The next day, Carmela went to work as usual. She tried to focus on her job, but she couldn't stop thinking about the shadow she had seen the night before. Had it really been there, or was she just imagining things? And if it had been real, what did it mean? Was someone watching her? She shivered again.Just then, her boss, Pedro, walked into her office. "Hey Carm," he said. "How's it going?""Fine," she said, forcing a smile. "How's it going for you?""Pretty good," he said.Pedro hesitated for a moment, then said, "Hey, I was wondering if you'd like to go out to dinner with me this weekend. I know a great little Italian place, and I think you'd really like it."Carmela's heart skipped a beat. She knew she should say no because Pedro has always been nice to her, since she entered this firm and decided to work with him on several works here and there.She didn't want to lead him on, and she didn't feel that way about him. But at the same time, she didn't want to hurt his feelings. "Tha
"You know I'm here for you, right?" Sarah asked. "No matter what happens, I'm always here to listen and support you. And I'm sure your friends and family will feel the same way."Carmela felt a wave of gratitude wash over her. "Thank you, Sarah," she said. "I don't know what I'd do without you.""You don't have to worry about that," Sarah said. "We're family, even if we're not related by blood. And family is there for each other, no matter what."Carmela hung up the phone and grabbed her keys, heading out the door. She drove to the police station, her mind racing with thoughts and worries. ***She sat in the waiting room, tapping her foot anxiously as she waited for someone to call her name. Finally, a police officer came out and asked her to follow him to a private room."So, you want to report a missing person?" the officer asked as they sat down at a table. "Tell me everything you know."Carmela took a deep breath and told the officer everything.The officer took notes, his brow fu
Carmela followed Pedro to his car, a sleek black sedan with tinted windows. As they drove through the city, she noticed that they were headed to a very fancy neighborhood, filled with huge houses and perfectly manicured lawns. When they pulled up to a large, imposing gate, a guard stepped out to greet them. "Mr. Lone, welcome back," the guard said. "Is this your guest?""Yes, this is Mrs. Martins," Pedro said. "She'll be staying with me for the night. Please make her feel at home.""Yes, Mr. Lone," the guard said. He turned to Carmela with a smile. "Welcome to the Lone estate, Mrs. Martins. Please let me know if there's anything I can do to make your stay more comfortable."Carmela felt a little like she was in a dream. Everything seemed so surreal. She followed Pedro into the house, marveling at the opulent furnishings and the massive chandeliers. A maid was dusting in the foyer, and she nodded politely as they passed.A swarm of Maids followed along with a lady in front to greet C
Just as Carmela was starting to feel a little more at ease, her phone rang. It was the police station, calling to tell her that she needed to come in right away. Her heart sank as she hung up the phone. "I'm sorry, but I have to go," she said to George. "The police need to talk to me."George looked worried. "I hope everything is all right," he said. "If you need anything, please let me know."Carmela nodded and left the room, feeling a mix of fear and confusion.As Carmela pulled up to the police station, her heart was pounding in her chest. She had no idea what was going on, but she had a feeling that it wasn't good. She took a deep breath and walked into the station, her hands shaking.The officer at the front desk greeted her with a smile. "You must be Carmela," she said. "Follow me, the chief wants to speak with you."Carmela followed the officer down a long hallway, her mind racing with possibilities. What could the police possibly want with her?The officer led Carmela into a s
"I know this is a lot to take in," Andrew said, "but we need to figure out what to do next. We can't just sit here and do nothing. We need to take action, and we need to do it quickly. The longer we wait, the harder this will be on everyone involved."Carmela nodded, her mind racing. "What are my options?" she asked.Andrew took a deep breath. "There are a few different paths we could take," he said. "I can help you explore all of them. But first, we need to answer one crucial question.""What do you want?" Andrew asked. "What outcome do you want from all of this? What's your end goal?"Carmela thought for a moment. "I want my kids to be safe and happy," she said. "I want them to have a stable, loving home. I don't want them to be caught up in a legal battle. I don't want them to be hurt by any of this."Andrew nodded. "That's a good place to start," he said. "Now, let's talk about how we can get there.""I think the best thing we can do is talk to Max," Andrew said. "We need to hear h
But before Carmela could speak, the door flew open with a bang, and a tall, imposing figure strode into the room. "Stop right there," the man said, his voice booming. "This is not the time for this conversation."Carmela recognized the man immediately - it was the chief of police, and he looked furious. "Chief Johnson, what's going on?" she asked, her heart pounding.The chief's eyes were cold and hard. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you all to come with me," he said."I'm sorry, but I need you to come with me," Chief Johnson said, his tone brooking no argument. "I'll explain everything once we're at the station."Carmela hesitated, torn between staying with her children and doing what the chief said. But then she looked down at Hannah and Noah, and knew she had to go with them. "Okay," she said. "But please, tell me what's going on."Chief Johnson looked at the twins, his expression softening slightly. "I'll explain everything," he said.The car ride to the police station was te
There, sitting at a table in the middle of the restaurant, were Max and Nichole. They looked happy, laughing and talking as they sipped their wine. Carmela felt the color drain from her face, and her heart started pounding in her chest. How could they be here? She thought. What are they doing?Max looked up and saw her standing there, his eyes widening in surprise. "Carmela," he said, standing up. "What are you doing here?"Carmela tried to keep her composure, determined not to let Max and Nichole see how much this was affecting her. "I'm not here for you," she said, addressing Max directly. "And I'm not interested in your personal life. Please, just enjoy your meal and leave me alone."As she spoke, she felt Pedro's hand move to her hand, gently squeezing it. "Come on, babe, do you know them?" he said, giving her a reassuring smile. "Let's go get a drink."She looked at him, unsure of what to do.“Ohh, sorry. This is Max, my ex-husband and my Best friend Nichole. They’re get married
Carmela was silent for a moment, her mind racing. She looked up at Pedro, her eyes wide. "I appreciate that," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "But I don't know what to do. I'm so confused."Pedro reached out and took her hand, his eyes full of compassion. "It's okay to be confused," he said. "But I want you to know that I'm here for you, no matter what. You're not alone."The next morning, Carmela woke up in a bed that wasn't her own. She was in Pedro's guest room, and for a moment, she wasn't sure where she was. But then the events of the previous day came rushing back to her, and she sat up, running a hand through her hair. She heard a soft knock on the door."Come in," she said, trying to steady her voice. The door opened, and Pedro walked in, a cup of coffee in his hand. "Morning," he said, giving her a small smile. "How are you feeling?"Carmela took the cup of coffee and sipped it, savoring the warmth. "I don't know," she said. "Everything feels like it's spinning ou