Betrayal | ✔️

16. Peregrinate

Peregrinate: Verb, to travel or wander around from place to place.

- E m m a -

The search for my mother starts. Now. Literally, right now.

Vincenzo paces around the room while I google 'Penny Lopez'. I don't know her maiden name.
"This isn't possible," Vincenzo stops pacing for a minute to look at me.
I give him a puzzled look.
"Your mother. We can't find anything on her. It's like she never existed."
"Maybe her name isn't actually Penny. Maybe she lied to my father, like she did with everything else," I suggest.
He takes this into account.
"That's probably what happened. But since we don't know for sure, we have to keep searching under that name," he sighs.

Astrid bursts into the room without knocking, making Vincenzo and I stop in our tracks. I quickly close the tab down.
"Miss Lopez, you must come - quick! Someone is intruding!" Astrid exclaims frantically.
I look over at Vincenzo. He looks just as surprised as me.
"Okay, Vin- I mean Noah, stay here, I'll be quick," I ran out of the room, with Astrid hot on my tail.

I looked at the security cameras with multiple people hovering over my shoulder.
"So, what do you think we should do?" One of them asks.
I ponder for a moment.
"Lock all of the doors, if you haven't already," I instruct, "Call the police too, we need to make sure whoever this is gets locked up."
"Uh, Miss Lopez, we already know who is trying to intrude," Astrid says.
"Who is it? Go on, tell me!"
"You fired him recently. Lachlan Winters," she states meekly.
I groan. This guy     again? Why is it always him? I can't believe I ever dated such a piece of trash.
"And it looks like someone is helping him. Olivia Smith."
Of course, the two garbage bags that messed up my life. I groan again.
"How do you know that it's them?" I ask, getting ready to call for backup.
"Facial identity. Since this is one of the richest companies in the world, we needed to create something that our competitors didn't have," a guard explains.
"And you didn't think to tell me because...?" I counter.
The guard stills behind me.
"Well- I guess that we just thought that you had enough on your plate," he murmurs.
"Okay, sure," I say suspiciously.
He sighs just as Vincenzo comes in.
"Em- Miss Lopez, I need to see you," he demands.
As if he can ready my mind, he says, "It's very important and it can't wait."
I nod and exit the room after him. He leads me upstairs, back to my office, where we were mere minutes ago.
"Yes, Zozo?"
"That's the first time you've called me that," he states.
"Oh, do you not like it? How about Captain Obvious? I feel like I already told you that I'd start calling you that," I retort.
He chuckles.
"Em has a nice ring to it. That's what I'll call you," he states.
I suppress an eye roll.
"Maybe you could just tell me why you wanted me to come here."
He gives me a confused look before raising his eyebrows.
"That can wait. For now I'd like to enjoy my girlfriend," he smirks.
I'm still getting used to him calling me that.
"Seriously, Vincenzo, I'm not playing. Just tell me," I stomp my foot.
"But, Em, I am," he pouts.
I groan.
"Don't call me that, by the way," he says.
"What?"
"Vincenzo. I like Zozo better."
I roll my eyes. Of course he'd say that.
"Please, Zozo. Just tell me why you wanted me to come here," I plead, putting emphasis on 'Zozo'.
He sighs, contemplating.
Finally, he gives in.
"We have found your mother."