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

now it's

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 do we

as though fate was on their side, Shaina's phone started ringing.

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

meet Anya as long as she could find out her location. But with her leverage

was just going over," Shaina

the Rose Mansion,

"I need to go on

118 Must keep up the

eyes filled with curiosity

telling me this?" Anya asked,

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

wondering if you'd like to come with me."

her heart fluttering with uncertainty. She couldn't shake the feeling that Daniel was up to

"No."

Anya nodded her head in agreement, her curiosity getting the better of her as she wondered what Daniel had planned, "Alright," Anya said, her voice tinged with uncertainty. "I'll

some quality time with her. He knew that he had a long way to go before he could win her heart, but he was determined to make the most

voice filled with excitement. "Let's pack up.

days."

prepared for the trip ahead,

anticipation building

led Anya out of

Daniel embarked on their journey to Appletown for the factory inspection, Anya couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement coursing through her veins.

widened in wonder at the bustling city below. She had never seen a city from

Anya's excitement quickly

he said, and she

she would have her own

asked, her voice filled with disbelief. Even at

nodded, a smile playing at the corners of his lips as he let

you?" Daniel asked, his voice casual as he

convinced. What can't he do

help but feel slightly

not believe he would really only book