Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 68858 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 344(@200wpm)___ 275(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68858 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 344(@200wpm)___ 275(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
And now, because of me, Peyton and Melody were caught in the middle of it too. The weight of the situation pressed down on me, the reality of what I’d gotten myself—and them—into sinking in deeper with every passing second.
“I’m sorry,” I blurted out, the guilt twisting in my gut. The weight of everything that had happened, and everything that was to come, felt like it was pressing down on my chest. I knew I had dragged Peyton and Melody into something dangerous, and the thought of them getting hurt because of me was unbearable.
Peyton didn’t miss a beat. He slammed his hand against the steering wheel, cursing under his breath. “Don’t you dare apologize, El. Not again. You think I didn’t know what I was signing up for when I agreed to help you? I’m not some naive kid. I knew the risks.”
His tone was sharp, but there was something else there too—a fierce protectiveness that made my heart ache.
He glanced at me in the rearview mirror, his gaze softening just a fraction. “You’re my friend. That means something to me. So cut the crap and stop apologizing.”
Melody, sitting beside me, reached over and grabbed my hand, her touch a grounding force amidst the chaos swirling in my mind. “Peyton’s right,” she said, her voice steady but laced with concern. “We’re in this together. We chose to be here with you, and we’re not going anywhere. So don’t even think about trying to shoulder all of this alone.”
Peyton grunted in agreement, his focus back on the road, but his knuckles were still white against the steering wheel. “We’ve got your back, El. Just don’t shut us out, okay?”
I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat. The words I wanted to say—how much their support meant to me—got stuck somewhere between my heart and my mouth.
I flipped the folder open again and stared at the promissory note, the words blurring slightly as I tried to make sense of it all. My uncle’s name was right there, bold and undeniable, alongside a sum of money that made my head spin. And then there was the date—two months before my aunt was killed and Eva went missing.
My stomach twisted into knots. “Why would Mateo have this? And what does it mean for the house? My parents’ estate?” I asked, my voice laced with confusion and rising anxiety.
Peyton’s grip on the steering wheel tightened, his knuckles whitening. “El, this note means your uncle owes Mateo a lot of money. And if the deed to the estate is in Mateo’s name now, it means your uncle used it as collateral. Mateo owns your family home.”
I blinked, trying to process the information. “But...why? Why would he do that? And why was this all set into motion two months before Aunt Molly was killed? Before Eva disappeared?”
Melody’s eyes widened as she caught on to what I was implying. “Wait...you don’t think...”
“Had I been looking at this all wrong?” I interrupted her, the pieces slowly starting to come together in a way I didn’t want them to. “Did my uncle have something to do with Eva’s disappearance?”
Peyton shook his head, but the uncertainty was clear in his eyes. “I don’t know, El. But it’s looking more and more like this isn’t just about money. If your uncle was desperate enough to involve Mateo and gamble away the estate, who knows what else he might have done—or who he might have involved.”
A cold dread settled over me as I considered the possibility. My uncle had always been controlling, but was it possible he was desperate enough to betray his own family to cover his tracks? To save his own skin?
“I need to find out what he knows,” I murmured, my mind racing. “If he had anything to do with Eva’s disappearance, I have to know. I can’t just let this go.”
Peyton glanced at me in the rearview mirror, his expression somber. “El, whatever you decide to do, we’re with you. But you need to be careful. Mateo’s not the only dangerous one in this mess.”
I ran a hand over my face, trying to clear my mind. "I can't jump to conclusions. None of this explains Mateo's vested interest in me, especially if he already has the only thing of value my parents left behind."
Melody exchanged a glance with Peyton before speaking, her voice gentle but firm. "I agree to a fault, El. There are too many moving pieces right now, and we still don’t know where your sister fits into all of this. But the house? That’s not the most valuable thing your parents left behind."
I frowned, confusion knitting my brows together. "What do you mean?"
Melody leaned forward, her gaze locking with mine. "You and Eva. You two are the most valuable things your parents left behind."
The weight of her words hung in the air, pressing down on me. It was a truth I hadn’t fully considered, but it made sense. If Mateo wanted something more than just the house, something that would tie me to him indefinitely, what better way than to involve me—and by extension, my sister—directly in his life?