C535 Laura's Strange Behavior

Victor immediately rushed to the ancestral room to check Alicia's life candle. We waited anxiously for his response. After what felt like an eternity, his voice finally came through the phone. "Her candle is still burning. What happened? Is she sick?" I shook my head, even though he couldn't see me. "Thank you, Grandpa." Before he could ask any more questions, I ended the call. Victor frowned at his phone, puzzled by my strange behaviour. However, he was exhausted from the funeral and had little energy to concern himself with more problems. As far as he was concerned, Alicia's candle was still burning steadily, which meant her life was not in immediate danger. Meanwhile, back at the Mooney residence, Chris turned towards me. "What was that about?" I managed a small smile. "Grandpa confirmed that Alicia's life candle is still burning normally. That means she's alive." Everyone released a breath of relief. For the first time, we had something positive to hold on to. Mark, however, quickly returned to the problem before us. "That's good news, but how do we find her? And what am I supposed to tell the Mayor?" I turned towards him. "Father-in-law, I think the Mayor may have played us. He knew who Ann Smith was, and the meeting he directed us to two parties who clearly had disagreements. The moment they met, a gunfight broke out. Hanna was even captured by those men before everything went wrong."

Mark frowned. "So you think our suspicions about him were correct?" "I can't say that for certain," I replied. "But I believe the Mayor wanted us to kill Ann Smith in case those men failed to do it themselves. Otherwise, how could he have known the exact location and time of a meeting between two people involved in the drug trade?" Mark nodded slowly, considering my words. "We'll investigate that later. Right now, my daughter's safety is the most important thing." Chris, who had been listening quietly, suddenly turned towards me. "Mike, tell them the truth." I looked at him sharply. "No, Chris. Not now." Mary immediately noticed the tension between us. "Chris, what are you talking about?" Peter joined in, his expression growing serious. "Chris, Mike, what exactly are you two hiding from us?" I looked around the room. Everyone was waiting for an answer, and I knew I couldn't keep avoiding the question. Finally, I spoke. "I lied when I said the explosion interrupted us and that Alicia couldn't find a clear shot. She had a clear shot, but she hesitated. And when I tried to kill Hanna myself, Alicia stopped me." Mark's expression changed immediately. "Why would she do that?" I sighed. "Alicia has been having second thoughts about everything we've been doing. She told me she wanted to find a peaceful way out of this life. She's tired of the endless cycle of revenge." Chris frowned. "Is it because of the assassination attempt?" I tried to stop him, but it was too late. Everyone had heard him. Mark stared at me, his expression hardening. "Mike, have you and Alicia been hiding things from us? What assassination attempt?"

I remained silent for a moment, struggling to decide how much I could tell them without making the situation worse. "Father-in-law, all I can tell you for now is that the Gupta family is looking for answers. Darry hasn't taken Samson's death lightly, and he has sworn to avenge his brother." Peter shook his head in disbelief. "So the Gupta family is another enemy we have to worry about?" I nodded. "That's why Alicia has been trying to find peace. Having enemies everywhere isn't safe, and she knows this life cannot go on forever. Every time we settle one conflict, another one begins." Mark rubbed his forehead. "Fine. We'll discuss the rest later. Go and see whether you can find anything that will help us locate her." I nodded and headed towards my bedroom, with Chris following close behind. As soon as we entered, I began searching through our equipment for the camera Alicia had been wearing during the mission. I desperately hoped she had pressed the recording button before everything went wrong. If she had, the footage might reveal what happened to her after the explosion. And if we were lucky, it might give us a clue about where Hanna had taken her. At the hospital Inside Samantha's ward. Valeria waited until the doctor had confirmed that Samantha's condition was stable before deciding to leave. "I think I should go home now," she said. "David is looking after both children, and I know how difficult that can be on his own. I should go and help him." Kelvin nodded in understanding. "All right. Let us know when you get home." Valeria said her goodbyes before leaving the hospital.

Sarah and Faith sat beside the bed while Samantha rested weakly. Although she was out of immediate danger, she still needed time to recover from her injuries. Laura, who had remained unusually quiet, looked towards Amanda. "Amanda, could we speak outside for a moment?" Amanda glanced at Samantha before nodding. "Of course." The two women stepped into the corridor. Once they were alone, Laura wiped the tears from her face and took a deep breath. "Amanda, we've been through so much together. There have been times when I've made terrible decisions, but you've stood by me. You supported me even when you didn't have to." Amanda watched her carefully, sensing that something was troubling her. Laura continued. "After everything that happened with my revenge, I even began developing feelings for you, despite being married to Bright. I just want you to know that those feelings were real. I love you, Amanda." Amanda frowned, caught off guard by the confession. "Laura, this isn't the right time for this. Alicia is missing, and Samantha is still in the hospital." Laura managed a small smile through her tears. "I know. I'm not confessing anything you don't already know. I'm just reminding you of something that's always been there." Before Amanda could respond, Laura stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her. For a moment, she held Amanda tightly, as though she were trying to memorise the feeling. Then she whispered, "If anything happens to me, just remember that you were truly special to me."

Amanda froze. Before she could make sense of those words, Laura rose onto her tiptoes and kissed her. It was brief, but there was something about it that made Amanda's heart sink. Laura pulled away, wiped her tears, and turned towards the lift. "Laura, wait!" Amanda called after her. "Where are you going? I don't understand what's happening." Laura stopped for a moment but didn't turn around. "Home." The lift doors opened, and she stepped inside. Amanda stood motionless as the doors closed, leaving her alone in the corridor. Something about Laura's words troubled her, but she couldn't quite understand what it was. She had known Laura long enough to recognise when something was wrong, and this felt different from anything she had seen before. After a few moments, Amanda returned to Samantha's ward, still trying to make sense of what had just happened. Meanwhile, Laura drove straight to the Gomez family residence. By the time she arrived, everyone had finished dinner and was gathered together. She wiped her tears before entering, forcing a smile onto her face. "Good evening, everyone." They greeted her warmly, and she took a seat among them. For a few moments, she simply looked around the room, taking in the familiar faces. Then she drew a deep breath. "Mom, Dad, Bright, there's something I'd like to say." Everyone turned towards her. "First, I want to thank you all for making sure my father's funeral went well. I know you weren't all related to him by blood, but you still came together to give him a proper farewell. That meant more to me than I can explain."

The family exchanged puzzled glances. Prince leaned forward. "Laura, my child, why are you thanking us for something like that? Josh was your father, and that makes him part of our family, too. We would never have allowed him to be sent off without the respect he deserved." Laura nodded, her eyes beginning to fill with tears. "I know, Father. And that's exactly why I'm grateful." She paused, struggling to keep her voice steady. "Today, we faced another terrible incident. One of our own has been abducted, while two others were seriously injured. We don't know what will happen next, and that's made me realise how much you all mean to me." Her tears finally spilled over. "You accepted me into this family when you didn't have to. You welcomed me, cared for me, and made me feel like I belonged. You gave me a place where I could feel safe, even when everything else in my life was falling apart." Prince looked towards Godness, silently searching for an explanation for Laura's emotional behaviour. But Godness appeared just as confused. Laura turned towards her mother-in-law. "Mother, you've been the mother I never had. The love and care you've shown me have meant more than you know. No matter what happens, I'll always be grateful for that." Godness's expression softened. She reached towards Laura, but Laura had already turned to Bright. "And you, my husband..." Her voice trembled. "I missed you so much when I was away. Seeing my friends with their partners while you were here, far from me, wasn't easy. There were times when I wished things could be different." Bright lowered his eyes, listening carefully. "But I understand the life we've chosen," Laura continued. "It's dangerous, and I know you stayed away from it for a reason. I can't blame you for wanting to protect yourself from that danger."

The room fell silent. Nobody knew what to say. Laura had always been shy, even when life gave her every reason to break down. Hearing her speak this way, as though she were saying goodbye, left them deeply unsettled. Finally, Laura stood up. "I've said what I wanted to say. I'll go back to the hospital and visit my friend." Bright looked up. "Laura, do you want me to come with you?" She shook her head. "No. Stay here. I'll be fine." Before anyone could ask another question, she turned and walked away. The family watched her leave, their faces filled with confusion. They couldn't understand why she had suddenly decided to thank them for things they had always considered natural expressions of love and family. Outside, Laura climbed into her car and started the engine. For a moment, she sat motionless, staring through the windscreen as tears streamed down her face. She had told Amanda how she felt. She had thanked the family who had accepted her. She had said everything she had been holding inside. Yet none of it brought her peace. After a few minutes, she wiped her face, shifted the car into gear, and pulled away. She had told everyone she was going back to the hospital. But she wasn't going there. Instead, she took a different route, driving away from the hospital and towards a destination she had no intention of revealing to anyone.