"I don't really understand one thing though." Ethan said furrowing his eyebrows, confused, after a few minutes.
Riley tilted her head to the side as if to ask 'what?'.
"Why did they not call the police or anything when.... well... Lillian went missing. Or they couldn't find her. I mean, they never once thought in the past 8 years something might have happened to her?"
That's honestly a good question. Riley thought for a moment, searching for the right words to say.
"Well... it was for her own protection." She started. "Bad people also know that Lillian exists and if she was out of the house with no protection then she might turn into an easy target for those people who want to use her against Vincent.
So Laura had no choice but to bite her tongue. If she went to the police or hired a private investigator, the news would've leaked out and Lillian would've been in danger. Serious danger."
No one knows Riley too, but they do know she exists and is Benjamin's daughter. Only very few individuals her father trust knew her family personally.
~~~
Lillian felt a pair of hands snake around her waist and pull her into Isaac's chest, and stiffened before relaxing.
"I gave you a key for emergency." Lillian said as she mixed the dish she was making with a spoon.
They grew a lot closer since that night, one week ago and Issac had been coming over almost everyday.
Lillian didn't take the rest of the week off like her manager suggested, which Issac didn't like but knew he couldn't do anything about it so he could only sigh and pull her closer to him before telling her to take it easy.
"I missed my girlfriend." Issac said, pouting, resting his chin on her shoulder.
"Don't you have an important meeting to get too?" Lillian asked. He had a meeting with one of his potential investors that day and Lillian didn't want him to waste his time on her when he could be going through what he had to say and his presentation.
"Hmmm. It was postponed." He said burying his face in the crook of her neck.
Lillian nodded her head in response.
The key hole turned and the door opened, revealing Riley- who was astonished to say the least at the sight that greeted her.
She stood there for a few seconds- which felt like hours- gaping at her brother flirting with his sister.
"What. Is going on here?" She choked out as soon as she found the words she needed.
Issac let go of Lillian, like he was on fire- startled by Riley's voice- and leaned against the counter with his chin resting on his hand. Pretending the whole scene didn't even exist.
Lillian looked over her shoulder, before concentrating on her dish again.
"Well." Riley urged, tapping her foot on the ground impatiently.
Alright this is either the best time to come out.
Or play dumb.
"What?" Issac asked confused, going with the latter.
"Don't you 'what' me. I saw you hugging her from behind." Riley said in an accusing tone, air quoting 'what'.
"You sure about that?" He asked, as if concerned about her vision.
Riley gave him a ridiculous look before looking back at her sister- who was still busy cooking.
"Lillian." Riley said her name in a serious tone.
Lillian didn't bother looking at her this time around. Letting Issac deal with her.
"OK, fine. We are dating." Issac confessed, candidly, looking at her. Anxious about her reaction.
It didn't really matter to him whether she was against their relationship or not since he wouldn't give up Lillian for anyone, but it'd really mean the world to him if she were to support him.
"That's gross." Riley said making a disgusted face. She wasn't disgusted with their relationship, just the fact that they were in a relationship despite being related to Riley. In other words, they could be considered siblings.
Issac rolled his eyes at that. He knew she didn't mean it that way.
"Isn't it like incest?" She asked, making a funny expression.
Well, they aren't blood related.
"Mom and dad didn't adopt Lillian." He said, shrugging his shoulders.
"Well I'm her sister and yours too, so indirectly you two are. Oh well forget it." Riley said rolling her eyes and throwing her hands in the hair, giving up on trying to understand it.
She was happy for them as long as they were happy.
"Lillian, do you have your birth certificate?" Riley asked, coming straight to the point.
Lillian thought for a minute. Did she have it?
"I think so.." She trailed off. Where did she last keep it?
"Real or a copy?" Lillian asked, turning the stove off before turning around to look at Riley.
"Anything." Riley replied. Well, now it'd be easy to track down her kidnapper. She was really curious to know who did it. Why they did it and how they did it.
Lillian walked into her room to get the document.
"Why would you need her birth certificate?" Issac asked.
"I got a lead. If we know who delivered us, then we can ask the physician in charge what happened that day." She explained, getting nervous. What if the name was not written on the certificate?
"What if the physician is dead? Or doesn't remember that day?" Issac wondered out loud.
Riley narrowed her eyes at him.
"Do not jinx it." She warned him, giving him a pointed look.
Issac simply shrugged in response.
Lillian returned a few minutes later with a file and a piece of paper.
"Here." She said, passing the file to Riley. "I don't have the real certificate though." She then said as she watched Riley flipped through the pages in search of the birth certificate.
"That isn't a problem." Riley said quietly, assuring her sister.
Riley squealed in delight internally when she saw the name of the physician written in the certificate.
"Thank you." She squealed out, her smile stretching from one ear to another, and threw herself at her sister. Wrapping her in a tight hug.
Lillian lost her balance at first, not expecting Riley to throw herself at her but managed to catch herself before she fell. She looked at Issac for help, not knowing what she had to do now.
Riley straightened her back and was ready to bid goodbye when Lillian stopped her by placing the piece of paper she carried with her on Riley's palm.
"What's that?" Riley asked cluelessly.
That morning, Riley had passed Lillian a cheque through the tiny space under the door. The cheque contained the money Nancy owed Lillian, though it was only a fraction of what she owed she promised that she'd try to pay her back in installment.
Riley rolled her eyes at that promise since she knew that she won't be able to get a job anywhere and won't be able to pay her back either, but kept her mouth shut leaving Nancy to figure out that tiny information all by herself.
"Give it to Vincent." Lillian said. She was firm in her decision.
"Why?" Riley asked looking at Lillian as if she had grown two heads and looked at Issac for help.
"Why don't you save it for later use instead of giving it to him." Issac suggested.
Lillian shook her head. She had more than that saved up and invested, she didn't need that money. She had to give him the money that she owed him too, she didn't want to owe him any more.
Issac turned his head to look at Riley and shook his head, saying that she won't listen and to listen to her.
Riley frowned but nonetheless grumbled out a 'fine'.
~~~~~~
"Oliver Saint." Casey dragged, breaking the words into syllables, and typed the name in her computer. Now all they had to do was wait for the computer to find out more information about him- which could take days if not weeks.
"So.... any idea where he is?" Riley asked carefully so as to not irk Casey.
Casey gave a her look from the corner of her eyes, Riley understood the look and pinched two of her finger together and ran it across her lips, zipping her mouth shut.
"Where are you going dressed like that?" Casey asked her, taking in her colleague's fancy attire.
Riley grinned at the question.
"A date."