𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐒𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐒✓

twenty-two

LUCIAN

I don't think those people are my parents.

Her words rang in my head.

The eyes filled with tears and fear stared right at me.

"What do you mean?" I asked the question even though it was obvious what she was trying to say. But it got me confused about why she would say something like that all of a sudden. Everything was fine when we got here.

"I just..."

"Tell me." I took her hand and intertwined our fingers. We were still in front of the restaurant in the car but I was not going to let the driver, who was waiting outside, start the car until she told me what had happened and what led her to such assumptions.

She wiped her tears with her free hand and chewed on her lip, sinking her teeth into the plump flesh.

"Yesterday when I was shopping... I met our old maid. She worked for my family when I was rescued." She began to speak and I carefully listened to every one of her words.

"I don't know if I told you but I don't really remember much of my abduction. Or anything prior to that. When they got me back home I couldn't remember anyone or anything." She has briefly mentioned that to me.

"Yesterday as I said, I met the maid that worked when I got back. She quit her job soon after I arrived." My eyebrows furrowed at that. I'm sure she has the right to feel some type of suspicion.

"She had the bracelet." She said and I ran my thumb over her palm slowly, trying to ease her nerves.

"What bracelet?"

"Every time I get a memory of my abduction, or at least the dreams I have, I see the lady who was keeping me locked up. Well, at least she was the one to always visit. I couldn't see her face but I remember the bracelet she had. Maria, the maid I saw yesterday, she had it." She sniffed and wiped her eyes again.

"She had the exact same one." I gulped the lump in my throat.

"When I asked her how she got it and she... she said that my mom gave it to her." Her breath hitched and I brought my free hand to her face, wiping the tears gently.

"And I just, I was shocked. I told myself not to jump into assumptions immediately but then I remembered asking my mom about my picture as a baby and she never showed them to me." Her eyes lowered down to her lap.

"And tonight I decided to ask her again. As you saw she avoided that question again."

I let out a quiet breath and tilted my head back.

All of this was confusing me as well.

"What if they are really not my parents? I mean I never felt like I don't belong with them. My mom was nice to me. I didn't have a good relationship with my brother but again, siblings fight all the time right?"

I stayed quiet because I had no words in my mouth. No one has ever said anything about this in the families. Someone would have suspected.

I pulled her body to me and she leaned her forehead on my chest.

My arms wrapped around her and she continued to cry. Her soft sobs filled the quiet car.

"We'll figure everything out." I rubbed her back slowly and tightened my hold on her.

•

We left immediately and got back home. Lili called her parents and told them that she wasn't feeling good so we had to get back.

I don't know if they suspected anything but they didn't say anything to her.

I watched as Lili lay in her bed. Her hair was all around the pillow and the blanket was pulled over her curled body, tucked under her chin.

Her eyes were still puffy and red.

I sat on the sofa beside her bed and ran my fingers through my hair.

I was waiting for Artemis' call.

He was going to get as much information as possible about her abduction and her family at the time of the incident.

My eyes went to the screen on my phone as I impatiently waited for his call.

My heart hurt as I watched my Lili cry herself to sleep. From all the things she went through, this was the biggest shock for her.

Finding out that your whole life was a lie was not something to be lightly taken. Even though we weren't sure if our suspicions were true, a lot of things were not adding up.

There was a big chance that what she said was right, that those people were not her family.

And on top of that the way I treated her before...

I shut my eyes as I remembered all of the times I pushed her away and acted like I hated her.

I don't think I can forgive myself for doing that.

The phone vibrated in my hands and I quickly picked it up.

I stood up from the sofa and walked over to the windows.

I picked it up and pressed the device to my ear.

"What did you find out."

"Well... things are kind of complicated. What you said makes sense." It's what I was scared of but nevertheless, I listened.

When he noticed I was waiting for his explanation, he continued.

"I searched for any information about Lili when she was younger, before the abduction. And nothing came up." I heard him type on a keyboard.

"There is nothing about her."

It was common for the families to keep their children away from everything, especially their daughters.

They were the most vulnerable. It has happened many times where they were targeted the most by the enemy.

So the Sanders keeping Lili hidden from everyone wasn't so strange.

"But that's not everything. A while before she was abducted, they have been in contact with Luke."

What? Why would they be in contact with him? He wasn't someone that important or someone people would want business with. At least not her family.

"And here comes the information that I'm sure you didn't know. I was barely able to find something out as well."

My heart rammed in my chest.

"Go on."

"He has been involved in the human trafficking circle before."

My breath got caught in my throat and I felt chills run down my spine. The human trafficking organization has been very secretive.

We have tried many times to take them down but haven't been too successful for now. Too many important people were involved in it. People in much higher places.

"You know what I'm trying to say with this right?" He said slowly. I knew very well what he meant.

"Mhmm, I know," I said with much defeat in my voice.

"I'll be working on finding more things, I'll update you tomorrow."

"Thank you, I appreciate it." We hung up and I dropped the phone on her vanity. With careful steps, I marched toward her bed.

Because I was already dressed for sleeping, I pulled the covers slightly up and slid next to her.

It's like she felt me get in bed because she shifted herself and pressed her body to mine.

I covered her again and kissed her forehead.

How am I supposed to share this with her? It will completely break her.

Finally a new update...

I've been busy lately😔😔

🖤🖤🖤