Sophia's POV I stood in the doorway of the small bedroom, watching Carmen stare at Marcus and me on the bed. Her face showed confusion first, then suspicion. Perfect. "Carmen, this is my sister Isabella and Sophia," Marcus said quickly, standing up. "The women I told you about. The ones who survived Victor with me." Carmen's eyes moved from Marcus to me, then to Isabella. "Your sister? You didn't mention that before." "I told you Isabella helped me," Marcus said. "I guess I didn't make it clear she was family." Isabella stood up with a slight limp. "Thank you for giving us shelter. Marcus told us about your generosity." I stayed sitting on the bed, watching Carmen carefully. This was a critical moment. If she thought there was something romantic between Marcus and me, she might kick us all out. But if I played this right, I could use her jealousy to make her trust Marcus even more. "I'm Sophia," I said, touching the scar on my cheek in what I hoped looked like a nervous gestur
Carmen's POV I stared at Marcus across Dr. Parker's apartment, my coffee growing cold in my hands. The anger I carried for three years sat in my chest like a stone, heavy and sharp. "I'm not doing this for you," I said again, making sure he understood. "I'm doing this because Elena deserves to pay." "I understand," Marcus said quietly. "Do you? Because three years ago, you told me you loved me. You told me we had a future together. And then you disappeared with my money and left me with nothing." Marcus looked down at his hands. "Carmen, I know—" "No, you don't know." I set my coffee cup down harder than I meant to. "You don't know what it's like to lose everything because you trusted the wrong person. You don't know what it's like to sleep in your car because you can't afford rent. You don't know what it's like to feel stupid every single day for believing someone's lies." Dr. Parker shifted uncomfortably in his chair but stayed quiet. "You're right," Marcus said. "I don't kn
Marcus' POV I climbed the stairs to the third floor of Riverside Apartments, my heart racing with each step. The building was exactly what I expected. It had peeling paint, broken tiles and the smell of mold and cigarettes was hanging in the air. This was where my old friend James ended up after Elena destroyed his career. Apartment 3B was at the end of a dimly lit hallway. I paused outside the door, listening for any sounds that might indicate danger. But this was James' place, and I trusted him completely. I knocked softly on the door. "Marcus?" came James' voice from inside. "It's me." I heard the sound of multiple locks being undone, and then the door opened. James looked like a shadow of the confident doctor I remembered. He was thinner, older, with gray streaks in his hair and deep lines around his eyes. But when he saw me, his face lit up with genuine joy. "Marcus! My God, look at you." James pulled me into a tight hug. "I can't believe you're really here." "I can't bel
Marcus' POV I held the payphone receiver against my ear, my heart pounding as Dr. Parker's voice came through the static. "I think we need to talk," he said. "Yes," I agreed. "We do." There was a long silence on the other end of the line. I could hear him breathing, could almost feel him weighing his options. "Who is this really?" Dr. Parker asked finally. I had planned for this moment, but now that it was here, I felt nervous. Everything depended on how I handled the next few minutes. "Someone who needs to discuss Elena Martinez," I said, disguising my voice slightly by speaking lower than usual. "That could be a lot of people," Dr. Parker replied, but I could hear caution in his tone. "Not many people know the details of what happened three years ago. The fake death certificate. The drug you used. The plan we made together." There was a sharp intake of breath on the other end. "Marcus?" Dr. Parker's voice was suddenly urgent, hopeful. "Marcus, is that really you?" I felt
Marcus’ POV I sat on a broken crate behind a convenience store, watching Sophia count the few crumpled bills we collected from our latest pickpocketing run. The money wasn't much, but it would buy us food for another day. "Twelve dollars and thirty-seven cents," Sophia announced, her voice flat with exhaustion. "Better than yesterday," I said, though we all knew it wasn't enough. Isabella was at her dishwashing job at Mama Rosa's, the only legitimate income any of us had. But her minimum wage couldn't support all three of us, and we couldn't keep living like this forever. "We need a real plan," Sophia said, tucking the money into her jacket. "This isn't sustainable." I nodded, but my mind was already working on something else. Something that had been forming in my head for days now. "I've been thinking about Dr. Parker," I said. "The doctor who helped us fake your death?" Sophia looked at me like I was crazy. "Marcus, that was years ago. He's probably in prison or something."
Isabella's POVI stared at my reflection in the cracked mirror of the public restroom, adjusting the secondhand blouse I bought from a thrift store yesterday. The money came from wallets Marcus, Sophia and I stole from unsuspecting people. That was one skill Victor taught us that now kept us from starving.The clothes weren't perfect, but they were clean and made me look almost normal again. The simple white blouse covered the scars on my arms which would likely scare people away."This has to work," I whispered to myself, splashing cold water on my face.Marcus and Sophia were back at our hiding spot under the bridge, but we couldn't stay there anymore. We were slowly starving despite the wallets we stole, and someone needed to do something about it."You're the only one who can get work," Marcus said this morning. "Sophia and I are too recognizable. We were all over the news as the duo that committed fraud. But your involvement was never mentioned."He was right. When they investig