CHAPTER 32SARAH'S POVShe called me! That was progress!It meant she had believed me, even if it's just a little. The fact that she asked to see me alone was proof that she was curious enough to hear me out.When she had passed out two days ago, I had cautiously slipped my number in her pocket before she was rushed to the hospital. Of course I wasn't allowed to follow so that was the only way I could contact her, but I wasn't sure she would find it. Even if she did, I didn't think she would call me.I was excited when I picked up the phone and heard her voice on the other line. "Can we meet up?" She had asked. "I've got questions."I could hear it in her voice. Her confusion, anxiety, fear. She must have had her doubts all these years.I came down from the cab and stood in front of the restaurant she had picked out. She said she would be there waiting for me. I pushed the door open and scanned the tables, looking for a glimpse of her."Sarah?" Her familiar voice called and I spun
CHAPTER 33LORENA'S POVThis scene was all too familiar, it felt like déjá vu. Getting kidnapped was starting to be part of my everyday life and it sucked. One minute I was walking around to clear my head before heading back home and the next minute, I was being forced into a car with people who looked just as scary as Andrew's men.I didn't have it in me to scream and fight because I had already exhausted my energy fighting with Andrew so after my initial resistance , I just sat down and let them take me. If they were taking me somewhere, I would understand the reason for it later.They stopped in front of a large gate and honked. The gates slid open granting access to the Audi Q7 SUV. The smell of freshly cut grass greeted my nostrils and the chirping of birds made it seem like I'd entered a story book castle, like Cinderella or something. My jaws literally dropped when the car glided inside, revealing stone walls and marble floors.The paved driveway extended twenty feet before rea
CHAPTER 34ANDREW'S POV I didn't expect this stunt from my father but then again, he was never predictable. I knew he wouldn't like the idea of another woman being near me because he had been trying to get Trisha and I be together. Even though I had told him I wasn't interested, he didn't show any signs of giving up. He always wanted to have his way, every fucking time.I had seen him control my brother's life like that and Alex was so keen on pleasing him so he became a puppet. I swore I would never be one. I loved and respected my father, but there were lines I wouldn't let him cross. This was one of them."We're leaving." I said to Lorena, pulling her along. My father's men stood in front of me, stopping me from leaving."What is it about this woman that you're not telling me? If she is merely collateral for her father's debt like you say, then there's no reason you should refuse my mercy. I said she doesn't need to pay me anymore." He repeated."This isn't about you father. You m
CHAPTER 35ARIANA'S POVI developed a phobia for water years ago. I never went near a pool, not even the one in the compound. I didn't like taking long walks on the beach either. Damian had tried to make me do that several times but I was always too scared of the water.I had no idea why. My doctor told me it could be the result of past trauma that had something to do with water but how could I develop that problem when I didn't even remember the traumatic experience that led to it? I remembered nothing about the accident in Cuba. I only heard about it from my family. I didn't remember being on a boat and I definitely didn't remember being with a baby. Somehow, my family never mentioned a child when they talked about the accident.But I had had dreams about it, vague and fleeting. I almost never remembered them when I woke up but I'd notice my cheeks stained with tears every time and my hands shaking.So when Sarah told me about a baby, I didn't think she was crazy or that she was a f
CHAPTER 36JONATHAN'S POVWorking has been my coping mechanism. It was the only way I had survived and the only thing in my life that I had control over. Being the heir to three generations of wealth and a chain of companies, a lot was expected of me and I dared not rebel. It had been that way since I was little. My parents began to groom me to take over the business when I started to walk. They taught me how to talk, the people to meet, friends to keep, how to think, even how to dress, anything that would make me into someone who'd be worthy to handle the business after my father. They made sure to drum it into my skull that all eyes were on me and I obeyed. It hadn't helped that I was an only child. So I'd buried myself in my studies and made sure to accomplish impressive feats. I didn't date a lot in high school and in college because I didn't want to get distracted. I strived to make my father proud. And he was proud of me, until he wasn't.I met someone I liked when I took over t
CHAPTER 37HAVANA, CUBA.ZOILA'S POVRagged breaths, adrenaline rush, sweaty bodies and open mouthed breathless gasps.I loved these kinds of chase. I loved the thrill it gave me and the satisfaction after catching who I was after, and I always caught them. My colleagues called me the Cheetah because I'd caught more criminals on foot than others had done on moving cars and I never stopped running until I'd got them.Our footsteps echoed on the wet tarred road and splashes were made where my foot stomped. He was a few feet away from me but I was gaining on him."Keep an eye out Suarez, he's making his way through the street." I said to my partner through my walkie talkie."Be careful Martinez. He's got a weapon.""Well, so do I." I replied and increased my pace."Get away from me, you creep!" The culprit yelled, pushing trash cans and anything he could find to stall me. But this wasn't my first rodeo, I flew over them with ease and dodged whatever else he hurled at me."Stop running Ar
CHAPTER 38ANDREW'S POVI wanted to fill Alex's shoes when he died. I wasn't interested in my father's business so I lived a carefree life knowing Alex was there to handle things, and he was good at it. He never had any problems dealing with gamblers and druggies, he never hesitated to send his men after you when you didn't meet up a deadline the for payment of your loan, he didn't have any problems with becoming more and more like Dad. I did.While I went to parties and traveled the world being the family's prodigal son, Alex stayed and worked hard. I didn't live like that because I wanted to, I just didn't want to do business that way. I had other plans.I wanted a clean, legal business. One that didn't support drug dealing, cheating people on the gambling tables and victimizing the poor debtors with exuberant interests on their loan. I wanted a business out of the streets. But that was father's life and he was slowly sucking Alex into it.And then Alex died.His death put me on th
CHAPTER 39ANDREW'S POV.Lorena had mentioned that she hadn't been to many places. Her parents must have been so protective and strict with her, probably to protect her from her father's creditors. What kind of life had she lived exactly? She said she had been homeschooled too.Was that why there weren't any records of her? I was curious. She wasn't registered, that meant no birth certificate, no identity, nothing. Or was she an immigrant?There was no record of her being adopted so her parents had to be her biological parents. I wanted to understand all of this but I had no idea how to approach her and ask. There was so much to Lorena Tanner, and I was going to unravel her.I asked her to meet me here because I knew she hadn't really experienced what it was like to have a fun time with friends, party, dance, get drunk even or just share a laughter.I had no idea why, but I wanted to do these things for her. I wanted to make her laugh, take her dancing and show her the world she hadn'