Amelia's point of view:
"Wow," I whispered, looking at the house in front of me.
No, not a house; it's a freaking mansion.
"Cool, right? One of the school basketball players, Toney, owns it," Frank said.
Nodding my head, I looked outside the window; I could see people moving, which made my heart race.
"You could just go; I'll wait here for you," I mumbled softly, looking at him with a smile.
Only to receive an eye rollback.
"Get your pretty ass out!" Frank ordered, hopping out of his car.
A sigh left my lips before whispering a little prayer.
I needed it; I needed the prayers.
Frank opened the door for me, his head tilted to the side.
"I'll protect you, Lia, just like I always do," he said softly.
Nodding my head, I wrapped my fingers in his.
Then hopped out.
"If anything goes wrong, I'm leaving," I stated.
"Whatever you say, boss," Frank said, making me giggle.
With that, we walked towards the entrance.
I could already feel people's eyes on us, watching our every move.
Maybe they are looking at Frank; he did look handsome today.
"They are staring," I whispered.
"Yeah, looking at your beautiful ass, now shush and let's go have fun," Frank whispered back.
He pushed the door open, and immediately the smell of sweat, alcohol, and smoke filled my nose.
"Disgusting," I mumbled looking around.
Frank let out a chuckle before shaking his head, then walked towards the kitchen.
"Let's get high!" He said loudly so I could hear through the loud music.
"That's not happening," I said back with a glance.
Was he crazy? My brother would go crazy if I came home drunk; Dad might even throw me out of his house.
"Have fun, Lia," Frank said with a pout, but I just shook my head.
He lets out a breath before grabbing an apple juice, and then an alcohol bottle.
I wonder why an apple juice is in there.
"Come on, let's go find my friends!" He mumbled, giving the apple juice to me.
Then wrapped his fingers in mine.
Walking out of the kitchen, I couldn't help but look at the two ladies sitting together.
They looked so pretty, like actual models.
Slime and skinny, just the way I wanted my body to look.
But that didn't work out.
One of the girls looked my way, her head tilted to the side.
What surprised me was when she smiled at me before waving.
My eyes wide out before giving her a smile, which made her giggle, then tapped her friend before pointing at me.
But before her friend would look at me, Frank pulled me out of the kitchen, making me pout at that.
We walked past a lot of people, mumbling apologies here and there.
Before walking towards a group of tall boys.
I felt my mouth drop slightly at how beautiful and handsome they all looked.
But again, I was scared, why was Frank leading me to all these scary men?
Before I could ask him.
Frankie yelled a greeting to one of the boys.
They all turned their heads towards him, more like us.
"Frank men, what took you so long?" One of them asked with a smile.
Then clapped Frank's hand he disconnected from mine.
"Went to grab my little sister, I didn't want her to be alone!" Frankie said before moving away so they could see me.
If you are wondering why he called me his little sister.
It's because we always act like siblings, and Frank said that way no one would bother me in my new school.
All the boys stared at me, making me feel insecure and shy.
"Aw, she looks like a panda," one of them mumbled with a smile.
I didn't know if that was a compliment or if it was another way to call me fat.
"Come on Lia, don't be shy," Frank said softly.
"These are my friends, that's Angelo, Alex, Toney, and Lucie," Frank introduced.
I smiled at them before mumbling a little hello, which was stupid because they couldn't hear me from the loud music.
The one standing by Frank, who I think was Alex, chuckled before mumbling something I couldn't get.
"Come on little Panda," Another one said.
"I'm Toney," He said softly, wrapping his arms around my waist, a gasp left my lips before blushing at that.
"You are going to make her scared, idiot," Another said with a deep frown, his head tilted to the side like he was observing me.
The last guy next to them said nothing and just stared at me.
Which only made me feel more uncomfortable because he is so pretty.
"You sure she talks?" Toney asked Frank who just rolled his eyes.
"If you don't talk, I won't get you ice cream anymore!" Frank said making my eyes wide out.
"That's so mean," I said while stomping my feet on the ground with a frown.
Still looking at Frank, I heard the group laugh.
Making me look away with a frown.
What was funny about this?
"Yep, definitely a panda!" Toney mumbled.
"Come on, let's go see the stars; this place is hot," Toney said.
I nodded my head, agreeing with him, it was hot, and I didn't want to sweat.
"Take care of her; I wanna go drink," Frank said softly looking at Toney.
He gave him a thumbs up still looking at me.
Before I could say anything, Frank and the other boys walked away.
The last guy stared at me before looking away when I tilted my head to the side.
But the only thing I understood was Frank left me with a stranger.
"What happened to 'I'll not leave your side'?" I asked softly with a frown.
"What?" Toney asked me.
Shaking my head, I looked at our fingers that were joined together.
A smile on my lips, sometimes it's nice having someone to hold.
We walked out of the room; Toney walked toward a garden.
"Is this your house?" I asked softly with a raised eyebrow.
"So you do speak, and yes, it's mine," he replied making me chuckle.
"You new here?" Toney asked quietly as we sat on the ground.
"Yeah, you could say that," I replied softly looking at the stars.
"Do me a favour, don't fall for one of my friends, especially Lucie; he can be a jerk sometimes," Toney mumbled with a frown.
Like he was thinking about something.
"I don't think anyone wants to date a fat person like me," I said quietly, a sad laugh leaving my lips.
"You ain't fat, I mean not like Gabby," he said softly.
"Who's that?" I asked.
"Someone that got bullied in our school because she was fat; she left this town and no one heard from her again," Toney said.
My eyes are wide out slightly.
"Was it that bad?" I whispered looking at him.
"Very bad, but don't worry, no one will disturb you, you got me and the others," Toney said with a smile before looking at the sky.
But for how long?
Mike’s Point of ViewThe walk to Jack’s house felt like an eternity. Each step weighed heavy, not just on my feet but on my soul. Apologizing to Jack felt like trying to piece together shards of glass it was bound to hurt, but it was necessary.For years, jealousy had consumed me. It wasn’t just the envy of his life or the love he shared with Nancy; it was the feeling of always being overshadowed, always living in the shadows of his happiness. I had convinced myself that his success and love life had stolen something from me. And because of that twisted perspective, I had made choices that I could never undo.But now, standing outside his door, I realized the only way forward was to own my mistakes and seek forgiveness, no matter how undeserving I felt.Jack opened the door, his face a mixture of surprise and guarded curiosity. He didn’t say anything at first, just stepped aside to let me in. I walked into the living room, memories flooding back good ones, ones I had tainted with
Angel’s Point of ViewI couldn’t stop pacing. My heart raced with every step, my mind playing out every worst-case scenario I could imagine. Ace had barely said a word since we returned home. The tension between us was suffocating, thick and unyielding.He sat in the living room, his elbows resting on his knees, staring at the floor as if it held all the answers to the chaos that had just unfolded. His silence was more terrifying than any argument we could have had.I watched him from the doorway, my chest tightening with guilt and fear. He hadn’t looked at me, hadn’t said anything about what Morana had revealed. It was as if he was retreating into himself, shutting me out completely.I couldn’t take it anymore.Tears blurred my vision as I turned and rushed to our bedroom. Shutting the door behind me, I sank to the floor, my back pressed against the cold wood. The tears came fast and uncontrollably, shaking my entire body.How could my father have done this? How could he have been r
Amelia's Point of ViewThe drive home was unusually silent. Ace and Angel had left in a hurry, no doubt to process everything privately. Meanwhile, I found myself in a car with my father and Uncle Nick, the two men who had just uncovered secrets that could have shattered us all.Lucie’s hand rested on mine, his thumb gently stroking the back of it in reassurance.I leaned into his warmth, grateful for his steady presence. Today had been a whirlwind, and I wasn’t sure how to feel about any of it.My mind kept circling back to Morana. Her confession had been shocking, but the CCTV footage… that was the nail in the coffin. Seeing everything play out, hearing the heated argument, and watching the chaos unfold—it was like stepping into a nightmare.The way my father had reacted, the guilt that had clouded his face when Morana revealed the truth, stuck with me. He looked like a man who had been running from his demons for years, only to find them waiting for him all along.We arrived at m
Mike’s Point of ViewThe weight of their stares bore down on me like a hammer. Their expressions were etched with disbelief, anger, and betrayal. I had known this day might come, but I wasn’t prepared for the crushing silence that filled the room. It was deafening, worse than any words they could have hurled at me.Angel’s tear-streaked face was the first to pierce through my defenses. Her voice, shaky but firm, broke the silence.“Dad…” she said, her tone trembling between sorrow and rage. “Please tell me this isn’t true.”I let out a breath, heavy with the burden I had carried for nearly two decades. My hands trembled as I clenched them into fists at my sides. There was no escape now, no more lies to hide behind.“It’s true,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. “I did it.”Gasps erupted around me, and I winced as if their collective shock were physical blows. My eyes darted to Angel again, hoping to find some semblance of understanding in her gaze, but all I saw was devast
Morana’s Point of ViewI stood there, my hands tucked into the pockets of my jacket, feeling the weight of everyone’s stares. The crisp afternoon air brushed against my skin, but it did nothing to cool the heat that burned in my chest. Eighteen years. I had waited eighteen years to speak the truth, and now, as I faced them, the moment felt heavier than I had imagined.Nick stood at the front, his expression hardened, but I could see the confusion in his eyes. He didn’t trust me he never had since that day. I couldn’t blame him. Not after what he saw.“Do you remember,” I began softly, my voice steady despite the chaos swirling inside me, “eighteen years ago when I told you to tell your brother to leave the country with Nancy and the kids?”Nick’s brow furrowed as he nodded, but his confusion deepened.“What does that have to do with anything?” he asked, his tone sharp, impatient.Letting out a slow breath, I turned my gaze to Mike. There he was the cause of all this pain. The man w
Uncle Nick’s Point of ViewThe morning air was crisp as I leaned against my desk, staring at the message on my phone for the hundredth time. Morana’s words haunted me:"I’m tired of hiding. Bring your family and meet me at this spot by 4 PM. I’ll come clean and tell you my part of the story."The text felt unreal, almost like a trick, but it was our first solid lead in years. Was this truly the end of our search? Could we finally put all of this behind us?Yet, I couldn’t shake the unease. Why now? Why after so many years of silence? And why would she want us all there?I pocketed my phone and made my way to the living room, where Ace and Amelia were already waiting. They both looked tense, their eyes betraying a mix of anticipation and distrust. Lucie stood beside Amelia, his protective stance clear as day. Angel sat close to Ace, her presence a calming force in the storm that brewed between us.Then there was Mike Angel’s father. He had been jittery since the message came through,