WHO AM I

SHADOWS OF THE PAST

The group had gathered at Zara's house, and it was clear that everyone was buzzing with energy. Kira was pacing around the room with her phone in hand, looking like she had just uncovered some secret government conspiracy. Lila, Noah, Zara, Jason, and Jasper were seated on the couch, waiting for Kira to spill the tea about Renzo.

"You guys aren't ready for this," Kira said dramatically, waving her phone in front of her like a TV remote. "I did some serious digging."

"Kira, just tell us already! You're killing me here," Zara groaned, tossing a cushion at her.

"Fine, fine. Here goes." Kira leaned forward. "I found out that Renzo isn't just rich—his family is, like, stupidly rich. I'm talking private jets, penthouses in Paris, and secret vaults rich."

Jason raised an eyebrow. "Okay, and we're supposed to be surprised? We've all seen Renzo roll up in those designer suits. What's new?"

Kira shook her head, eyes widening. "That's not the crazy part! The crazy part is... Renzo's family owns half of the companies in the city. They're, like, business royalty. But they're also rumored to be involved in some shady stuff. You know, offshore accounts, illegal investments—serious James Bond villain vibes."

Lila's heart skipped a beat. Could it really be true? Could Renzo be hiding more than just his flashy persona? She exchanged a glance with Noah, who was listening intently but not saying much.

"Are you serious?" Lila asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"As serious as a heart attack," Kira said, nodding. "I found old news articles and a bunch of anonymous forums talking about how Renzo's dad is under investigation for some super shady deals."

Jason leaned back, smirking. "Sounds like we've got ourselves a classic billionaire with a secret family scandal."

"I can't believe this," Lila said, trying to process everything. "Renzo's always been so... over the top, but I never thought he'd be connected to something like this."

Noah, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, finally spoke up. "It's hard to know what's true with this kind of stuff. Rumors fly around all the time, especially when someone's that rich. But maybe we should talk to Renzo. See if he knows what's being said about him."

Kira looked at Noah with raised eyebrows. "You're going to talk to Renzo? The guy who basically lives to outshine you?"

Noah shrugged. "I mean, yeah. Why not? If it's a rumor, it'll be easy to clear up. If it's not... well, we'll cross that bridge when we get there."

Zara chimed in, her face scrunched up in disbelief. "But why would Renzo, of all people, hang out with us if his family's, like, super shady? Wouldn't he be laying low or something?"

Lila frowned. Zara had a point. Renzo was always in the spotlight—always showing off, always playing the part of the charismatic golden boy. If his family was under that much scrutiny, why was he so casual about everything?

"Maybe he's trying to distract himself," Noah offered, giving a thoughtful look. "Or maybe he's just good at hiding it."

Kira's phone buzzed again, and she glanced at the screen, her eyes widening. "Oh my God, you guys! There's more. Apparently, Renzo's dad has been in talks with... Noah's dad."

The room fell silent.

"What?" Noah said, his eyes narrowing.

"Yeah, I just found it. Renzo's dad has been meeting with your dad for, like, business deals or something. It's all really hush-hush, but they're connected."

Lila's eyes darted toward Noah, but he looked as shocked as the rest of them. "I had no idea."

"Are you sure?" Lila asked, a lump forming in her throat. If Noah's family was somehow involved in whatever shady dealings Renzo's family had going on, this could be bigger than they thought.

"I swear, I didn't know anything about this," Noah said, his face serious. "But if that's true, we need to figure out what's going on."

Kira let out a sigh, running her hand through her hair. "This is like some soap opera, guys. Next thing we know, Renzo's going to announce he's running for mayor or something."

Jasper, who had been munching on chips this whole time, finally chimed in. "Honestly, if Renzo's dad turns out to be a supervillain, I wouldn't even be surprised at this point. We're living in a real-life Netflix drama."

Everyone chuckled, but the tension was still thick in the room. They all knew this was far from over.

"Okay, what's our plan?" Zara asked, looking around. "Are we actually going to confront Renzo?"

Noah nodded, determination in his eyes. "We need to know the truth. Let's talk to him and see what he has to say. But be ready—this could get messy."