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

"It was insurance. A last resort. But now it's gone,

last few minutes. Her own problems suddenly seemed to pale in comparison to the

was on their side, Shaina's phone started

sent you to Appletown to inspect the orchard. Why have you not gone yet?" The old

defiant these past few days because she felt she would soon meet Anya as long as she could find out

going over," Shaina

in the Rose Mansion, Daniel

he approached her. "I need to go on a trip to inspect a factory in

keep up

glanced up at Daniel, her eyes filled

are you telling me this?"

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

like to come with me." Daniel said, his

feeling that Daniel was up to something. "Are you going to bring the trip here? Is this another trick?"

"No."

she wondered what

a chance to spend some quality time with her. He knew that he had a long way to go before he could win her heart, but

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

days."

the trip ahead, Daniel couldn't help but feel

sense of anticipation building

Anya out

Anya couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement coursing through her

wonder at the bustling city below. She had never seen a city from this angle, the towering buildings and bustling streets a stark contrast to the quiet solitude of the Shaw

quickly gave way to confusion as Daniel

he said,

expected that she would have her own room, but he had

voice filled with disbelief. Even at home,

a smile playing at the corners of

you?" Daniel asked, his voice

wasn't convinced. What can't he do

help but feel slightly uneasy. A bit of discomfort settled

believe he would