Chapter 197 Rats
Ari's P.O.V.
I look at Lydia as I process what she just said. If she's telling the truth, that would make her my half-sister.
"How do you know she's telling you the truth?" I ask Lydia.
"She knew about me being in foster care, where I went to school, and where I live now. How else would she get all of that information?" she asks.
"You went through seven foster homes after being left home alone when you were abandoned by your adoptive parents at the age of six. You've never been in any trouble. You graduated from Eastdale High School in June. You work two jobs and still have trouble paying your bills. It's easy to get information on people. We looked into your background as soon as you started hanging around Felix. I think we need a DNA test to be certain. Don't think that just because you may be Ari's sister, it lets you off the hook for helping Myra," Dakota says as she looks at me. I put my arm over her shoulders. Sister or not, she hurt a lot of people today, who I love. Lydia's mouth falls open as she sits on a chair.
"I feel like such a fool. She's probably not my mother at all. She got in my head and told me a bunch of terrible things about Ari and Galdino. Myra convinced me she had been pushed out onto the street with nowhere to go, even though she wanted her son. She said my dad raped her, and that's why she put me up for adoption. I was desperate to find someone related to me, so I didn't question her. I'm so sorry." Lydia begins to cry, and I feel bad for her, but that doesn't excuse what she did.
"What does she want you to do now that your plan didn't work?" Dakota asks.
"I'm supposed to let her know when we should attack again." Dakota looks at me, and I know exactly what she's thinking.
"Kylie, can you find someone to come here to do a DNA test? We need to know if there is any truth to what Myra said." Kylie nods as she and Noah leave the room.
"Lydia, you are going to stay here as my personal guest. We will tell you exactly what to tell Myra, and you will do what we say. Do you have any problems with that?" I love it when Dakota is in Mafia boss mode.
"Uh, no. What about my clothes and stuff? I don't have anything here," Lydia replies.
"I'll have Xavier and Sarah pick up some of your things from your apartment. If that's okay with you," Dakota says, as though Lydia has an option when we all know it's going to happen whether she likes it or not. Lydia removes her keys from her purse, and Sarah takes them.
"Get her address from Noah," Dakota tells Sarah and Xavier. They leave, and Dakota begins pacing. Enzo crosses his arms and paces with her. I try not to laugh as he tries to make his face look like hers.
"Myra isn't going to wait long, so we need to devise a plan before she strikes. We have to do something she won't suspect and bring her into our trap." Dakota turns around and sees Enzo on her heels. She smiles and continues pacing.
"She knows Lydia is with us, so maybe we can have her tell Myra that we're getting together to investigate who caused the explosion," Tyler says.
"I like that idea, and it's what we're doing anyway. She's going to expect us to do it here, but she wouldn't dare show her face anywhere near the compound, so where else can we have our meeting?" Dakota asks.
"It needs to be somewhere with no one else, so they don't get hurt," Enzo says as he follows Dakota. My dad and Valentina are trying very hard not to laugh at how he's obviously trying to get Dakota's approval. She looks down at him, smiles, and kisses his forehead.
"Exactly. We want to make sure no more innocent people get hurt." Enzo beams at her. This isn't the time to think of this, but I can't wait until we have our first child.