August 22, 2024. Chapter 1-2.
"Leni was here earlier," Charles revealed on the phone. "She came to pick up the rest of her things.""How did you feel about seeing her again?" Riley inquired as she exited her car. She had just arrived home from checking the Adley store when her father called."I was okay. I feel sorry for Leni, but she really needs to stand on her own two feet now," Charles described. "She begged me to help her get another endorsement.""Oh, " Riley said, making a face. "You are right, then. She does need to learn to stand on her own."Quickly shifting the discussion, she reminded, "Adrian and I will be in Dowel tomorrow. You said the results for the DNA test would be out by then, right?"Yes, they had, in fact, exhumed Raelyn's body. It had already been ten days since Ramona had dropped the big bomb on them, and it had been seven days since they had dug up Raelyn's remains. Despite waiting for the test, they had already begun searching for other properties that belonged to Calvin, Ramona, or any o
Riley observed her father as he scanned the results, his face draining of color before a storm of anger erupted. His voice trembled with fury as he exclaimed, “Calvin, how could you?!”Charles’ hand trembled as he turned to Riley. He revealed, “Riley, the person in your mother’s tomb did not match your DNA, nor did it have any match to Renee!”“That means Ramona could be telling the truth,” Riley muttered. “And my mother could still be alive?”“Oh, my goodness, my sister is alive,” Renee remarked. She almost fainted at the news that Anthony supported her weight. “Are you okay?” Anthony asked, and Renee balanced herself again with her walking crane. “Dad,” Riley cried out, rushing into her father’s arms and holding him close. “I know this is devastating, but on the bright side, Mom might still be alive!”Charles nodded as tears stung his eyes. He pulled away and said, “We need to find your mother as soon as possible.”“We will double our search and use all our resources,” Adrian offe
No one opened the gates. The police were forced to enter the premises by force. Charles, Adrian, and Riley were instructed to wait outside after the authorities had cleared the house. Ben also stayed behind, and Ramona was kept inside the car with a police officer guarding her. "This is nerve-wracking," Riley said while waiting by the car. Adrian put his arm around her and said, "Any minute now."When Riley turned to her father, she saw him equally anxious. Charles was taking deep breaths, his hand resting on his chest. After an hour, one police officer exited the gate and announced, "No one is here. The place is a mess. It looks like they were in a hurry to leave."Riley sighed with a heavy heart. She felt devastated that it had resulted in a dead end. Tears immediately stung her eyes as Riley felt her chest congesting. She almost lost her balance if Adrian had not held her. "No," Charles said. He panted as he walked towards the house. "This cannot be."Ben, Riley, and Adrian qui
"I swear I did not trick you," Ramona said. She was also upset when she discovered Raelyn was not in the villa. "Have you tried to contact Jasper?" Charles asked. "I did as you instructed," Ramona replied. "He doesn't answer to unknown numbers. Besides, he probably already knew that I was arrested, okay!""How come you don't know anything about this Jasper?" This time, it was Adrian who asked. "He is a secretive guy and works for money," Ramona said. "I don't know how he remains loyal to Calvin, but he does. He is probably protecting Raelyn, so if you find him, you can find her too!""Please," Ramona begged. "I swear I did not know Jasper would move Raelyn."They were still at Pelican Island, interrogating Ramona in one of the villa's rooms. The police, including Adrian and Charles, had grilled her for almost two hours, trying to get more information about where Raelyn could be. Riley chose not to participate in the questioning. So far, the only information Ramona shared was what t
6:00 AM, Pelican Island. "Yes, Aunt, we are counting on you," Riley said on the phone. "I'll give the phone to Dad."Riley's party awaited the helicopter to bring them back to Hinesville. They called Renee before leaving. Her aunt was already in Dowel and was the best person to reach Leni. If Raelyn were looking for her daughter and if she still assumed it was Leni, then they were banking on a mother's primary instinct: Raelyn would go straight to Leni. "Renee, Ben has ordered the rest of my bodyguards to accompany you around Dowel. Based on my last surveillance on Leni, she was eyeing the Sterling Homes, Maplewood, or the Blue Horizon," Charles said on the phone. "My men know where to go first. Don't hesitate to use my name.""Thank you," Charles said just before the helicopter was in their view. They still brought Ramona with them, hoping she would be of help later on. As they hurriedly got on the helicopter, Adrian shared, "I was just on the phone with Kyle. So, Jasper is under
11:00 AM Dowel City. "Okay, we are clear to leave. We are entering the airport now," Jasper reported. "I coordinated with the private plane company to adjust our departure time."Leni let out a heavy sigh. She said, "What a relief."Earlier, she had been very nervous about how Anthony had discovered her with Raelyn. She did the math and knew that Adrian and Charles would already know by then.There was no escaping the situation. Leni would just have to stand by her decision. She had decided that Raelyn was her chance of an easy life. So, of course, she grabbed the golden opportunity. Thinking of Charles, she said in her head, 'This is your fault, Dad. You did this to me.'Charles could not grasp that she had been accustomed to a life of luxury, and by taking it all away, he left her no choice but to use any means necessary to survive. She simply could not handle being thrust into poverty!"Don't worry, Leni. Everything will be fine soon. When we leave here, we will forget about Charl
Raelyn stared at the woman who looked like a younger version of herself. The resemblance was so uncanny that it was difficult to ignore. “Mom, I’m your real daughter,” the young woman repeated. Her face was awash with tears, and her eyes reflected deep yearning.‘We have the same eyes,’ Raelyn thought. ‘We have the same hair and looks.’What were the chances of that?“I’m Riley,” the girl said, moving closer in her direction. “You named me Riley when I was a baby.”Leni was still behind Raelyn, pulling her arm. She said, “Mom! No, don’t listen to her -” Despite Leni’s claims, Raelyn forcefully pulled her arm away because she would rather stand closer to the young girl named Riley. Stepping down from the airstairs, she moved closer, studying Riley’s features and every move. Raelyn was beyond stunned. It was as if she had been transported back to her youth and was looking at a mirror!“Riley?” She muttered. Raelyn flinched because a sudden memory flashed in her head. She saw her youn
"These are photos of us when we first reconnected. I visited you in Dowel then," Renee said, showing a picture of her and Raelyn. "You were still in college in this photo."Raelyn accepted the picture. She studied it intently before a smile became painted on her face. She said, "It's really us.""Yes, of course," Renee answered. "We are sisters."Raelyn acknowledged. She was sitting on her hospital bed when she looked at the picture again. She described, "I look so much like Riley here.""Indeed," Renee said. Tears stung her eyes, and she wiped them fast, saying, "As she was growing up, I struggled with the pain of losing you because I see you in her too, but I had to be strong. I went through a lot, trying to survive and put food on the table for both of us.""I can... only imagine," Raelyn softly remarked, her eyes downcast as if she were reliving the story Renee had shared.Raelyn had been in the hospital for two days. The entire time, only Riley stayed with her. Her husband, Adrian