Clara's father sat slumped in the leather sofa , his eyes staring blankly into space . His son , Ethan , had to call his name several times to pull him back to reality . " What are you thinking about ? " Ethan's voice was heavy with exhaustion . His father startled . " Any luck getting through to Clara ? " Ethan shook his head . " Still off . It's been four days . " " This isn't like her . " His father's fingers drummed restlessly on the arm of the sofa . The day Clara signed the transfer papers and arranged Olivia's room , she had just vanished . No goodbye , no explanation . She had simply vanished . The old Clara would never have done this . She might get angry , give them the silent treatment , but she would never disappear completely . Unless … something had happened to her . Her father sat up straight . " How long has Clara been gone , exactly ? " Ethan rubbed his temples . " Four days . Four whole days . " A knot of dread tightened in his father's chest . The next morning , the father drove straight to the seaside villa . " Has Clara been back ? " he demanded the moment he burst through the door . Hailey poked her head out of the kitchen , clearly startled : " No ! She probably went on vacation , right ? " Her father's brow furrowed . Clara would never disappear for four days without a word . He was about to leave when Hailey called out to him . " Dad , I wanted to talk about the studio … " her voice was tentative . " I'll need some startup capital to take over the literary business , about a million dollars . Do you think … " " We'll discuss it when Clara gets back , " he snapped , before practically fleeing the villa . Behind him , Hailey bit her lip , a flash of panic in her eyes . Things were spiraling out of control . Her gut feeling had been right . Her father's attitude towards her had changed .