Chapter 72: Chapter 72

“Who is he?” Was Anton Hayes’s first question as soon as we got into the house. Siobhan’s mom had grabbed her almost as soon as we came out of the car, hugging her and crying as she kissed Siobhan’s hair and face.

I think that was about the same time Mrs. Hayes noticed me standing there with my small luggage. Her eyes were hazel unlike Siobhan’s and very curious as she took in my appearance.

“He is my classmate,” Siobhan said. “He lives far away so I offered him a place to stay. He can stay here right Dad?”

Anton was staring at me a little too closely and I felt uncomfortable but then he grunted and I guess that means yes. A housekeeper came to carry our bags and I suppose she was going to prepare a room for me too.

“What happened?” Mrs. Hayes asked, going back to hysterical. “The school suddenly called and asked that all students should be taken out of school. It’s all over the news but no one is saying anything. What happened?”

Siobhan shared a glance with me and as she had been doing all day since we left school, she broke down in tears. This time her sobs were loud. She coughed and held on to her mother’s clothes. Anton stared at her and then turned suspicious eyes at me, for whatever reason it looks like Mr. Hayes may not be a huge fan of mine. He can’t possibly know about the attempt to abduct his daughter right? No one could have leaked it since it’s just within Alex’s gang and I am the only one out of the gang who knows about it. Anyways, I would be suspicious of a stranger showing up at my house too if I were in his shoes.

“M-mom, they took Bianca!”

“Who?” Edna Hayes asked.

Siobhan was crying too much she could barely say a thing. It was bad enough that I still couldn’t stop blaming myself for what happened that night, Siobhan’s tears made it worse. Every sob, every hiccup reminded me that I was responsible for everything that happened.

I swallowed hard. “Bianca, ma’am. Our school was invaded and Bianca was taken.”

“A-and Carla,” Siobhan cried.

I didn’t know she cared about Carla given all the stuff she said about my supposed twin sister but it’s somewhat refreshing to see her worried about someone else besides herself.

Edna Hayes’s reaction was expected but the flare of her shocked reaction took me by surprise.

“Oh my God!” she exclaimed, pushing Siobhan away from her. Even Siobhan was surprised at her mother’s reaction. “My God! My God! How did it happen?!”

Both mother and daughter were crying again. “I don’t know…” Siobhan sobbed. “T-they just came from nowhere and took her away…I don’t understand why they would do something like that.”

“Do her parents know?” Edna asked she was already running for the phone. She picked it up and immediately dialed a number. Siobhan went to the couch to sit and wait for her mom to make the call. Anton Hayes went to sit with Siobhan and he rubbed her shoulders calmly, kissing her hair.

“Michelle…no this is not a friendly call…is Cole there? Didn’t you both get a call from Bianca’s school?” she had to pause for a moment to control her shaky voice. “Bianca was taken…abducted from school… no no Siobhan is here…it’s just Bianca and one other kid from their school. I’m so sorry this happened…yes please come around Michelle and tell Cole we need to find her…we have to do whatever we can to find her.”

She dropped the phone and walked back to Anton and held his hand.

“Anton, I need you to send private investigators out to look for her! You have to look for Bianca.”

“I’m sure that Maximilian Edwin and the security team are working on it.”

“I don’t care! This is Bianca we are talking about! She’s Siobhan’s best friend!”

“Edna…”

“Dad!” Siobhan cut in holding her father’s arm desperately. “You have to get her back! You know people! You can speak to anyone and they will get on the case as fast as possible…you need to find Bianca…you need to find my best friend.”

“There are processes to this thing and you know it. I will see what I can do,” he said but I got the feeling that Anton wouldn’t be doing anything about it which struck me as strange.

If I recall, when I first saw them in Mainland they looked like a tightly knit family, why is he dragging his feet about this?

It was an hour later when I was shown to my room. I sat in the darkness chewing my nails, too worried to even appreciate the beauty of the room I was given. I wish I had a phone to call Carol. Obviously, kidnapping Bianca in Siobhan’s place has nothing to do with the money. When out of a pure stroke of luck I saw her talking into a phone outside the dining at the party tonight I knew it was time but I just didn’t know things wouldn’t go according to our initial plans. After the first attempt where her man had mistaken Eva for Siobhan, I warned her to give up her plan and go back home to Mainland but she shrugged me off and threatened to report me to Jonathan and tell him I knew who it was that broke into school the first time. Even after she told me to back off I didn’t let her threat scare me, I was ready to expose her but I guess I was slower because the next thing I knew my Bianca was taken away from me.

Carol was jealous. She wouldn’t let me go even though she knows how much I love Bianca. I never thought I would fall out of love with her but Bianca came and I knew she was the one.

My heart ached as I worried about her. I don’t know the extent of Carol’s cruelty but I fear the wrath of a jealous woman.

Suddenly there was a knock on my door making me start.

The door creaked open and Siobhan peeked in. “Hey.”

“Hi.”

“I think Bianca’s parents are here. Wanna come?”

I didn’t want to go because I didn’t want to face the weight of my guilt. How do I look into the eyes of the man and woman whose daughter was gone because of me? What do I say to them?

But I found myself rising on my feet. She held out her hand. Her eyes were red and her nose was swollen and red at the tip.

I took her hand and we went downstairs together. The front door was just opening when we walked into the living room and a man that was undeniably Bianca’s dad considering his height walked in. He was a huge man and very good-looking but it was the woman and her hazel eyes that really reminded me the most of Bianca. Her eyes were red-rimmed and beside her husband, Cole Davies, Michelle Davis looked really fragile.

Edna immediately ran into Michelle’s arms to hug and comfort her. Both women began to cry all over again. Siobhan went to Cole, Bianca’s dad and he hugged her tight looking relieved to know that at least his daughter’s friend was alive and safe. When Edna went to him he awkwardly patted her shoulder and right at that moment Anton walked into the room and I may be mistaken but there was a hint of animosity between both men. Edna took Michelle’s hand and led her to the couch.

“Have you heard anything?” she asked.

“No one would tell us anything! Have the abductors said anything? How much do they want?” Michelle cried.

“How much can we give them? How do we contact them?!”

My heart was beating heavily. Should I tell them about the plan? Wouldn’t they think my story is wild and unbelievable? What if Cole decides to pounce on me for being behind his daughter’s disappearance? And what if Anton throws me in jail?

“We wouldn’t even be able to pay,” Cole said, his voice was a rumble causing my heart to beat even faster. I was too scared to even speak how much more come clean about my part in the scheme?

Edna had her hand to her mouth. “Whatever they want I’m sure, Anton and I can help with it.”

“No.”

Every eye turned to Anton who had spoken.

“Dad!” Siobhan shrieked. “We can’t leave Bianca with…whoever it is that kidnapped her! You have to help us here!”

“I am already doing the best I can!”

“But you would have tried harder if it was me!”

“Because that’s different. You are my daughter! Bianca is his daughter!” he pointed at Cole Davies.

Okay, it’s confirmed. There is bad blood between Cole Davies and Anton Hayes. But why? Their daughters are best friends.

It looked like hell was going to freeze over as both men stared at each other with flaring nostrils and clenched fists. If Edna hadn’t stood between the men they probably would have torn each other apart. But even then the next words out of Edna’s mouth did nothing to calm the atmosphere.

“Anton!” she said and her hands shook as she regarded both men. “A-Anton…Cole…Bianca…Bianca is my daughter…” Her voice shook and she looked to Michelle who looked nervously at her husband. “She’s my daughter.”