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

nodded miserably. "It was insurance. A last resort. But now it's gone, and without it...

to pale in comparison to the web of secrets and danger she'd unknowingly been part of her entire life. "So what do we do now?" Hazel asked

though fate was on their side, Shaina's

sent you to Appletown to inspect the orchard. Why have you not

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

just going over," Shaina answered

the Rose Mansion, Daniel glanced at

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

keep

her eyes filled with

are you telling me this?" Anya asked, her tone

Anya's skepticism, understanding her reluctance to trust

to come with

surprise at Daniel's invitation, her heart fluttering with uncertainty. She couldn't shake the feeling that Daniel was up to

"No."

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.

with gratitude as he realized that he had a chance to spend some quality time with her. He knew that he had

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

days."

Anya gathered her belongings and prepared for the trip ahead, Daniel couldn't help but feel

sense of anticipation building

Anya out of

a sense of excitement coursing through her veins. It was her

seen a city from this angle, the towering buildings and bustling

they made their way to the hotel, Anya's excitement quickly gave way to confusion

he said, and she shot him

she would have her own room, but

filled with disbelief. Even at home,

smile playing at the corners of his

to you?" Daniel asked, his voice casual as he led Anya towards

he do

she couldn't help but feel

not believe he would really