1 week later...
I've never felt so lonely in my whole life. My friends had ditched me for something else and my family were all too busy in work. I refused to go to school the whole of last week and all of them were too busy to question why.
Casey and gotten busy with tennis, cheerleading and swimming practice and so had she started hanging out with Kiernan, Lawton and Hester and I didn't want to disturbed their new bond with my issues. Rio was always out and he thought I didn't notice but I could clearly see the bruise and cuts on his first and knuckles.
Anwen had to a different country for only God knows what. Lawton was always watching TV and Kiernan had taken a medicine course.
I had gotten more lost into my thoughts and could barley concentrate on my surroundings. I was constantly lost and I felt dissociated from my own body.
History seems to be repeating itself, I could feel it. I felt dizzy, sick and I barely even ate in a day. The maids tried persuading me to eat but I just couldn't, feeling like willingly starving myself.
Something bad was happening and I wouldn't like the outcome.
*******
JOVIE'S POV (FINALLY!)
I watched out of the car window as the driver drove towards the orphanage. I had managed to convinced my father to pay my flight to France though I had to lie to him that I had to clear my head away from Sicily and the drama at school. I was actually out to get more information about Charlotte and yes, I was ready to do anything to prove that I'm not a sick junkie.
The plane landed yesterday. I had no time to waste, going for sightseeing around the beautiful city of Paris. I hired a taxi to drive to Sunset Canyon Orphanage so I could meet Mrs Merkel, the mistress of the orphanage.
"Ont n'est arrivé" he informed, parking the car in the drive way. I thank and payed him, walking out of the car and taking a brief look at the orphanage.
(We've arrived)
"Hey" I called out to some younger kids, playing in the garden "Est ce que tu sais où je peux trouver Mrs Merkel?"
(Do you guys know where I can find Mrs Merkel?)
The two girls glanced at each other, before turning and pointing towards the rose bed where an old woman perched down to water them.
I nodded, walking up to her while clutching my bag handle.
"Bonjour" I said in a nervous tone. She turned to face me with a heart warming smile, placing down the water can in the ground next to her feet.
"Je suis Jovie Genovese" I said, holding my hand out for a hand shake.
(I am Jovie Genovese)
She took it, replying "Bonjour. Mrs Merkel. comment peux vous aider?"
(Hello. Mrs Merkel. How can I help you?)
"Je suis un étudiant de Allegro High en Italie et je suis une des amis proche de Charlotte, qui je suis sûr elle était d'abord ici avant de venir a Sicile"
(I am a student of Allegro High in Italy and I'm one of Charlotte's close friends, who am sure was first here before coming to Sicily)
"Vraiment? Ça faites déjà quelques mois que ont c'est pas revue. Elles n'est même pas venu pour les vacances comme promis" she replied wearily, leading the way towards her office.
(Really? It's been already some months since we haven't seen each other. She didn't even come for the holidays as promised)
"Je suis enquêté pour elle. Depuis que elle est venue elle se comporte bizarrement et je voulez juste savoir plus sur elle pour l'aider à s'adapter dans cette nouvelle environnement avec les autres étudiant mais elle refuse de me parler"
(I am worried for her. Ever since she came, she is acting weird and I just wanted to know more about her to help her adapt in this new environment with other students but she refuses to talk to me)
"Il y'a rien à vraiment savoir sur elles et je peux pas donner d'information sur les enfants de orphelinat à des étrangers. Donner lui du temps et elle va s'ouvrir à vous" Mrs MMerkel stated.
(There's nothing much to know about her and I can't give out information about children in the orphanage to strangers. Give her some time and she will open up to you)
I didn't pay a flight for more than 50€ to hear that. I was about to argue and add some more lies when a small boy ran towards the office and shouted.
"Mrs Merkel, Tim has thrown the budding machine all over himself" he said.
"Not again!" She said. So she could speak English and I was hear biting my tongue to saw all of that in French😟
" Wait for me here, I will be back" she said, before rushing out with the boy. I took the opportuntity to search for her file around the office. I read through the file, looking for hers when I fell on a familiar picture.
It was that of Kara. Well, how she was when I first met her but the only difference was ther colour of her eyes. I took quick picture of the file, before hurriedly keeping back all the files in the drawer.
Mrs Merkel came back 15minutes after with an exhausted look and helped me out. I willingly went out, waved her a good bye as I walked away while reading the notes on the picture of the file.
It had the name of the social worker, police officer and doctor in charge of her case along with the name of the hospital. Charlotte was more implicated with Kara's past as Grace from what I could see.
She wasn't who she pretended to be and I was out to find out what she was hiding.
*****
CLAUDE'S POV
"When are you coming back?" Charlotte questioned.
"Soon, okay? Good bye" I said, ending the call before she could bring up another topic of conversation. I was currently in France with my Father for the inauguration of one of his new restaurant. Charlotte had insisted on staying at my house while I was away as she and Kara had a fight and she didn't want to speak to her.
Coming back to France was so scary and my father could notice how uneasy I was coming back here.
What made me nervous was the fact that the restaurant was in the area of the park and I just didn't like it.
My father was discussing with some of his business partners, leaving me stranded on the side with a glass of wine. He normally liked introducing me as his talented son to his partners and friends but decided on giving some space, ignoring how much of a big deal it was just being here.
According to him, he thought that they most have forgotten and moved on as it has been 2 years but he seem to forget that such traumatizing moments weren't things that you just live and forget in the next few days. Those were things that stayed engraved at the back of your mind through out your life.
I placed the glass on a nearly table and walked out of the fancy restaurant to get some air. I was about to cross to the other side of the road to the park when I noticed Jovie's familiar figure passing by.
"Jovie" I called out, walking up to her. She looked up form her phone and a small frown arched on her face. What had I done?
"Hey... Claude" she stated rather in an unpleasant tone.
"Umm.... What are you doing in France?" I asked casually.
"Nothing that concerns you" she replied rudely, about to walk away but I held her arm.
"I don't know why but you seem to dislike me now for some unknown reason" I stated.
"Go ask your fucking girlfriend, lover boy! And get your hands off me" she said. She was clearly angry about the whole drug thing.
"Charlotte?"
"Exactly. That girlfriend of yours has something going on behind our backs and I will discover it, prove myself innocent and get back my bestfriend" she said "You could always be working with her"
"Ohh no, I have a very bad experience with drugs and I've also noticed something off about Charlotte" I said. This days, she was all about questioning about her and getting to know more about our experiences and moments together. It bothered me having to speak about such things especially with someone who was to be my girlfriend.
"How? She asked curiously.
"She's so secretive and have this thing of her electronic devices being out of bounds. She is always on it and I think she is hiding something shady. This days, I also noticed that she has been ditching Kara a lot for some reason and lying excessively if that's relevant to your investigation" I replied.
"Okay.. thanks but you're still on my suspect list" she said "I should get going"
"And Jovie?" She turned to face me.
"If I were you, drop your investigation on Charlotte and concentrate more on Zeke Escobar"
I said, not explaining further before heading back to the restaurant before something clicked inside.
Zeke was playing around with Kara and she was a La Masseria.
"Ohh Fuck! I'm so dumb. How I couldn't I realise it earlier?!" I said under my breathe, suddenly realising that I was running to go meet my Father for some answers.
****
Hey!
This book has alot of twist! Damn, until his father is involved😅
2 more chapters to go to the end of Book 1.
Enjoy!!