Chapter 24

"What do you want us to do?"

"Hmm, I'm not sure."

"Stay at home all day instead. We can go to the sea, be by the pool, I don't know. There are many things to do in this house. I want you all to myself today."

"Hmm, let me send a message to Mom then." Aileen took her phone and messaged her mother:

"I'll be home late today, keep Dad calm."

"We also have to work on the wedding preparations."

Aileen felt strange because the preparations for the fake wedding were ongoing. She thought maybe they would talk things through, and it wouldn't be entirely fake anymore.

"Alright. I don't know much about these things."

"Don't worry, I'm here to help you."

"Okay."

Zac and Anna were in a café discussing the plan to separate Aileen and Oliver forever.

"So, Aileen hasn't had any serious boyfriends?"

"No, and as far as I know, Aileen despised Oliver for taking away her scholarship. We were all surprised when we found out they were getting married. It happened overnight."

"I know, it's strange. That's why we're here, Zac, to find out what they're up to."

"Aileen will never tell me."

"And what about her friends?"

"Well, I talk to Vanessa and Trisha, but not that much. We don't have that level of trust."

"Well, earn their trust, Zaqui. You're smart. It shows."

Zac was a bit intimidated by Anna's personality. She was beautiful, he thought, but also a bit twisted in the head. Just like him.

"I'll try to find out with them, to earn their trust as well."

"Do you know if Aileen keeps a diary? Where she writes down everything that happens to her. Almost all girls have one, and if Aileen has one, I'm sure she confides everything to her diary."

Zac thought, trying to remember all the times he talked with Aileen.

"Of course, Zac, I always write everything down," she had mentioned once because she felt that Aileen was the kind of girl who liked to write everything down so that when she read it, she would remember how she felt.

"I think she has one."

Anna smiled.

"Perfect, you're learning. Now what you need to do is find it."

"I don't think Sofia will let me into her room when Aileen isn't there, and her father is even scarier. That man gives me chills."

"That's why I'm here." Anna grabbed her bag and stood up. "Let's go, we have work to do." Zac followed Anna out of the café, which was near the university. They both got into their car and set off towards Aileen's house.

"What are you going to do?" Zac asked.

"I'll think of something so you can sneak into the house without them noticing. I'll pretend to be a reporter or something."

"If you say you're a reporter, they won't want to talk to you."

"I know, a wedding planner," Anna took out a folder she had brought for Aileen the day before but hadn't found her. "I'll call them to my car, and when they're distracted, you quickly sneak into the house."

"Alright," Zac felt a bit nervous, but he would do whatever it takes to have Aileen's love. Anna parked in front of Aileen's house.

"Get out and hide behind those trees over there," she pointed.

Zac got out and ran to hide behind some trees. Anna got out and hurried to the house. She rang the doorbell, and seconds later, Sofia opened it.

"Hello, are you Aileen Warren's mom?"

"Yes, who are you?" Sofia questioned with some suspicion.

"I'm a wedding planner, and I would love to collaborate with her to organize her wedding. It would be a dream."

"Really? Is Aileen aware?"

"A few days ago, I sent her an email, and she told me to stop by her house. Is she here?"

"Unfortunately, she's not here at the moment. I'm sorry."

"Then you can take a look and tell her. I'm sure that as her mother, you'll know how to choose something beautiful for that day."

Sofia was gradually falling for Anna's lies.

"Hmm, alright. Mark!" she shouted to her husband, who was in the kitchen. "Come here!"

Mark stopped what he was doing in the kitchen and walked over to where Sofia was.

"Tell me."

"She's a wedding planner... what's your name?" Sofia wanted to know.

"Monica... Talles," Anna replied.

"But Aileen isn't here, and they had agreed to meet to show her some photos."

"I think we could take a look ourselves to get an idea," Mark murmured, feeling that he should be more involved in his daughter's life, as he hadn't been for years.

"Alright, where is it?"

"I have them in the car. Please, follow me," Anna led them to her car to show them the folder that wasn't even hers. She gave Zac an approving look, indicating that it was his turn to act.

"You seem familiar," Sofía said.

"Oh, really?"

Zac ran and entered Aileen's house, quickly climbed the stairs, and entered her room. He locked the door. He didn't know where to start because he had been looking at all of Aileen's things, feeling like he was in a sacred place for her. He searched in her drawers, lifted her mattress, checked her pillows until he found a drawer with her underwear. He looked at her panties, so small and delicate. He knew it was wrong, but he took one. However, that wasn't enough. He went to the bathroom and searched for the one she had used earlier, putting it in his pants pocket. He continued searching for the diary quickly while Anna kept entertaining her parents. When he knocked down the stuffed animals, he heard one fall loudly. He picked up the stuffed animal, feeling something inside. There was something there. He opened the bear and took out a pink notebook.

Bingo. It was her diary. He put it in his pants pocket and quickly left the room. He was grateful that Anna was still with her parents. He left the house and hid behind the trees again. Anna looked at him, and Zac gave her a thumbs-up, indicating that he had been successful.

"But well, let's wait for Aileen to come back to finalize the decision. Now I have to go, but thank you very much for seeing me and not making me come for nothing."

"Don't worry, we'll give your message to Aileen," Sofia said.

"Safe travels," Mark bid farewell. The couple headed back to their house.

"What a strange girl," Sofia muttered.

"I know," Mark agreed. Once Mark and Sofia were inside, Zac ran and got into Anna's car. He felt relieved.

"I got it," he showed her the small pastel pink notebook.

"Perfect!" Anna snatched the diary from him.

"Not here," Zac stated. Anna started the car, searching for a better place to read Aileen's secrets.

Aileen was lying on a blanket under a tree, facing the vast sea. She felt a pang in her chest, a sense of foreboding, as if something bad was about to happen.