07

Barrister Noah shook his head slowly before saying, “Aren’t you afraid of dragging your sister into this kind of chaos? Aurora is still a young girl...don’t involve her in this, please.” The deep worry on his face was impossible to miss.

Jaxon stepped closer to Noah and said firmly, “With Aurora’s help, I’ll be able to achieve a part of my dream. Trust me....I won’t do anything that will harm her. I know exactly what I’m doing.”

The barrister gave a reluctant nod, then said, “Even if you don’t protect Aurora, I will. And I’m willing to help you seek justice. But what about Lily’s parents? What happened to them?”

Jaxon shook his head. “I don’t know. I never followed up on them. I’ve only focused on those three faces. I’ve studied their every move for years.”

Barrister Noah nodded again and glanced at his wristwatch. Just then, Jaxon spoke up, “Noah, I trust you. I don’t say that often, and I don’t even know why I trust you this quickly... But let me be clear...if there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s betrayal. Don’t even think about crossing me, Noah. If you do, I’ll become the second worst thing to ever happen in your life....after your wife. Don’t mess this up.”

The tension in Jaxon’s face, the way the veins stood out on his forehead, made Noah’s heart pound. He forced a smile and said, “You have my word, Jaxon. I won’t betray you....I promise.”

Just then, Aurora entered the room, tears brimming in her eyes.

She looked at them, barely able to speak, while Jaxon tried to pull himself together to explain.

She shook her head and said through shaky breaths, “You don’t have to say anything. I heard it all. So that’s the reason, huh? Why, Jaxon? Why? Is revenge really worth it to you? Is there no forgiveness left in your world? I can’t do this... I’m going back to Boston. I want no part in your revenge.”

She turned sharply to leave in frustration, but before she could reach the door, Jaxon rushed forward and grabbed her hand.

She turned to face him again, their eyes locked, tears still streaming down her face.

“Aurora, you have to... You have to help me. There’s no turning back now....I’ve already started.”

She slowly knelt down in front of him, both of them face-to-face on the floor. Words failed her, and instead, a new wave of sobs burst from her lips. Jaxon pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly, his own eyes threatening to spill over.

Barrister Noah watched them silently, full of compassion.

Brownsville, Nebraska

As usual, they were sitting in the middle of the yard, working on their handmade beaded jewelry....Zoey, Mery, and their friend Hanny....while Isla was in the bathroom taking a shower. The sun had softened a bit, so she took the chance to cool off. True to form, Isla was humming one of her offbeat tunes while she bathed.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the small gate in front of the house, and someone called out for attention.

Isla groaned loudly. She already knew it had to be some customers picking up bridal jewelry, and with Mery and the others distracted in the yard, there was no way they’d hear the knocking.

Still scrubbing with her sponge, she muttered, “Who the hell is knocking like that?”

The bathroom didn’t have a real door, just a partition wall separating it from the rest of the house. From where she stood, she could hear voices clearly.

“We’re from the public safety department,” one of the men said.

At once, Isla rinsed the soap from her eyes and shouted, “What? Say that again?”

“Yes, please open the gate,” one of them repeated.

In a rush, she grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her chest. “Is everything okay, or did you think this was the house of the Madam in charge of escorts or something?”

“Should we just come in?” one of them asked bluntly.

“Hold on....I’m coming! Just wait!” she snapped as she stepped out of the bathroom.

She passed through the yard, ignoring Mery and the others, who were sitting with their heads wrapped in scarves, happily stringing beads onto fishing line. She grabbed a bedsheet from the clothesline and headed toward the front gate.

Sure enough, when she opened it, she found two uniformed officers standing there....and Mr. Brian right next to them, arms crossed, his nostrils flaring in irritation.

“Is everything okay?” she asked, wiping the leftover water from her face.

“Ma’am, do you recognize this man?” one officer asked, pointing at Mr. Brian with a small baton in hand.

She frowned and replied, “Of course I know him. Why?”

“Well, we received reports that you’ve been harboring sex workers in this house under the guise of teaching them a craft. And frankly, the loud music coming from your property doesn’t help your case. We’re going to have to conduct a search.”

“A search?” she repeated, clutching the sheet tighter around herself.

Before she could say anything else, the officers pushed past her, Mr. Brian smirking behind them.

“They’re in there, all right,” he said. “Just go in...you’ll see. But be discreet.”

Isla followed after them, waving her arms and shouting complaints, furious and dripping with sarcasm.

Mery and her friends shot to their feet as soon as they saw the men in their yard holding batons.

Isla snapped, “What law gives you the right to barge into my home full of young women? Oh, you’re going to answer for this. We’ll be seeing you in court.”

Mr. Brian, locking eyes with Mery, pointed her out and said to one of the officers, “There they are. Didn’t I tell you? Even when I tried to guide them politely, they insulted me and threatened to beat me.”

One officer raised his baton and barked, “Let’s go! Move! All you know is how to be indecent and disrespectful to elders!”

To their surprise, not one of the girls moved. Mery gave her friends a single look, and they immediately understood. Before the officers could react, Hanny had already bolted to lock the door, and Zoey grabbed the laundry rope. Isla smiled to herself....she knew exactly what they were up to. She dropped the bedsheet, now standing in just a towel wrapped around her chest.

The officers began squinting and covering their eyes, clearly caught off guard. Before one could even realize what was happening, he was knocked flat on the ground. Mr. Brian, seeing things escalate, made a run for the fence. His pants were nearly falling off as he scrambled over it without looking back...his only concern was escape.

Isla settled on back of onto to bench and said calmly, “Hanny, bring me the rolling pin from the kitchen.” Hanny dashed off without hesitation.

Meanwhile, Mery and Zoey had seized the officers’ batons and began chasing them in circles. All you could hear was the thwack of sticks and shrieks of pain. The men barely escaped, battered and humiliated.

“Next time you dare break into someone’s house without a warrant, you’ll leave in pieces! You can’t go after women in a small neighborhood and call it justice. Go hunt troublemakers downtown, not in people’s yards!” Isla shouted after them, throwing their batons at their feet.

The men fled, holding their hats and cursing at Mr. Brian, swearing to report the abuse to their supervisor in the small-town precinct. They vowed it wouldn’t go unpunished.

Elsewhere, at Mount Pleasant

Bella sat silently, watching her friend intently before saying, “So now you expect me to go to the pastor’s house and ask for help? Mason will think I’ve lost my mind. Are you sure this is a good idea? I don’t know... Honestly, I’m scared. I still think we should just keep praying and hope he finds his way back. Mason didn’t give Adrian a proper education. That’s what brought all this misfortune on us... he never really had a chance.”

Her friend gave Bella a hard look and said, “I’m only trying to help you. If you don’t want it, that’s fine—but the world isn’t patient, and your son’s already knee-deep in it. Girls these days will devour him if you don’t do something.”

She continued, “If I were you, I’d stop waiting around. You’ve got a husband, right? Tell him. You don’t have to keep pretending everything’s fine. Who says asking for help is wrong? Talking alone won’t bring your son home. But since you’re not ready, I’ll go.”

Bella quickly stood up....nothing mattered to her more than her son’s well-being.

“Larry, wait, please... don’t go. Let’s go together.”

Larry shook her head. “Look, everyone’s got problems. Samuel, Samantha’s boy, ran off with some wild hunters and refused to come home. Wasn’t it the pastor who reached out and brought him back? Now he’s married with kids. That’s why I told the pastor about you. He really sympathized and wants to help. And now you’re backing out?”

“No, no,” Bella said quickly, shaking her head. “Let’s go. I’ll just grab my purse real quick.”

****

Meanwhile, at Sam’s House

Ava sat on her large bed in her spacious room, filled with every comfort imaginable. In her hands was a framed photo of five people. Standing in the back were a man and a woman...clearly a couple. Seated in front were three young girls, almost identical in appearance, no older than two or three. Each wore her hair tied neatly with ribbons, their faces full of innocence and exhaustion, the look of children who had just finished playing and were ready for a nap. It was obvious...they were triplets.

Just then, Arabella stepped in. Ava, still gazing lovingly at the photo, hadn’t stopped smiling.

Arabella sat down beside her, also smiling.

Ava looked up at Arabella and, with a soft voice, said, “I wonder if they’re at peace now... Mommy, Daddy, and Camellia. Sometimes I think, if Camellia were still alive, maybe she’d look just like me and Harper. Maybe the three of us would’ve all had the same face in this house. I love Camellia so much. I’ll never give away her toys. I see her in them...”

She hugged the photo tightly and closed her eyes.

Arabella, heart aching with sympathy, pulled her into a gentle embrace, brushing away her tears.

Not long after, someone else entered. She stood quietly at the door, watching them with a sly smile on her face. Her thoughts were anything but innocent.

Oh my poor crippled sister... I wish you hadn’t survived that accident either. Then I wouldn’t have to share Uncle’s love with you. It would’ve been all mine...his love, Granny’s love... But oh well, at least you lost your leg. What a pity...

She smirked and added to herself, Just because we look alike doesn’t mean we’re equally beautiful. And yes, I still love you, baby sis. After all, Mom and Dad are gone. It’s just us now...

With that, she straightened up and called out sweetly as she descended the stairs, “Granny, I’m home!”

To be continue....