Chapter 34 Proof
I’ve been avoiding Carlos all day. Not because of anything crazy but because of what happened last night. I still find it very irritating. I shouldn’t have let him touch me like that and I certainly shouldn’t have enjoyed it but somehow I did and now I hate myself for feeling that way.
Carlos is at a meeting in the boardroom of the mansion so I feel a lot better now knowing I won’t be seeing his face for another hour or two.
But then his voice echoes down the hallway, unmistakable even behind the closed doors. I couldn’t help but roll my eyes, he’s never not in the mood to yell at people. I don’t think he’s ever gone a whole day without raising his voice, it’s like an addiction for him, he can’t handle talking in a normal tone without having to yell.
I walked down the hallway still hearing his voice but at the same time, my mind was buzzing with so many thoughts. Not just about Carlos being someone who yells too much but about Fiona and how badly I miss her.
Yesterday when I spoke to her, I was really relieved that someone outside of this mansion is still thinking about me, caring about me. I have no idea what Fiona is planning and if she can actually go for it considering Carlos is one of is very powerful but I just hope she’ll be fine. I can’t afford to lose her in the process of saving me.
I walked into the library hoping that Fiona would call the landline like she did yesterday but the more I waited, the more time passed by and nothing. She didn’t call, not even a slight pause before disappointment settled deeply into my chest, heavy with longing.
I realized that she probably isn’t going to call. It’s risky anyways and I understand if she never calls again….. I hope she does.
As I walked out of the library, I could still hear Carlos talking but this time, he sounded amused as a bit of laughter escaped his mouth.
I rolled my eyes, annoyed.
That bastard!
He trapped me here, made me question everything about myself, and now he’s out there laughing and having a good time with his rich friends.
I groaned heartily feeling even more upset than before.
It’s bad enough that Carlos trapped me here and made sure I have no external contact. Now, seeing him having a good time around here just makes everything feel worse.
I really need to find a way to get out of here because if Carlos doesn’t kill then I’m pretty sure I’d die being annoyed by him. There is just something about him laughing while I’m here feeling the absolute worst about myself that makes me feel utterly helpless.
I continued to wander through the hallway and decided to head to Carlos’s study room. This might be my only chance to check things out. Since Carlos is still in a meeting, there’s no way he can find me here.
I pushed the door open and peeked inside just to make sure no one was there. Then I looked left and right down the hallway to be certain before stepping in and closing the door gently behind me.
I walked to his desk and opened the cupboard where I had found the ‘file’ before. And just like last time, the cupboard wasn’t locked.
Carlos really isn’t good at keeping his things secure but it benefits me so I’m fine with that.
I opened the cupboard and found the file sitting there as if no one had touched it after I did.
As I flipped it open, I saw the contents were written in a language that looked like Spanish. I don’t even speak the language, but I kept flipping through hoping I’d find something good.
Quickly, I came across images of a woman. She looked elderly, probably around her early forties. I had never seen her before, but somehow she felt familiar.
My thumb creased the surface of her image as I stared at it intensely.
Why does she feel so familiar when I don’t even know her?
I kept my gaze on the image and I couldn’t help but noticed her hair color is exactly like mine. Her lips too… almost exactly like mine. I don’t know why, but something about her feels connected to me but what exactly?
I flipped through the next page and it’s just random images of her, some with a man and some without which makes me even more confused.
Reaching the last page of the file, I didn’t find anything else that was good enough so I set it aside and opened Carlos’s laptop.
This might be risky as Carlos might notice but right now, I can’t help it. I need to know the truth and get out of here as soon as possible.
I was already racking my brain trying to figure out what the password of the laptop might be, but as soon as it loaded, I realized it was open. No password at all.
Again, Carlos is really bad at securing his things.
I searched through his files, hoping to find something about me, but there was nothing, just a bunch of boring business stuff I didn’t care about.
I checked his browser history, his images and even the recycling bin but still nothing that pointed to me. I turned off the laptop and was about to leave when I noticed a file sitting on Carlos’s desk. It was open which hints me that Carlos was looking at it just before the meeting.
I reached for it and opened it. The first page, made my heart skip.
It is about me.
I started to flip through each page. It was like a whole documentary about me in a language I can’t read but the images said it all.
I came across an image of my adoption records…. something I’ve never seen before. And then a birth certificate that has most of my details but the name wasn’t mine. It said Erica.
Who is Erica?
I kept looking through it. There were more pictures of me. Some I don’t even remember taking. Then I found an image of a woman.
The same woman from the other file.
Everything started spinning in my head, making me lose my mind. Maybe I’m Erica. Maybe she’s someone I knew. Maybe Erica is my twin sister or maybe Carlos put all of this to confuse me, after all, why would he keep such important information out in the open without locking them
While my mind raced with a thousand questions, I suddenly heard Carlos’s voice echoing from the hallway. I quickly put everything back exactly how I found it and slipped out of the room before he could walk in.
But this isn’t over. I have to find out who Erica really is.