C12 Surprise: the past came back

As they packed their things, Mayara and Iara noticed from the corner of their eyes that they were being followed by hooded members of the NonGrate Hand. Escaping at that moment was nearly impossible. A high-speed chase began on that rural road. Samuel pressed hard on the accelerator! They couldn't let them catch or disappear as well. They needed to flee as fast as possible from there. Mayara was scared! While Percival threw some things to hit stones or wood that ricocheted and delayed the cars of the group for seconds. It was too risky. They were going at over 100 per hour, almost 200 without stopping, and that scared them. Iara guessed that the vice principal had something to do with it, and someone from the administrative side of this organization didn't want anyone uncovering their secrets. And that was important. What was the true secret behind all of this? Mayara was apprehensive and had a bad feeling.

"Guys, we have to leave here. Each one to a different country. These people will catch us together. They must know about the new investigation," Iara said, lowering her head.

They continued speeding down the asphalt in the early hours of the morning, while evading the armored cars. It was incredible. How to overcome this? They wondered. Samuel agreed with Iara.

"Yeah, this investigation will have to be handled by our junior detective. Only you can solve this without being mentioned in high places."

"What do you mean?"

"Mayara, you need to leave the country, my love," Iara affirmed, tears already streaming down her face, seeing a new wave of organization members approaching. "We'll take you to Barcelona, and from there, you'll be on your own."

Mayara held her breath but remained calm.

"Who are they really? You haven't told me yet..."

Iara intervened.

"QUICK, SAMUEL! HURRY! THEY'RE GETTING CLOSER!"

"I KNOW," he yelled. "I KNOW! LET'S GET OUT OF HERE QUICKLY!"

Mayara slammed against the back as the car accelerated and hit things along the way, reaching the urban area. It was too much. Too much.

They were near Barcelona when the car was hit by strategic gunfire. Everyone got out and abandoned the car, running into Barcelona, closely followed by hooded and masked men, frightening the partygoers of the night in the city. It was a nightmarish sight, and Mayara found herself terrified, running into the night.

Percival said:

"It's better if we split up here. Everyone goes their own way, and then we meet up again."

"But..."

"No time, Mayara! Our situation is serious. Run and save yourself, then we'll ask questions later!!! No time for further explanations."

Screams and shouts frightened them, and they ran in opposite directions without saying goodbye. Mayara hid, watching one by one of her friends being captured and yelling:

"Run, run, save yourselves if you can."

It was unfair. She wanted to get everyone out. Iara took her hand, and they ran into the subway.

"Strength in your legs, Mayara!!!"

"But what about the boys?"

- They won't have time!!! They'll escape to the northwest!!! Run!

She saw them on the upper platform while the pursuers were confused. Then Iara said goodbye to Mayara and told her to run, pushing her into a train car.

Everything seemed to slow down for her in that moment when she saw Iara position herself for the opposite car. And so the four of them separated. What should she do???? It was too much for her.

She ran and blended into the crowd, jumping off at the last subway station. It was almost dawn. Looking back, two things she was sure of: she wouldn't see the boys anytime soon and she had to make her own way. She had walked around Barcelona many times. In the early morning, she would decide what to do.

At a certain moment later that week, Celina Halley spent a lot of time sightseeing in Europe. Seeking answers about her past, washing her face, she wondered: why is my father such a pushover? A cold and distant man? Why didn't her grandparents respect each other? Who is her mother? What happened to her twin sister? Why so much secrecy? What happened almost eighteen, nineteen years ago? The day was breaking. Celina was going for another walk around Barcelona. She loved the city! She wasn't very tall. She had light green eyes, a soft and childish green. Dark brown hair with blonde highlights, wavy and falling on her shoulders. She wore glasses and had the same physical build as Sabrina. Fair and smooth skin, slim and well-shaped body. Quite thin due to constantly having allergies to some foods. She missed her sister. She grabbed her bag and went out for a walk. Everyone said her sister was dead. But she didn't believe in this ridiculous farce. It was fake. Something was hidden, she knew.

Since the previous year, the girl had been receiving anonymous SMS and emails alerts, and a letter with strange senseless riddles warning about the "real" and plausible possibility of her sister being alive. She clung to this fact due to years of longing for love and the desire to be loved and recognized by her father. Which probably wouldn't happen as long as she insisted on having a life with him. And he didn't want her at all. It hurt a lot. A neglected childhood. That's why she traveled and backpacked through Asia. Elevating her spirituality. It was strange for her. She didn't see possibilities of her father being directly involved in her sister's disappearance, and her distrust always fell on her absent-minded grandfather. But her grandmother was the most likely candidate to hide everything. It was time to uncover this farce.

In another of her trips through Europe this time.

She let her inner girly spirit blossom with great delicacy and went out for another day of tea, books, and research. She had dreamt of her sister's name and was trying to uncover the possible last name arranged or fabricated for her. As she passed by an old bookstore, she saw a telephone directory from that era. She thought about buying it or flipping through its pages.

Mayara had arrived in Barcelona in the morning, unable to believe her luck. She had escaped whatever it was, but she wanted to retaliate for her friends.

The day was breaking when Makeda stepped off the subway, looking at a photo that had come with her file at the orphanage. Young and beautiful people at a graduation party. It must have been a long time ago...

Feeling pressed, she decided to use the bathroom. Five minutes later, a girl named Celina entered the same space to freshen up. Mayara came out of the stall and came face to face with the stranger. She closed her eyes. Celina Halley. A wealthy socialite from Mexico known for her parties and travels in Europe. Daughter of one of the Governor's allies, a cold and disgusting man, maybe a mobster, she thought. She sighed, greeted her normally, pretending not to know her from the social columns. Celina returned the greeting politely but noticed the resemblance between them.

They started talking about the city and looked at each other in the mirror. There was a lot of similarity between them. Mayara told her she was fleeing in search of her past. She also mentioned that she knew the other by her surname in the social columns. Celina felt sad.

Celina observed her new friend and recognized herself in her. It was all so fascinating and mysterious at the same time. She missed her sister; such strange things were happening. How were they so alike... so much sadness in Mayara's green eyes; how would she behave at a high society party?

She had liked the girl right away. It was so different to meet someone from a different kind of situation. She gave her a warm feeling at that moment.

It was hilarious. But Celina had some goals in mind. For Mayara, it was a relief to find a normal girl her age who could help her stand out and blend into the local society. That's when Celina noticed Mayara's strange clothes. They seemed childish and too old-fashioned at the same time. It was funny.

"Hahahahahahahahahaha. Look at that, your clothes are strange," Celina teased.

"Yeah... I know. But I don't have much money, and I plan to move to another country. I intend to save up to buy a ticket. Anyway, priorities."

"Hahahahahahahahaha, I know, I'm just kidding. Hmm..." Celina pulled her by the arm and examined her. It was something interesting. "Maybe I can do something about that."

Mayara was wearing simple casual clothes and faded sneakers, unlike her usual uniform service style, one of the few outfits she had to wear, an apron, doll shoes, and grandma's dress. Only the bluish tiara remained. She took a photo out of her bag. She looked at the photo confused. Celina looked curious. When she saw it, she paled and froze. She grabbed Mayara's arm and demanded to know:

"Where is this photo from?"

"I don't know. It came with my document files. I managed to gather everything."

Celina was shocked, her face turning pale as she recognized the people in the photo. It couldn't be possible. It couldn't be real. An old and private photo ending up in the middle of an orphanage's files. It was so strange and suspicious. She had the other half of the photo almost always with her in her purse to aid her frustrated investigations. Two years of searching. It would be too much of a coincidence for both of them to have the same type of photo.

"I already told you, señora. Yo no sé. Mi vida es un amargo sin fin," Mayara said.

"Do you know where this photo came from? I need to know..." Celina took a deep breath. "You don't need to speak in your language. Just show me your photo. I think it might be like one I have here, I know these people."

Celina was crazy, but a rational kind of crazy, and she had a divine intuition, asking to fit the photos together.

The two halves of the photo were put together, and the tears matched perfectly, like the plates of Brazil and West Africa. Perfectly. The story matched hers perfectly. Celina's doubt was one step away, one DNA test away, from proving the truth. She cried with anger and joy. Who had separated them? Why? It was strange and painful. What else could they be hiding?

"Mayara, I want to do a blood test with you. Just to know if what I think is true or not. Because if it's what I think, I'll demand answers and have a little chat with my father. I'm thinking you might be my sister, missing for a long time."

"Celina!"

"Accept it."

"Alright."

"I believe we're relatives. It's not just a mere coincidence. I know it."

With reluctance, Mayara stayed with Celina. It was all so embarrassing. Three days later, they took the test. Celina looked at Mayara and ran her hand over her face in a state of total madness. It was a revelation of titanic proportions. There were only two explanations: either she was her missing twin or a blood relative, the product of some relationship of her father's, and that's why they looked alike. They spent 15 days getting to know each other better and talking. Celina wanted her to be more sophisticated and less simple. The DNA test was done, and the result was 98.7% compatible. Their genes were the same in some aspects. It wasn't just a coincidence. Celina was sure of it, and it wouldn't stay like that. HOW COULD IT BE POSSIBLE FOR TWO STRANGERS TO HAVE THE SAME COMPATIBLE DNA AND LIVE IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES? That screamed in Celina's mind. Mayara tried to calm her new acquaintance.

"Calm down, there must be some explanation. Maybe we're cousins or..."

"Get real!!"

"What do you mean???"

“ Girl, we're sisters!!! And twins!!! I'm going to get to the bottom of this when I get back home. This is outrageous. There will be consequences.”

“ Wow…”

Celina paced back and forth, ignoring Cassandra's calls. She was very irritated by all of this. It wasn't easy for her.

Mayara explained that perhaps they were born from different placentas. That's why they weren't exactly alike in skin color, eye and hair tone. Celina was the eldest, twins with separate placentas, individual and profoundly different. The young woman opened the envelope and they both jumped for joy, very happy with the result. But Mayara was unaware of Celina's revenge plans.

“ Half of my questions have been answered, Makeda, but there is still much to know: who is our mother? Why were you left in an old basket at Santa Helena? And who did that?”

“ Something tells me we're going to get into some serious trouble, Celina. We better be careful.”

“Ah, now you're starting to sound like Grandpa Richard. You resemble dad so much... You smile like he used to before everything went wrong. He's always in that room, inventing gadgets and lying down almost all the time... Occasionally he shows up and gives brilliant ideas to grandpa. Your green eyes are so beautiful... But seeing you in those old clothes makes me even angrier. And to think that I always complain, I live like a princess and you suffer like a condemned since you were so young to live in poverty. Working! Whoever separates us will pay dearly. I swear.”

“Calm down Celina!” - Makeda holds her sister/friend's hand - “I'm just as hurt as you are, but think about it. So much time has passed, and revenge won't change the past, Celina. How is this "revenge" going to be? And then, everyone will end up hurt and wounded. Including you. Don't you think life has already punished them enough? Are you prepared for everything?”

“ Well, it will be the family's nightmare, the worst scandal, just the way Grandpa likes it. Uncle Paul, he can help... a tight spot. Imagine, the living room with everyone gathered, and then I show up and say, family, friends, ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Mayara Angelina, my younger sister, missing, left to die, alive here before your eyes and ears, lovely and cute, we want to talk to you about this. Ha, ha, ha... A very "juuuust" tight spot…”

“ Only you could pull that off. When are you coming back home?”

“ Tomorrow. And you're coming with me!”

“ Me?”

“ Of course! For my revenge plan, I need you. Besides, I remember you said you had a job to do.”

“Yeah, I'm starting a career as an investigator, a missing persons case, about which I can't give too many details. Anyway, I really need to go with you.”

“ Let's go, come with me, you do your job, and I gain a little peace, and respect... life points. Please.”

“Of course. I'll make a promise: I'll always be by your side, Celina. Whoever the family is, you can count on me. Even if I have to work double to help you with your expenses.”

“We'll both pay the expenses, fifty-fifty. You as a detective or police officer, and me as an Economics teacher.”

“Alright. That makes it easier. We won't be rich, but the money will be reasonably good.

“Sisters and partners?”

“Let 's do it! Forever.”

Mayara and Celina join hands and make a pact. Then they hug each other. There was no turning back now. Iara watches the scene, deeply moved.

In the evening, Mayara decides to take her sister's notebook, who was already asleep, and research about the love of her life.

Oh, Arthur, where are you and how are you? She wondered. On the internet, there were photos, gossip, news, everything. Was he still with that redhead from the pharmacy? He looked so handsome, but much more reckless and dangerous. The page said he was in MEXICO! And now? She didn't expect to find him, nor did she expect him to remember her existence. But now that she was friends with Celina Halley, a girl, a young lady of high society, from his world, worse !!! according to the test, she was his sister !!! and that changed everything. She was anguished, but she needed to focus on her mission. And he would know... her hurt and broken heart bled once again as she remembered his words. He broke the promise. He lied to her. He turned into a playboy. He was embarrassing the family name. His father was as handsome as him, but serious and honest. Why did Arthur become this kind of playboy? Or was he always like this, and she never noticed? These were questions she couldn't answer. She turned off the notebook and went to cry on her bed. Celina took the pillow and snored lazily, peacefully.

Didn't Arthur know she was free? She cried, reliving memories of the recent past. She never thought that one day, she would see him so close and inaccessible. Little did she know he was closer than a hawk, ready to seize his prey and devour her. He knew. Everything. At the right moment, he would catch her off guard, and defenseless.

Celina packs her bags with difficulty, trying to manage on her own like her sister did. Mayara laughs and helps the girl, who grumbles:

“ Damn it! I don't even know how to pack my bags!”

“ Ah, ah, ah! Relax Celina! You'll know when the time comes.”

“ Ah, Mayara! Do you have dreams, plans?”

“Ah, to be a musical actress, to exercise my talents. I'd love to perform as an opera singer, to sing Opera one day. Or go to India? a very famous actress? Well-known? And to be a detective for fun. Or a police officer. I sing, dance, act, and investigate things, who knows? And you?”

“ Um... maybe to be an Economics teacher. I love math and statistics. Is everything ready? For God's sake! Don't wear that stupid dress!” she said.

“I was thinking: how will your family react to my coming?”

“They'll have to accept it, the mistake was theirs, not yours.”

“Okay. And did you tell them we're coming?”

“ I told them about me, of course. They're always eager and worried. Dad will be there this time. Well, I want everyone to see her for who she is. The shock is the least they deserve.”

“ If you say so, I won't argue.”

The two boarded a plane. At Celina's request, a taxi awaited them at the airport in Cancun. The twins held hands until their final destination. Mayara, pale, looked at that world of wealth and luxury with strangeness and discomfort. Celina grabbed her sister's backpack while Gerald, the porter, unloaded the suitcases. Cassandra was in her room reading. The girl looked towards the house, feeling shivers. Her heart raced, her hands trembled, and sweated.

"Gerald, take the suitcases to my room and don't say anything, please."

"Of course, mademoiselle."

Celina firmly held her sister's trembling hand. Both were dressed lightly, each in their own style. They looked at each other firmly and maintained their decision to end the circus. It was Mayara who touched the doorknob.

In Celina's mind, the following would unfold:

The door opened, and a cold, mysterious wind swept through the hallway of that luxurious mansion. Celina and Mayara entered, their shadows blending into the opulent surroundings.

Cassandra was absorbed in her literary world, but when she looked up and saw the two figures, her heart raced. Her thoughts wandered to a hidden past, a story kept secret from her.

"Cassandra!" Celina called, her voice firm and determined.

The girl stood up, her eyes widening as she recognized the newcomers. A wave of emotions flooded her, buried memories beginning to surface.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice trembling with anxiety.

Mayara took the lead, her determined expression contrasting with Cassandra's insecurity.

"We are... your family," she announced, her words echoing in the tense silence of the room.

Cassandra hesitated, her mind struggling between disbelief and hope. She knew something was wrong, but a part of her longed for a connection, for answers to the mysteries that haunted her.

"My family? But... how?" she murmured, the words escaping her trembling lips.

Celina stepped forward, determined to reveal the truth that had been hidden for so long.

"Cassandra, you need to know the truth. About us, about our mother, about what really happened. We are here to unravel the secrets that kept us apart for so long."

Tension hung in the air, the fate of three women intertwined by invisible bonds that were now being revealed. The past and the present collided, and the future unfolded before them, full of uncertainties and promises of redemption.

Meanwhile, Mayara observed, her mind immersed in reflections on what the next few days would hold. She knew the journey in search of truth would be arduous, but she was determined to face any challenge alongside her newly discovered sister. but the truth its not so easy to buy. Cassandra never say or will as for forgiviness.