The Billionaire's Mistake

MISTAKE 118

Chapter 118: Must keep up the lie

Hazel blinked, momentarily stunned. "My... sister? You mean Anya? But I've never even met her, and you know it is because she is not my..." "Shut it! If I say she is, then she is." Shaina replied, her attention focused on the safe's contents

"Someone has paid a lot of money for the to show.. same face as me,

but her daughter is married Into the Shaw family. If anyone can help us with a Mafia problem, it's them."

I can't believe she has the

Hazel's mind reeled with this new information. She'd always known there was no sister. Her

mother had made it up. Some paid her? Well, she did not care as long as they could use her.

"Are you sure they're that powerful? I mean, how do you know they can help?"

Shaina didn't answer immediately. She was staring into the safe, her face a mask of shock and disbelief. "No," she whispered. "No, no, no!"

"Mom? What's wrong?" Hazel asked, alarmed by her mother's sudden panic.

Shaina began tearing through the bedroom, yanking open drawers and upending boxes. "It's gone," she muttered, more to herself than to Hazel. "It can't be gone. Where is it?" Hazel watched in bewilderment as her usually composed mother descended into frantic searching. "What's gone? Mom, you're scaring me. What are you looking for?"

Shaina whirled to face her daughter, her eyes wide with fear and frustration. "The leverage," she said, her voice cracking. "I've lost our leverage."

"Leverage? What leverage?" Hazel asked, struggling to keep up with the rapid turn of events.

Shaina sank onto the bed; her energy

uddenly depleted. She looked up at Hazel, tears glistening in her eyes. "I abandoned Anya when she was a child," she confessed, the words

heavy with long-buried guilt. "I wasn't sure she'd be willing to help us, so II took something from her father's safe. Something to bargain with if she refused."

Hazel stared at her mother, shocked by this revelation. "You stole Mafia family?"

from Anya's father? From a

was insurance. A last resort. But now it's gone, and without it... She trailed off, the implications

next to her mother, trying to process everything she'd learned in the last few minutes. Her own problems suddenly seemed to pale in comparison to the web of secrets and danger she'd unknowingly been part of her entire life. "So what

though fate was on their side,

you are doing. I sent you to Appletown to inspect the orchard. Why have you not gone yet?" The old woman screamed, and

few days because she felt she would soon meet Anya as long as she could find out her location.

just going

Mansion, Daniel

as he approached her. "I need to

keep up

eyes filled with curiosity as she listened

me this?" Anya asked,

smiled softly at Anya's skepticism, understanding her reluctance to

to come with me." Daniel said,

Daniel was up to something. "Are you going to bring the trip here? Is this another trick?" she asked, and he

"No."

getting the better of her as she wondered what Daniel had planned, "Alright,"

heart swelling with gratitude as he realized that he had a chance to spend some quality time with her. He knew that he had a long way to go

his voice filled with excitement. "Let's pack up. We'll be gone for

days."

gathered her belongings and prepared for the trip

of anticipation building within

Daniel led Anya out

through her veins. It was her first time traveling by helicopter, and she was in awe of the sleek aircraft as it

had never seen a city from this angle, the towering buildings and

the hotel, Anya's excitement quickly gave way to confusion as Daniel

settle into our room first," he said, and she shot him

own room, but

filled with disbelief.

at the corners of his lips as he let Anya inside

to you?" Daniel asked, his voice

convinced. What can't he do to her? A

she couldn't help but feel

believe he would really only book