to Elara, whispering reassurances about not getting too far.

Then a spider dropped from a branch directly in front of Elara. She froze, a shriek tearing from her throat. Before she could think, she turned and sprinted off the path, branches scraping her arms and legs.

"Elara!" Anastasia cried out, chasing after her with Olivia hot on her heels.

The familiar trail quickly vanished beneath twisting roots and thick undergrowth. The forest grew quieter, the lake shrinking behind the girls like a forgotten world.

After a few more minutes of running, they finally caught up to Elara. "Sorry I freaked out, I just hate spiders."

"We need to–wait, where is the path?" Olivia gasped, stopping to catch her breath.

Anastasia spun around, her usual grin faltering. "I… I don't know. I think we just... Oh no, we're completely lost."

Hours passed as the girls wandered in circles, the sun dipping lower and shadows stretching long across the forest floor. Their laughter had faded into quiet murmurs of frustration and nervous glances.

Back at the manor, initial calm masked quiet assumption. Everyone believed the girls were in Elara's room, perhaps chatting or resting. Elias and Orion, growing suspicious, went and checked the rooms.

After a few minutes the boys stormed to Alessandro's office.

"They're not there, the girls," Elias said sharply, his brows furrowed.

Orion's eyes widened. "Not in any of the rooms. Their phones are gone too."

Alarm rippled through the adults. Alessandro's hand tightened on the back of his chair, Leonidas and Sergei exchanged a glance that said that this wasn't a game.

"Check the lake," Salvatore ordered. "Elara's phone's last signal show somewhere past the trees."

The older brothers and heads of the families knew that section of the woods was rugged, with dense underbrush, steep banks, and hidden streams.

The thought of their precious girls out there unprotected set their nerves on edge.

---

Back among the trees, the forest had darkened, the golden sunlight replaced by fading twilight. The girls were quiet now, their energy spent. Elara's legs ached, her throat dry, even Anastasia's bold grin had softened into weariness.

"I think… we've gone too far left, or was it right? I don't know anymore," Olivia whispered, her voice trembling.

Elara sank onto a mossy patch, trying to steady her breathing. "I didn't mean to… I just–" She swallowed hard. "I really didn't mean to run like that."

Anastasia sat down beside her, brushing dirt from her jacket. "It's fine Lara. We just… have to find a way back before it gets really dark."

Every direction looked the same. The laughter and excitement all felt like distant memories. Only the soft rustle of leaves and the fading light reminded the girls that the woods had become a place of caution, not fun. Not anymore.

Elara's fingers trembled slightly as she touched a leaf, the moisture from the forest clinging cold and damp. "Maybe… maybe we should just stay put?" she suggested, voice barely audible.

Olivia nodded, sliding down to sit beside her. "Yeah… at least we'll be easier to find if someone comes looking."

Anastasia sighed, a low, resigned sound. "We should have stayed on the path. I thought we had enough  time before the sun set…"