Shadows of DoubtThe soft glow of her laptop cast an eerie light on Isabelle's face as she scrolled down her emails. Her brow furrowed. Past midnight, and where was Carlos? Again.She looked at her phone, hoping that it'd buzz with some message from her husband. Nothing. She closed her laptop with a great sigh and padded into the twin's room to watch them sleep peacefully.Eyes on Alexander and Sophia, yet the gnawing issue at the back of her mind twang.Of late, Carlos had been gone more and more, always engaging late meetings and urgent problems with the business, but there was something not quite right.The creak of the front door broke Isabelle out of her reverie. She slipped out of the twins' room and padded silently to the living room, where Carlos was pulling at his tie, looking like a beaten man."Another late night?" Isabelle asked, trying to keep accusation out of her voice.Carlos nodded, barely squaring his eyes with hers. "That Zhang merger is proving a lot more complicat
Educational CrossroadsThe brochure of Oakwood Academy gleamed in Carlos's hands: all glossy pages of ultra-modern facilities and smiling, uniformed children. Over his shoulder, Isabelle peered, brow furrowed."I don't know, Carlos," she said hesitantly. "It seems so…rigid."Carlos turned to her, his eyes flashing. "Look at their record, Isabelle. The best test scores in the state, guarantied placement into the best prep schools. This could set Alexander and Sophia up for life!"Isabelle bit into her lip, unconvinced. "They're only three, Carlos. Isn't it a bit early to be thinking about prep schools?""It's never too early to plan for their future," Carlos would persist. "Well I never had these kinds of opportunity when I was their age. I want our children to do better."His voice was so full of longing that Isabelle's heart softened. She knew just how much he had worked to get out from his humble origins."What about Sunnyside Montessori?" she said, tugging out another brochure. "Th
Family FrictionDesperate to be graceful, Isabelle baked cookie after cookie until they newly scented the Fernandez penthouse. She cast nervous glances at Carlos, working his jaw and pacing across the living room."Relax," Isabelle tried to sound more confident than she felt, "it's just your in-laws. We have handled worse."He rinsed his face, then halted pacing to rake a hand through his hair. "Your parents have never liked me, Isabelle. And now with everything that's happened."The mention of her parents reminded her of how unfair she had been treated growing up as a young girl under the so-called parents, after the tragic passing of her true parents.Margaret was the elder sister of her mother who took the responsibility to shelter her. The idea of sheltering Isabelle didn't go well with her husband, Mr. Robert Williams. But out of the love for his wife, he hesitantly accepted.While others where in school, Isabelle was abruptly stopped from going to school. She lived with them lik
Crossroads and ConspiraciesCarlos stared out through the windows, observing the light-speckled night. Isabelle sat beside him, tapping at her tablet with a frown."Anything new?" he said, his tone clipped.Isabelle turned her head to the side. "Nothing concrete. Just the more I dig into this job offer, the more questions I have."Carlos nodded as a ball began to form in his gut. It seemed to be an out-of-the-blue call—some prestigious consulting firm inviting him to New York to take on a job that smelled of overgoodness: double the salary, corner office, and dealings with the greatest names in international finance.Something just was not right. It really was just a little too convenient that, when they finally started to get to the bottom of the mystery that surrounded his father's hidden fortune and the enigmatic Marcus Delgado, some things started happening.Turning toward his wife, he asked, "Am I paranoid, or does it feel like a setup?"Their eyes met—Isabelle's a combination of
Echoes of the PastThe early morning sunshine spilled across the kitchen of Fernandez Mansion through the curtains. Isabelle stood mechanically at the kitchen counter, preparing lunches for the twins. Her actions were instinctual while her brain remained elsewhere; it was replaying yesterday evening's conversation over and over again in her mind."Mrs. Fernandez?" The voice of the principal at the school had been soft but firm. "I'm afraid we need to discuss an incident involving Sophia and Alexander today."All those words, Isabelle's heart had clenched into a ball. Now, wrapping sandwiches carefully in wax paper, she felt that same tightness. The twins, who could usually be counted on to be loud and chatty in the mornings, didn't have much to say that morning. Sophia was sitting at the kitchen island, moving her cereal around the bowl without actually eating. Alex hadn't even come downstairs yet."Sophia, sweetheart, it's almost time. Can you go get your brother?" Sophia nodded and
Morris and Allison Morris was sitting behind his desk, his eyes riveted to the paper before him but looking at nothing, his hands shaking just a little as he picked up the manila envelope that held something which could potentially turn his world upside down. The result of the paternity test had come earlier that morning, and he had been dodging its opening for hours.Taking a deep breath, he finally worked up the courage to open the envelope. His heart was racing blood through the veins as his eyes skimmed the paper. As the words began to come into focus, the room spun around him."Probability of paternity: 0%"Morris slumped back in his chair. A wash of emotions had overcome him all at once—anger, betrayal, grief—all a little dizzying. He'd suspected; the timing had always been a bit off, really, and then there were these tiny Concentration Camp glitches in the boy himself. But to have it spelled out so brazenly ….He thought of the child that he had brought up as his own all these
Truth UnveiledThe hectic pounding of Morris's feet echoed in the sterile halls of the hospital as he churned his way to the pediatric wing. His heart chirped away in his chest, a medley of worry and pride clouding his mind. It was but a few hours ago that Morris had received a desperate call from Allison. Their son or, rather, the boy he had come to believe was his son was severely ill and in desperate need of an emergency blood transfusion.As he turned the corner, Allison was pacing in front of a hospital room, her face ashen, streaked with tears. It was probably the new paternity revelation dealing with the child or maybe something else, but in that instant, Morris felt something hitch in his own heart: palpable concern. He wasn't the father of this child, but hadn't he been this child's father for years?"Allison," he croaked. "What's wrong? How's he doing?"Relief creasing her face, Allison turned to him. "Morris, thank God. It's it's bad. They said he needed a transfusion right
Confrontations and CelebrationsWhen the door came crashing open into Allison's apartment, she stopped in her nervous stride and whirled around. In came Morris, who had grown a thundercloud of emotions all over his face. Well, the past couple of days since the incident in the hospital had been sort of confusing and hurtful; quarters had been applied. It flamed anger hot into his veins."How'd you do that to me?" he bellowed, raw with his emotions. "All these years, Allison. All these goddamned years of lies!"Allison winced, eyes widened with fear and guilt. "Morris, please. I can explain...""Explain?" Morris laughed bitterly. "Explain how you let me believe that child was mine? How you watched me love him, care for him, all while knowing the truth?"Tears were strafing down Allison's face. "I was scared, Morris. I couldn't afford to lose you. I thought. I thought if I actually came out in the open and told you the truth, you would leave.""So instead, you imprisoned me with a lie?"