𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐜𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐄𝐯𝐢𝐥 ✔️

♡ Chapter 4 ♡

When I woke up, my parents weren't home. I'm not really sure what they were doing, but I didn't mind, since it gave me time to snoop through my dad's office.

I step into it, and look around. I've only been in here a few times, and never for longer than a few minutes.

The sun danced through the window, shining on the dark wood on the floor. The white curtains were open, and a bookshelf was pressed against the left wall.

I sat down on the leather office chair, the cold temperature of it making me shiver for a moment.

I began opening drawers. I wasn't exactly sure what I was looking for, but I was looking for something. Something that would tell me my father is not an evil man.

But his drawers were clean. Only empty notebooks, pens, and paperclips. A half drank glass of whiskey rested against the wooden desk, but besides that, there was nothing.

I walk over to the bookshelf. And none of the books tell me anything, at least at first glance.

I sighed and looked around the room. And that's when I spotted something.

The vent on the wall was slightly uneven. I got down on my knees, and pushed it to the side. And behind it, revealed a silver vault.

A five digit code is needed.

I swore under my breath and started to think of what it could be.

What could my dad have made it? There's an endless amount of combinations. How will I-

I stop my own thoughts as an idea comes into my mind.

10.9.02

October 9th, 2002. My birthday.

The vault opens, and I smile, as if my dad making the code my birthday meant he wasn't doing anything wrong. But deep down, I knew he could still be.

Stacks of money were at the back of the vault. The amount made my jaw drop.

A sheet of paper sat in the middle. Hesitantly, with guilt, I grabbed it. I'd feel awful if this was something personal.

I flip the sheet of paper over. In messy writing with a black pen, it read, 'Downtown apartment building. 3rd floor, second room. Resse Ricci.'

This must be where Reese lives.

I jump as I hear the door open. My parent's distant voices reach my ears, and I quickly put the paper back in the safe. I close it and put the vent cover back, before quickly standing to my feet and exiting the room.

"All I'm saying, Mariana, is that-" my dad stops talking to my mom once he sees me, and I made it look like I was just walking toward the kitchen. He smiled at me. "Hey, sweetheart."

"Hey," I say with my hands behind my back, rocking back and forth on my heels.

"Want to watch a movie with your amazing parents?" he asks me.

I nod, "Yea, sure."

We all go into the living room together, and I sit on the couch with my mom. My dad sits in a one-seat lounge chair, putting a cigar into his mouth while the movie my mom picked played.

I anxiously played with the edges of the blanket over me, trying to gather the courage to ask my dad a question. I could hear that the movie was playing, but I wasn't registering anything being said.

A guy on the TV gets hit by a car, and my dad laughs, making my mom scold him.

"Um, hey, dad?" I finally speak up.