They arrived at Deskmore Mansion, where all the workers were in a state of panic. They were searching the mansion and its surrounding areas for her. Mehul was crying loudly, his small voice growing hoarse from distress. In a rush of concern, Leon hurried in and saw Laya trying to comfort Mehul.
Leon approached them, saying, "Mumu..."
"Leon!" she exclaimed, running over and handing Mehul to him. "He's been crying, and we searched for Mira but found out she isn't here."
"Mumu... Mumu... Dada is here... don't cry." Leon gently kissed and patted Mehul, and slowly, the baby stopped crying.
"Laya, take Mumu outside. All this commotion might have scared him."
"Leon... sister-in-law..." Laya started to say.
"Don't worry, we'll keep you informed," Finn assured her. "Laya, I've called Mom. You should go to Hale House and stay there with Mumu."
"Finn, Mom and Dad are at the ancestral house, and I haven't informed them about Mira yet."
"Okay... I'll handle it," Finn replied.
Leon stormed up to the second floor, his heart pounding as he frantically searched her room for any clue about her disappearance. He tore open the drawers, each creak of the wood echoing in the silence, and found all her belongings intact. She hadn't run away—so where could she possibly be? Anxiety surged through him, and he leaned against the wall, nearly collapsing to the floor.
Just then, Finn entered the room. "Leon... maybe she just went out. I asked the steward and others, and they said the last time they saw Mira, she was with Mumu. She played with him in the afternoon and then put him to sleep."
Leon's brow furrowed. "Was there anything strange about her behavior?" Finn hesitated. "Yeah... today she was acting different from usual."
"How so?" Leon pushed, the tension in the air palpable.
"She was smiling and chatting with nearly everyone here. That's not like her at all."
"Smiling? Happy?" Leon's mind raced, piecing together the fragments of their last moments together. Suddenly, James burst into the room, laptop in hand, a determined look on his face.
"We've retrieved the CCTV footage from around the mansion," he informed them, urgency lacing his voice. They crowded around as he played the video, eyes glued to the screen. There she was, Mira, but something felt wrong. She exited the house bundled up tight, her demeanor unnaturally calm.
"Where could she possibly be heading, all wrapped up like that? It's not even winter," Leon murmured, unease creeping into his gut.
"Is she hiding something?" Finn suggested, his voice barely above a whisper.
At that moment, panic gripped Leon. He raced to Mira's wardrobe, rifling through her clothes with frantic energy. His heart sank as he realized something crucial was missing. "It's gone..." Leon gasped, his breath coming in short bursts.
"What? What's missing?" Finn pressed, eyes wide.
"The red dress..." Leon stammered.