Hazel, sharp as a tack, cut in before I could even open my mouth. “No need to worry about that at all, sir. As soon as we finish our notes, Theodore will drive Ashton right to your front door.”
Afonso nodded slowly, still radiating displeasure. He bent down to give me a stiff hug, which I returned with absolute zero enthusiasm. The second he let go, I spun on my heels and bolted toward Theodore’s car, where Hazel was already holding the door open.
As we slid into the leather seats, I didn’t hear the conversation happening back on the sidewalk, but the truth of it would eventually come out. Afonso watched us drive away, his face twisted in annoyance.
“I really don’t like that friendship, Michelle. When I was his age, all I cared about was kicking a soccer ball around with the guys,” he complained.
Michelle threw her head back and laughed a loud, grating laugh. “Oh, Afonso, please. You’re worried about what a child is doing? I bet those two will end up dating one day. Look at the bright side. That girl is the heir to a massive fortune. You should be counting your lucky stars. It would be a total disaster if he were hanging around with some filthy street brat.”
She shot him a deeply mischievous wink. “Now, forget about the kid. Let’s focus on what really matters right now. Penelope. I’m going to talk to her and scrub this ridiculous twin children fantasy out of her head once and for all. After all, am I a good sister-in-law or not?” she said, giggling darkly.
Afonso stepped closer, the tension melting into something sinister. “The absolute best.”
Before getting into their car, Afonso flashed a sly, predatory smile. “Since I don’t have to drag Ashton home, we have plenty of time to take advantage of the empty afternoon and enjoy ourselves a little.”
Michelle leaned into his space, her eyes dropping to his lips. “Of course, my love.” They kissed right there in the open, proving without a shadow of a doubt that their familial bond was nothing but a sick, twisted facade.
Meanwhile, inside the quiet sanctuary of Theodore’s car, Hazel and I exchanged wild, adrenaline-fueled glances. The driver navigated the usual route toward her estate until Hazel leaned over the front seat.
“Theodore, could you actually change the route? Please take us straight to the large banquet hall in the Peach District.”
Theodore’s eyes flicked to the rearview mirror, his brow furrowed in deep confusion. “Your parents specifically told me to take you straight home, Hazel, and you have a guest with you.”
Hazel deployed her ultimate weapon: the persuasive, innocent smile. “Please, Theodore? I just want to stop by the hall for five minutes to ask the manager about booking the date for my thirteenth birthday party. My parents have been so incredibly busy lately, and I’d really love to have it there. You have no idea how fast that place books up.”
I stared at her in total awe, deeply impressed by how effortlessly she spun the lie.
Theodore let out a long sigh, completely defeated by her charm. “All right. But no funny business, you hear me? If I lose my job over this, I’m blaming you,” he grumbled, though a small smile tugged at his mouth.
“You are literally the best driver in the entire world, Theodore,” Hazel cheered. I just slumped back against the leather, exhaling a massive breath of relief. We were on our way.
While we were speeding toward the Peach District, my mother was completely isolated in her glass-walled office, buried under an absolute mountain of contracts and launch proposals for her cosmetics empire. She was entirely focused on scheduling, flipping through thick manila folders, when a light knock echoed through the room.
“Come in,” she called out, not even lifting her eyes from the spreadsheet.
The heavy door swung open, and Afonso strolled in, wearing a perfectly crafted, carefree smile. Penelope immediately stood up, the stress melting from her shoulders the second she saw him.
“Hi, honey,” she said, walking around the massive oak desk to greet him. “Did you manage to pick up Ashton from school? Did you take him home?”
Afonso didn’t miss a single beat. “Ashton actually went over to a friend’s house. That Hazel girl. He said they had a mountain of schoolwork to finish.”
Penelope paused, a small frown creasing her forehead. “That’s strange. I don’t remember him mentioning a project this morning,” she mused. But then she shook her head, dismissing the thought. “Well, that’s fine. I really like Hazel and her family.”
Before she could dwell on it any longer, Afonso quickly pivoted. “I actually brought a surprise for you,” he announced, his voice bubbling with fake excitement.
“A surprise?” Penelope asked, her curiosity piqued.
Before she could even guess, Michelle dramatically appeared in the doorway, throwing her arms wide open. “Surprise!” she squealed. “My lovely, hardworking sister-in-law!”
My mother walked straight into the trap, hugging Michelle warmly, completely blind to the fact that the woman in her arms wasn’t a sister, but the woman sleeping with her husband.
“It’s so wonderful to see you, Michelle,” Penelope said sincerely.
Michelle pulled back, wasting absolutely no time. “Afonso told me you’ve been having a few little problems lately. Strange, upsetting dreams, right?”
Penelope let out a heavy sigh, nodding in tired confirmation.
“Well, that’s exactly why I’m here,” Michelle declared, practically vibrating with enthusiasm. “You work way too hard, sis. It’s totally affecting your mind. So today, you are officially taking the day off. We’re going to go out, relax, and just enjoy life. And to top it all off, I took the liberty of booking you a private session with a truly wonderful therapist. You’re going to absolutely love her.”
Penelope hesitated, throwing an anxious glance back at her overflowing desk. “Oh, I really don’t know, Michelle. I have so much work to get through.”
Afonso stepped up right behind her, placing his hands firmly on her shoulders to seal the trap. “Forget about the office today, sweetheart. I’ll take care of everything here. You more than deserve a day just for yourself.”
Cornered by their perfectly coordinated routine, Penelope let out a mix of sighs and small smiles, finally relenting. Within minutes, she was walking out the door with Michelle, desperately trying to relax. She had no idea that the woman walking beside her was about to spend the entire afternoon pouring soft, highly manipulative lies into her ears, doing everything in her power to completely bury the lingering, painful sensation that she had once carried two boys in her womb.
While my mother was being expertly manipulated miles away, Hazel and I were completely consumed by our own desperate mission. Theodore’s sleek town car glided smoothly to a halt right in front of the massive, ornate doors of the banquet hall in the Peach District. The neighborhood was pristine, lined with manicured trees and silent, expensive storefronts.
Hazel and I practically jumped out of the leather seats before the car even fully stopped. Our eyes darted frantically, scanning the immaculate sidewalks, peering into the shadows of the alleyways, searching for any sign of a boy with my face.
But the street was a ghost town.
There was absolutely no sign of Luke. I crossed my arms tightly over my chest, a heavy stone of disappointment sinking into my stomach. “It was to be expected,” I muttered, kicking at the flawless pavement. “I guess he wasn’t coming back.”
Hazel, stubbornly refusing to let the momentum die, shot me a reassuring smile. “Calm down, Ashton. Let’s just try to buy some time. I’ll go inside and pretend I want detailed information about booking my birthday party.”
Without waiting for an answer, she marched up the steps and disappeared through the heavy glass doors. I stayed outside, leaning against the cool brick wall, my eyes sweeping back and forth, desperate for any flicker of movement. The minutes dragged on like hours. Inside, Hazel was working her magic, asking the manager endless questions about available dates, catering options, and elite party packages. Outside, the cold reality was setting in. I sighed, the crisp air biting at my cheeks. The street remained empty.
Finally, the doors swung open, and Hazel stepped out. One look at my crushed expression told her everything she needed to know.
“Let’s keep trying,” she said, her voice laced with fierce determination. “We’ll find him eventually.”
Defeated, we trudged back to the waiting car. Theodore drummed his thick fingers on the steering wheel, looking visibly restless.
“What took you two so long in there?” he grumbled, eyeing us through the rearview mirror.
Hazel didn’t even blink. “The reception hall is just so breathtakingly beautiful that I didn’t want to leave,” she lied smoothly, settling into her seat. “My party is going to be an absolute fairy tale, Theodore.”
The driver just chuckled, shaking his head at her theatrics, and shifted the car into drive. He pulled away from the curb, letting the heavy vehicle roll slowly down the painfully quiet street.
I rested my forehead against the cold, tinted glass of the window, totally discouraged. My eyes tracked the passing sidewalks almost automatically, devoid of any real hope.
And then, I saw him.
“It’s him!” I practically screamed, pointing a shaking finger toward the very end of the street. There, half-hidden by the shadows, a small boy in ragged clothes was desperately rummaging through a dark green trash can.
Hazel’s eyes widened to the size of saucers. “Theodore, stop the car!” she shrieked.
Theodore slammed on the brakes. The tires squealed sharply against the asphalt, throwing us forward against our seatbelts. He twisted around in his seat, his face pale with concern. “What’s going on?”
“I forgot to ask the manager a crucial question about my party!” Hazel improvised wildly.
