..............previously.............

The moment Kristen brought me inside the guest room and tossed me onto the bed, a surge of anger coursed through me. I immediately pushed myself off, knowing full well he was in for a reckoning. I hoped Maria hadn't planted any hidden cameras in this particular room.

"My mind might be clouded right now, Kristen, but I demand answers this instant," I glared at him, my gaze filled with intensity.

"Bella, I've already told you that I won't drag you into this," he asserted dominantly, crossing his arms over his chest. But he had another thing coming.

"Well, I took matters into my own hands and guess what? I found something," I said, holding up my phone to display the contents to him.

While I was exploring my father's secret hideout, I stumbled upon documents that had my aunt, uncle, and Maria's names on them. It immediately caught my attention, so I discreetly snapped photos of the documents before that irritating rodent interrupted.

"Where did you find this?" he questioned me, his tone filled with curiosity.

"I found it among my father's documents," I informed him, watching as he groaned and pulled out his phone.

"What are you doing?" I frowned, perplexed, as he started texting rapidly on his phone.

"Buying us some time," he responded, his actions clearly driven by urgency.

"Is it true? Did Maria and her parents extort money from my dad and have Antonio kidnapped?" I asked, my breath quickening. I knew what the answer would be, but a part of me wished it wasn't true.

"Yes," he confirmed.

My emotions became a swirling mix. I yearned for revenge, yet tears threatened to escape. I quickly wiped away the solitary tear that slid down my cheek.

"I have something to tell you," Kristen said, cupping my face and kissing away the tears.

"I hope it's not something dreadful," I whispered to him, a sense of worry settling in.

A concerned expression appeared on his face, confirming my fears that it was indeed something bad. "I need you to pretend to have sex with me," he revealed.

"What... How could you think about sex at a time like this?" I questioned, a mix of desire and the pressing issue at hand conflicting within me.

"We're just pretending," he reiterated, attempting to reassure me.

"But why do we have to pretend to have sex?" I asked, feeling lost and confused.

"I'll explain it to you later," he replied, his eyes filled with a hidden secret.

"Listen, I've been dating Maria for a week now to gather information about your brother," he confessed, causing me to shove him and glare, filled with disbelief. "I can't believe you!"

He attempted to give me his most puppy-eyed expression, but I wouldn't succumb to it. "I'm sorry, and I know I should have told you earlier. I'll accept any punishment afterward. Please, just pretend that you know nothing about it," he pleaded, and I sighed in resignation.

He was doing it for a noble cause, but the least he could have done was let me in on the plan. Although I would likely unleash my fury on Maria sooner rather than later.

"Okay, just tell me one thing... Did you two... kiss?" I blushed, averting my gaze.

"Yes," he answered.

I turned around and glared at him. "You didn't have to be so damn blunt!" I gritted out, my jealousy flaring up. Not because I asked!

"To make you feel better, I now brush my teeth seven times a day. She's terrible at kissing," he gagged, causing me to laugh.

"That's my baby girl," he replied, kissing me on the head.

"Another thing, we've found Antonio's location. I need you to pretend to be hurt after I leave. Vicky will provide you with the details soon. I've hired my doctor to inform you when I've retrieved your brother," he finished, leaving me bewildered. He laughed and kissed me passionately.

"I missed you so much, baby. Being with Maria makes my skin crawl," he grimaced, and I eagerly kissed him back. I was relieved to hear that they had found my brother's location and that he couldn't stand being with Maria.

"Do you... know if he's..." I trailed off, my voice filled with concern.

"Yes, your brother is okay," he reassured me, and I let out a sigh of contentment.

As we stood there, we heard shuffling outside the room's door. Kristin seized the opportunity to continue where we had left off, signaling for me to play along. If pretending to have sex was necessary, then something must be at stake.

Kristin's lips crashed down onto mine, and I responded with equal passion, letting him know that I was fully prepared for whatever was to come.

............Present day............

"Antonio, hey!" Maria yelled in excitement, but I quickly pulled my trembling brother behind me, shielding him.

"No need to be afraid," she knelt down, trying to appear innocent.

"Cut the bullshit, Maria. We all know what you've done to my brother," I gritted out, stepping closer to her. The urge to hit her overwhelmed me.

"W...what are you talking about?" she stammered, her breath shaky.

"Don't try to play dumb, Maria," I confronted her as she glanced nervously between her parents. In a desperate attempt, she made a run for the door, but Maurice swiftly grabbed her and held her tightly, delivering her into the hands of the waiting police officers who promptly arrested her and sat her down on the sofa.

I pulled Antonio with me, embracing my dad and mom tightly, overwhelmed with emotions.

"Now, shall we get down to business? My name is Detective Harrington. I'm sure you are all aware of the crimes committed by Mrs. Talia and Mr. Jim," the detective spoke, taking charge of the situation. "But in case you haven't, let me provide a brief overview."

"Apparently, these two have been bankrupt for a year now and decided to target Mr. and Mrs. Walker here for money. When Mr. Walker discovered that his brother and wife were engaged in illegal activities, he decided to stop sending them money, disrupting their plans."

"That's where Maria came in. They sent her to solicit money from your father without his knowledge, and somehow, Maria managed to obtain Mr. Walker's bank information, which she then provided to her parents. They successfully withdrew large sums of cash from his account."

"That's bullshit! You have no proof!" my aunt Talia yelled defiantly.

"The cameras in my office captured Maria going through my documents. Additionally, we have evidence that the exact amount withdrawn from my account was deposited into Jimmy's account just an hour later," my dad spoke firmly, glaring at Jimmy.

"I did no such thing," Jimmy protested.

"When Mr. Walker's father discovered the fraudulent activity, he immediately froze his account. So, Maria's parents devised another plan—to have your father hand them the money directly. That's when Antonio was kidnapped."

"They hired men to abduct Mr. Walker's son and hold him hostage, demanding a ransom of five million dollars, with the threat of harm if the payment was not made."

I looked at my uncle Jimmy and Talia as they hung their heads in shame, unable to meet anyone's gaze.

"We conducted background checks on the family and discovered that they have been wanted for several criminal offenses, including murder, spanning across two states," Detective Harrington continued.

"Their daughter, Maria, is wanted for attempted murder and escaping from rehabilitation. It seems she has been off her medication and displaying symptoms of anger."

"That's a lie!" Maria cried out, tears streaming down her face. "Anna, don't listen to them. We're family. Don't let them ruin us. Please, don't let them send me back there," she pleaded desperately.

"You helped them kidnap my brother, you psycho! Didn't you realize he was your own family, your own blood?" I yelled at her, overcome with anger and betrayal.

"Don't you call my daughter that! This is all your father's fault. If he had just sent the damn money when we needed it, none of this would have happened!" Uncle Jimmy shouted, trying to deflect the blame.

"You're such a sick, twisted jerk. You were using money to support gang members!" I retorted.

"So what if I was? It's none of your damn business!" he snapped back.

"It was my business when you went ahead and kidnapped my son, you piece of shit!" My dad's voice trembled with anger, and I saw a side of him I had never witnessed before. "Cops, take them away!" he ordered, and I watched as my aunt and uncle were forcefully taken away, yelling profanities at my parents.

As Detective Harrington finished escorting my family members away, I felt overwhelmed. I hurried to the bathroom, nausea washing over me, and I emptied the contents of my stomach.

It was all too much to handle. I felt a hand on my shoulder, gently lifting my hair and rubbing my back in a soothing manner.

"It's alright, sweetie. It's all over now. Take it easy," my father reassured me, his voice filled with love and concern.

"I need to speak with Maria," I said, my voice shaky but determined.

*********

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