The Storms

Chapter Two

Damien Storm was looking at a picture. It was a cherished photograph of him with the twins, the joyous moments frozen in time. Blake clung to his left leg, while Brielle nestled on the other side. A small tear traced down Damien's face, an involuntary expression of the deep yearning and pain that had haunted him in their absence.

He missed them immensely, and every day without them felt like an eternity. The wound in his heart had been inflicted by the actions of his selfish wife who had callously taken them away from him.

His family, once a cohesive unit, had been shattered. Determined to reunite his broken family, Damien spared no effort. He had established a special team, committed to the relentless pursuit of finding Blake and Brielle. Each day brought new leads, new hopes, and a steadfast determination that fueled his tireless quest. Yet, the void left by their absence persisted, a constant ache in his heart.

A knock on the door interrupted Damien's contemplation. "Sir," Ethan, his lead investigator, announced.

"Come in," Damien responded in a cold voice, wiping away the tear. The room, typically a place of authority, now bore the weight of a father's anguish.

"Sir, we found something," Ethan began. "There has been a woman and her husband under our investigation for a while. We had reason to believe he was running a drug ring. So we stormed his house."

Eager to know more, Damien inquired, "What did you find?"

"I think you'll want to call the boys," Ethan hinted, knowing the gravity of the revelation.

"Ok," Damien said, his hand trembling slightly as he reached for his phone. He sent out a group chat, summoning everyone to his office. Soon, his kids gathered, a mix of concern and anticipation etched on their faces. Ethan, always wary of the brothers, masked his fear with a brave demeanor.

"We found something on the twins," Damien declared, and an uneasy tension settled over the room.

"What, Father?" Vincent asked, the gravity of the situation palpable in his voice.

"I'll let Ethan explain," Damien said, directing the attention towards his lead investigator.

Ethan took a deep breath before divulging the shocking information. "We had a lead on your mother. She changed her name to Bertha Stone. She married a guy named Kaiden Johnson. They were said to have a perfect family. They had two kids with them from what we saw. When we had enough information, we stormed the house."

The room fell into a stunned silence. It was Jonathan, the youngest, who broke the oppressive stillness. "Are they okay?"

"Yes, but," Ethan hesitated, interrupted by the urgent inquiries of the brothers.

"But what? Why are we not going to them?" Victor asked, his concern masked by a steely determination.

"There's something you should know," Ethan continued, preparing them for the harsh reality that awaited.

"What?" Damien pressed.

"They seemed to have a hard life. When we stormed the house, they were in the basement with chains around their legs. From what we gathered, they were punished for every little mistake. Your daughter, Miss Brielle, had a set of rules called 'how to be a perfect girl.' Mr. Blake had a set of rules on how to be a perfect boy."

The room grew heavy with the weight of this revelation. Vincent's voice, now cold, cut through the air, "What would happen if you broke these rules?"

"They would be punished. Not allowed to eat or be hit by a belt. We don't know what else. They were also taught from a young age not to show emotion," Ethan disclosed, his voice heavy with sadness.