LISA'S POV
I picked up the document and began reading.
"Diego Sanchez Arrested and Sentenced to Six Years in Prison."
I froze.
I couldn't believe what I was looking at.
Diego was an ex-convict! And judging by the information in the document, he had only recently been released from prison.
I continued reading, and with every line, my shock grew.
He had been arrested while attempting to smuggle drugs out of the country. Apparently, he wasn't just a drug dealer; he was also a drug addict.
According to the report, he had been involved in several criminal activities, including human trafficking, all in exchange for a steady supply of drugs.
My goodness!
What kind of monster had my mother married?
I quickly stood up and began searching through the room frantically. I needed to find something, anything, that could expose this man.
After searching for almost an hour, I finally found something suspicious.
At least, the documents and the substance I had discovered would be enough to support my suspicions and expose him.
"I'm going to get you out of our lives, Diego. I promise," I muttered, clutching the evidence.
---
I sat in the living room, patiently waiting for Mum to return.
My mind was crowded with countless thoughts and emotions. I couldn't stop imagining how everything would unfold.
I pictured the look on Mum's face when she discovered the truth about her beloved husband. I imagined Diego's shocked expression when the police finally came for him.
Most importantly, I imagined the excitement I would feel when Mum and I finally walked out of that house for good.
Suddenly, I heard the sound of a car pulling into the compound.
I immediately stood up and fixed my gaze on the entrance.
I waited eagerly for Mum to walk through the door.
The doorknob finally twisted, and my smile widened.
The door opened.
But instead of Mum, Diego walked in and shut the door behind him.
I frowned.
"Ummm... where's Mum?" I asked, glancing behind him, expecting her to walk in at any moment.
"Sorry, doll, but your mother won't be coming back tonight," Diego replied casually as he lit a cigarette.
I stared at him in confusion.
I had absolutely no idea what he was talking about.
"Could you rephrase that? Because I think I'm missing something here. Or perhaps I just don't understand what you mean," I said, raising an eyebrow.
Diego didn't answer immediately. He simply stood there with that annoying smile plastered across his face.
At that moment, the only thing on my mind was wiping that stupid smile off his face.
"Well, you see, doll, you're a little too smart for your own good. Especially for someone your age. I know about your plans. I know you've been trying to get rid of me. I figured it out a while ago and decided to get rid of you first. I couldn't possibly allow you to take me down on my own territory. So, it's either you play the game or become a victim of it," he said with a sinister smile.
I couldn't believe my ears.
He had known all along!
He had known what I was planning and had simply kept quiet, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike.
And to think I had once called this bastard my father!
"So, what exactly are you trying to say? What have you done to my mother?" I demanded, my voice trembling with anger.
Diego chuckled.
"Your mother is a very beautiful woman, you know. But the truth is, I never loved her. Not even for a single day. I made a deal with the Don. If I could get your mother for him, he would supply me with some goodies free of charge. And honestly, I couldn't afford to turn down such an offer."
He paused, taking another drag from his cigarette.
"Your mother was nothing but a pawn in my little game. All I had to do was make her fall for me and deliver her to the highest bidder."
He suddenly burst into a maniacal fit of laughter.
I felt something inside me snap.
Without thinking twice, I lunged at him, catching him off guard with a forceful blow.
He doubled over in pain and collapsed to the floor.
I didn't give him a chance to recover. I struck him again, leaving him groaning.
I grabbed him by his clothes and pulled him upright, staring directly into his eyes.
"WHERE IS MY MOTHER?" I demanded through gritted teeth.
Instead of answering, he burst into another round of irritating laughter.
I stared at him in disbelief.
How could one human being be so unbelievably annoying?
Before I could say another word, the sound of police sirens filled the air.
I smiled.
Perfect timing! They're finally here to take you away. And this time, I'll make sure you rot in prison!
But Diego only laughed harder.
After a while, he stopped and looked at me with a sinister smirk.
"They aren't here for me, cupcake. There's a new headline making the rounds. A sixteen-year-old girl has been accused of murdering her own mother and burning her body. Congratulations, sweetheart. You're officially a murderer!"
My heart skipped a beat.
"What?"
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a silenced gun.
"But there's one little problem," he continued, pointing the weapon at me. "If you end up in prison, I won't have any peace. I don't just want you behind bars. I want you dead. You need to die!"
I stared at him, momentarily stunned.
Was this really happening?
I slowly approached him, trying not to let my fear show.
One thing Dad had taught me was never to underestimate an opponent, especially when emotions were running high.
My eyes briefly shifted towards Diego's hand.
It was trembling.
He might have had a weapon, but he was clearly nervous.
I seized the opportunity and lunged at him. The gun slipped from his hand and landed on the floor.
He immediately moved to retrieve it, but I was faster.
I managed to get hold of it first.
Honestly, I had begun to doubt my own strength throughout this confrontation. I had even imagined myself being completely overpowered by this man.
But as it turned out, despite his intimidating physique, Diego wasn't nearly as formidable as he looked.
Look at this man! With a build like that, he could easily pass for a professional bodyguard, yet he doesn't seem to know the first thing about defending himself. What a waste of muscles! I thought.
I raised the gun and pointed it towards him.
"One more move, and I swear I'll pull the trigger!" I warned, my voice trembling with anger.
By then, I could already hear footsteps and commotion coming from the hallway.
The police were here.
I looked at Diego, my anger growing by the second.
"Do you know how easy it would be for me to kill you right now? At least then, I wouldn't have any regrets. I'd know exactly why I was being sent to juvenile detention. You sold my mother, and now you've framed me for her murder! You absolute bastard!"
I could have simply walked away, but something inside me wanted to leave him with a reminder of what he had done.
I aimed at his leg and pulled the trigger.
He screamed and collapsed, groaning in pain.
I didn't care.
I had already lost too much, and I wasn't about to let him get away with destroying what remained of my life.
By then, the police were banging furiously on the front door.
I took one last look at him.
"That's for my mother, Diego. But this isn't goodbye. You'd better prepare yourself because I promise you, I'll make sure you pay for everything you've done!"
With that, I turned and ran out of the house.
---
I escaped through the back gate and disappeared into the darkness.
Just like that, my life had changed forever.
I was no longer an ordinary sixteen-year-old girl who simply wanted to live a peaceful life with her mother.
I was now a fugitive.
A wanted criminal.
A girl accused of murdering her own mother.
For all I knew, the entire country could already be looking for me. Perhaps even bounty hunters were on my trail.
I had absolutely no idea where I was going, but one thing was certain: I couldn't go to prison. Not like this. Not when I hadn't done anything wrong.
No matter how complicated my relationship with Mum had been, and no matter how many times I had wished I could get away from her, I never wanted her dead.
I needed to find her.
I needed to uncover the truth about what had happened to her.
And most importantly, I needed to clear my name.
There was only one place I could think of going at that moment.
Mira's house.
I pulled the hood of my jacket over my head and stepped into a dark alley, heading in the direction of her house.
Thankfully, it wasn't too far away.
As I walked, I kept glancing over my shoulder, watching out for anything suspicious.
Every passing sound made me uneasy.
I couldn't afford to be careless.
After what felt like forever, I finally arrived at Mira's apartment.
I approached the gate and pressed the doorbell.
Then I waited.
Ten minutes passed before the gate finally began to open.
Throughout those ten minutes, I had been looking around frantically, watching for any unusual movement.
I just wanted to get inside.
I needed somewhere safe to hide.
And hopefully, Mira would be able to help me figure out what to do next.