(A brief clarification: From now on, Anthea will be referred to as June in the narrative, although for June herself, she will continue to be Althea for the time being).
Harold Grant, a seasoned lawyer who used to boast about having seen it all in life, now found himself facing a case that challenged his limits: the kidnapping of June Johansson. In reality, he had already represented Scarlett, June's mother, in a fierce legal battle for custody of her eldest daughter, Rose.
Harold made sure that the case of June Johansson's abduction would not be forgotten. He maintained constant contact with the inspector in charge of the case to prevent its closure. Scarlett, of course, would not have tolerated that happening. Cases like Johansson's, involving famous people, were highly publicized, and no police station wanted to deal with them.
Scarlett's threat was not in vain; Harold knew that if his client sensed anything amiss, she would be willing to follow through. She had already taken on the powerful Disney industry in the fight for Black Widow's rights. If she did it for money, she would be even more determined to get her daughter back and make all those involved pay. Harold didn't want to be on the opposite side of that equation.
The day promised to be long, as they awaited a call from the embassy. He ordered a coffee, well aware that he would need it, even though it was barely eleven in the morning in New York.
Meanwhile, thousands of miles away and after about 7 or 8 hours of flight, classes were ending in a small Catalan village.
"When will Althea return?" Carlos asked.
Iratxe shrugged. "She has to call me back. Today, I visited all the teachers to collect her assignments. I wouldn't like her to be delayed too much and have to repeat them," she added with a look of displeasure.
"Still can't believe I'm living in Natasha Romanoff's house," Carlos chuckled, receiving a playful punch from his friend.
Iratxe shook her head. "I don't think he's lying, right?"
"I'd sooner say I'm with a celebrity than say I'm in a hotel or anywhere else."
"You're a fibber," Iratxe responded immediately.
John Smith approached the pair of friends and nudged them lightly. "Do you know anything about my sister?"
Iratxe turned around with annoyance. "As if I would know anything, right? Besides, I doubt you're really concerned, since this wouldn't have happened if you hadn't closed the bathrooms."
John crossed his arms and raised his chin. "It was just a prank, not my fault they have no sense of humor, and I didn't make her miss her flight."
He pushed past them again and walked ahead, leaving them behind. Iratxe sighed and continued walking behind her best friend's twin.
"I don't understand how Althea could have been born next to that guy," Iratxe muttered, waiting for John to be far enough away as she was afraid of him.
Carlos laughed. "I don't understand it either."
As they walked along the sidewalk, about ten steps behind John, several patrol cars rushed by on the road.
"What do you think happened?" Iratxe asked curiously and began to run, leaving her own house behind.
She wasn't the only one approaching the scene. In front of the Smiths' house, several patrol cars were parked, and shortly after, the door opened, revealing the Smiths accompanied by two pairs of agents. They weren't handcuffed, but the agents were closely escorting them.
Iratxe started to cry.
"Why are you crying?" Carlos asked.
"What if something happened to Althea? They're police officers; in TV shows, when something like this happens, they give bad news later."
Carlos snapped his mouth shut.J
John ran to his parents. "Dad, mom!"
He couldn't reach them before an agent stopped him and knelt down to his level to talk to him. Eventually, they took him to another patrol car. All the neighbors in the area watched the scene in silence, wondering what could have happened.
"This must be a mistake," Marian repeated, her voice already hoarse. "Where is our son John?"
After spending twenty minutes in the interrogation room, the Smiths began to feel nervous. No one had said a word. Finally, an agent came out and sat down in front of them, looking them over carefully. Then, an older agent joined the conversation and offered them two bottles of water.
"Carter and Marian Smith, correct?" the older agent asked.
The couple nodded.
"You were born in New York, right? How long have you been living in Spain?"
"Our children were just babies when we arrived. We've been here long enough. What's going on?" Marian insisted, while Carter remained silent, trying to understand the situation.
"We have John, young John Smith. Is he your son?"
"Of course," Marian replied. "Could you answer some of our questions?"
"Mrs. Smith, we'll get to that in due time," the agent replied, with a touch of sarcasm. "You said 'children,' but we only have John. Who's missing?"
"Our daughter, Althea."
Carter averted his gaze upon hearing his wife, avoiding eye contact with the agent. He began to crumble in his chair, fearing the worst.
'Where is Althea Smith at the moment?" the agent asked.
The couple exchanged glances, and finally, Carter regained his composure in the chair and cleared his throat.
"Our daughter was on a school trip, and upon her return, there was an issue with the documents at customs. We are working to resolve the matter, and our daughter is with a relative," Carter explained.
The agent nodded, and a brief silence fell over the room.
"Well, if those are the alleged reasons, then why do I have an arrest warrant against you in my possession?" the agent inquired.
Marian shook her head. "There must be a mistake. We are law-abiding citizens, and you can check our records. Perhaps we have a fine or two for parking in the wrong places, but nothing more."
"You are accused of kidnapping a minor," the agent stated.
"It's a lie! If you allow us to go home, we can prove that they are our children with the birth certificate. We had twins, a boy and a girl," Marian argued.
The inspector stood up from his seat. "I will investigate that birth certificate. In the meantime, make yourselves comfortable."
The couple was left alone, unaware that they were constantly being observed and that the microphone remained open while the agent in charge checked the birth certificates.
Hours passed before the verification was completed, as several departments from two different countries were involved. Carter was starting to feel increasingly nervous, casting accusing glances at his wife, blaming her for everything, but he remained silent, not trusting that there was any privacy in a place like that.
The door opened again. "It seems like this day is full of mistakes, Mrs. Smith," said the agent as he took a seat and brought with him a manila folder. "The birth certificates are correct; you are the parents of twins," he observed as the couple relaxed. "However, we have a report of Althea Smith at New York's X Hospital for asphyxiation."
Tension returned to the room in giant strides. Carter almost choked on the water he was drinking due to the pressure on the plastic, and all of this was happening under the watchful gaze of the agent.
"It was a long time ago," Marian whispered, looking down. "It was an accident, but everything turned out fine, and then we found work in Spain."
"In the report, unfortunately, it states that Althea Smith passed away at the age of two," he looked at them for a moment and continued, "The girl you call Althea Smith is June Johansson," showing them the DNA test conducted a few days ago. "Now, if you stop lying, let's start with the truth."
Carter unbuttoned his shirt, feeling like the air wasn't reaching his lungs. He drank and drank again, immediately noticing the dryness in his throat, and then he looked at his wife in despair. "I told you this would happen. I want a lawyer," he requested, directing his gaze at the agent.
"Carter, just shut up, don't make me angry!" Marian shouted, standing up and causing the agents to be on alert in case she acted violently. She grabbed the letter and tore it in half. "These are lies, there's a damn mistake."
"Alright, Mr. Smith, but it's in your best interest to cooperate," he looked towards the glass and made a hand gesture. Soon, another agent appeared and took Carter Smith to another interrogation room, as he seemed more willing to cooperate.
"Where are they taking my husband? I demand to know! This is an outrage; they're violating my rights," she pointed at the agent forcefully, who simply remained seated, staring at her intently.
"Sit down, Mrs. Smith."
"Or what?"
"Or I'll have to force you to," was the blunt response. "So please, take a seat, because I don't think you truly understand the gravity of the offense. I have an extradition order for you both to be tried in New York, where the crime took place, Mrs. Smith. The sentence for kidnapping in New York can be life imprisonment, and considering that the girl is none other than the daughter of an actress, the judicial system will feel added pressure. Do you understand what I'm getting at? In Spain, a non-violent, non-ransom kidnapping carries a sentence of 6 to 10 years, depending on the duration of the kidnapping. How old is your son?"
"He's eight years old."
The agent nodded and continued with his questioning. "It's not the same to see your son again when he's 14 as when he's 18 or 20, with no possibility of seeing him outside of a cell. Don't you agree? How did June Johansson come into your life?"
Marian sighed and mumbled as she crossed her arms. "They're going to extradite me anyway."
For the first time, the agent could see concern in the woman's eyes. "Yes, that's true," he admitted. "But you'll receive better treatment in court if you cooperate. If you can prove you didn't harm that girl, if you tell your story, it will be better for you than if you remain reluctant as you have been."
Marian stood her ground. "I'll speak when I have my lawyer and can see my son."
The agent sighed and responded patiently. "You're not in a position to demand, but you can call your lawyer."
New York, 4:00 PM
June seemed to be Rose's shadow, or perhaps it was Rose who followed June everywhere. They went hand in hand everywhere, chatted incessantly, and played both in Rose's room and in the garden, under Scarlett's watchful and excited gaze.
"How do you plan to tell her?" Colin asked, wrapping his arms around Scarlett.
Scarlett sighed at the question and leaned into Colin's comforting embrace. "It's what I can't stop thinking about. My mother called me and wants us to come for a snack; she wants to see her," and at this moment, Scarlett wished to receive her mother's wisdom. She had also invited Lizzie to join them since Chris was in Los Angeles.
"We can take it easy, but kids are curious, and in the end, they'll ask why she's here."
"I know," Scarlett finally separated from Colin to go find the girls.
In the car, June felt nervous again. At home, time seemed to pass differently, especially when playing with Rose or receiving affection from Scarlett. As she looked out the window, she remembered the moment she had shared with Scarlett. Her mom, Marian, would have been so mad if she had to wash the sheets too soon; she would have teased her and shared it with the rest of the family. But Scarlett said nothing.
June tilted her head to look at Rose, who was belting out a Disney song at the top of her lungs. She felt that Rose was a lucky girl because her mom loved her, spent time with her, took care of her, and didn't tease her or make her clean like June had to. Althea rubbed her eyes and looked down at her knees. All she had ever hoped for was to hear her mom say that she loved her and that she had done something right. It didn't matter how hard she tried to keep the floor clean, how sore her arms were from all the work, or how much she tried to learn to do all the household chores correctly. All she got were days when she wasn't punished or told hurtful things that would hurt her, or the chance to eat, which, over time, became enough. She almost came to consider it normal behavior, although she was aware of the difference in treatment with her brother.
" My sweet, are you okay?" Scarlett asked lovingly.
"Yes," June rubbed her eyes and looked out the window. "I just miss Iratxe. Can I call her again?"
"Of course, but this time I'll tell you when it's a better time, okay?"
June nodded.
When the car stopped and Rose's door opened, the girl ran out to hug her grandmother, who welcomed her with a warm embrace and a kiss on the forehead.
"Nanny, I missed you so much."
" I missed you, darling," a smiling Melanie responded as she then embraced her younger daughter. "Are you alright?"
"Better than ever, but worried," Scarlett confessed amidst the embrace. She then looked back and saw Colin holding Cosmo in his arms while holding June's hand.
Melanie couldn't help but fill her eyes with tears, and she crouched down to June's level.
"But who do we have here? Another beautiful princess. Can you give Nanny a hug?" she asked, never taking her eyes off the little one.
June took a few more steps and melted into an embrace that lifted her off the ground and made her laugh with enthusiasm. All the little girl could think was that Scarlett and her family were the most affectionate people. For once, she felt part of such an atmosphere, so she hugged even tighter. This gesture filled Melanie and Scarlett with joy. Scarlett, who was watching, also felt a twinge of envy.
"Well, well, what about me, pumpkin?"
June began to laugh and reached out for Scarlett to pick her up. She hugged her lovingly and kissed her cheek, grateful for the warmth they had shared that morning, a secret between the two of them.
Scarlett didn't want to let her go and entered the house with the child in her arms, only putting her down when Lizzie appeared looking for her share of affection.
"But what beautiful girls we have here! I have some little gifts for you," Lizzie commented, radiant. She didn't come with just a gift for her goddaughter; she also considered herself the aunt of Rose and Cosmo, at least that's what they called her when they saw her.
They had a pleasant afternoon snack. When June wasn't in someone's arms, she ran around the house chasing Rose or spending time with Cosmo.
At one point in the afternoon, Scarlett stepped away to take a call. When she returned, her face was serious, but it softened when she received a kiss from June.
"Thank you, sweetheart."
"Mum, we love you," Rose chimed in, kissing her cheek as well.
It wasn't until later, when Rose and June were in the garden, that Scarlett could share what Harold had told her.
"Is it true that those people took my granddaughter?"
Lizzie, realizing the importance of the conversation between Scarlett and her mother, decided to join them in the garden to make sure the little ones continued playing. She joined their game, chasing them and then catching them to launch a tickle attack.
"I've got you! Scarlet Witch is here," she laughed, as if she were a playful villain, and started tickling them, causing infectious laughter in the girls, who were soon covered in grass.
"No, Aunt Lizzie!" Rose begged amid laughter, as her body wriggled with amusement, and Althea laughed just as much.
"Only if you say that neither Black Widow nor Captain America are better than Scarlet Witch," Lizzie demanded playfully, wiggling her fingers as if casting a spell.
Both girls laughed.
"You're the best, Aunt Lizzie," Rose said, earning her freedom from tickles.
June smiled. "Scarlet Witch is the best..." Lizzie let her go, and Althea got up. "After Black Widow," she added, and ran off.
Rose burst into laughter.
"Cheater!"
Hi! How's your day going? I hope it's going well, and that you're enjoying your reading. In the next chapter, we'll go back in time with the Smiths. Take care of yourself and love yourself even more! ❤️