Lena woke up groggy after her business trip. Her husband, Paul, and stepfather to their daughter, Maddie, was still asleep beside her.

She slipped out of bed and headed to the kitchen, following her usual morning routine despite the exhaustion from her trip. Once breakfast was ready, she went to Maddie’s room.

«Time to get up, honey!» Lena called out, but her voice faltered when she saw Maddie’s bed was perfectly made.

Lena checked the bathroom, but Maddie wasn’t there. Everything in her room was neat, which was unusual. She searched the entire house, the backyard, and the garden, but there was no sign of Maddie.

Maddie had a rebellious streak. She had sneaked out before and attended parties without permission, but this felt different. Lena’s gut told her something was terribly wrong.

«Paul, wake up!» Lena shook her husband. «Maddie’s missing!»

«Let me sleep, Lena,» Paul mumbled, still half-asleep. «She’s probably with her friends. Don’t worry.»

«This isn’t like her, Paul. Her room is spotless!»

Paul dismissed her concerns and went back to sleep. Lena, increasingly anxious, went downstairs, hoping Maddie would walk through the door any minute.

Suddenly, her phone buzzed with a message.

«If you want your daughter alive, bring $100,000 to the address below…»

Lena’s world spun. She wanted to believe it was a nightmare, but it was all too real.

With shaking hands, she called the police. They arrived quickly. As they were discussing the situation, Paul finally came downstairs, irritated.

«What’s going on, Lena? Why are the cops here?»

«Someone’s kidnapped Maddie!» Lena replied, her voice shaking. «They’re demanding ransom.»

«Are you sure this isn’t one of her pranks?» Paul asked skeptically.

«It’s not a prank, Paul! We have to find her!»

The police, Lena, and Paul went to Maddie’s room.

«Anything missing?» Detective Collins asked.

«The carpet!» Lena realized. «It’s not here.»

«Any idea about that?» Detective Collins asked Paul.

«Uh, yeah, I took it to the dry cleaner,» Paul said.

Detective Collins noted it down. «I’ll need the address.»

«I’ll get it,» Paul said, leaving the room.

As the detectives continued their search, Lena’s phone buzzed again. She turned pale as she read the message.

«What is it?» Detective Collins asked. She handed him the phone, and he read aloud.

«If you involve the cops, you’ll never see your daughter again.»

«Let’s proceed with caution, Mrs. Greene,» Detective Collins suggested. «We can set up a sting operation around the drop-off location. It’s our best shot at catching the kidnapper and getting your daughter back.»

«No!» Paul argued as he returned with the address. «It’s too risky. Let’s just pay the ransom.»

«But what if they take the money and run?» Lena countered. «I trust the detectives.»

Paul reluctantly agreed. Undercover officers would be stationed around the drop-off point.

As Lena drove to the designated location with the ransom, her thoughts were consumed by Maddie. She just wanted her daughter back.

Lena parked near the park mentioned in the message and followed the instructions, placing the money under an oak tree. She then watched from her car, glancing nervously at Detective Collins, who was positioned discreetly nearby.

Hours passed, but no one came to collect the money. The park emptied as night fell. Detective Collins approached Lena’s car.

«I think you should head home, Mrs. Greene. The kidnapper might have gotten spooked.»

Lena was devastated. The drive home was a blur. When she returned to Maddie’s room, she saw the carpet was back. Paul stood there, looking oddly relieved.

«Doesn’t it look brand new?» he asked.

Lena knelt to touch it. Maddie had picked it out herself months ago, thrilled when they brought it home.

«How could it look this new?» Lena wondered aloud.

«A good cleaner can work wonders,» Paul replied quickly, too quickly. Lena’s suspicions began to grow, but the pain of her missing daughter was overwhelming.

Ten years went by. With no leads, the police closed the case. Everyone seemed to move on except Lena. She entered an advertising agency, clutching faded photos of Maddie.

«I want to rent some billboards,» she told the receptionist, Anna.

«How many?» Anna asked with a sympathetic smile.

«As many as I can afford.»

Touched by Lena’s story, Anna offered a discount. They settled on three billboards along the busiest highways, featuring Maddie’s photo and the message «Forever missed, forever loved,» with a hotline number.

Each time Lena saw the billboards, hope flickered within her. Her friends and family thought she needed closure, but Lena didn’t seek peace; she wanted her daughter back.

One day, during another argument over the billboards, Paul snapped. «We’ve drained our savings, Lena! All because of these ads!»

«So?» Lena shot back. «Should I just forget Maddie? I want to keep her memory alive!»

Their argument was interrupted by a knock on the door. Lena opened it to find a young woman who needed no introduction.

«Maddie!» Lena cried, embracing her. «You’re home!»

«Yes, Mom, I’m back,» Maddie replied, holding a rolled-up carpet. «This is all I had, Mom. I kept it.»

«Who’s there?» Paul called from inside. He paled when he saw Maddie.

«What’s wrong, Paul?» Maddie sneered. «See a ghost? He’s the one responsible for my disappearance, Mom!» she accused.

«That’s nonsense!» Paul protested.

«Come inside, Maddie,» Lena said. Maddie entered, and Lena shut the door, looking between her daughter and husband, demanding an explanation.

«She’s lying, Lena!» Paul shouted. «Don’t believe her!»

«Tell me everything, Maddie!» Lena insisted.

Maddie recounted how, while Lena was on a business trip, Paul had made inappropriate advances towards her. When she tried to escape, she accidentally hit her head and blacked out. Panicked, Paul had wrapped her in the carpet and dumped her in a river, assuming she was dead. Fishermen had found her, and a kind family had taken her in, but she had lost her memory until she saw the billboards.

«Stop it, Maddie!» Paul yelled. «You’re tearing us apart!»

Lena had enough. She called the police, who took Paul in for questioning. A DNA test confirmed the blood on the carpet was Maddie’s. Confronted with the evidence, Paul confessed, revealing he had staged the kidnapping to get Lena’s money.

Months later, Paul was sentenced to prison. Lena and Maddie were finally free, with only each other to lean on.

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