CHAPTER 7: THE DISAPPEARANCE
Jacob vanished two weeks after my mother's arrest.
I didn't notice at first. I was too focused on the rebuild and the legal case. But when my father called to ask if I had heard from him, I realized that no one had seen or spoken to my brother in days.
"His phone is disconnected," my father said. "Victoria won't return my calls. I went to their apartment, but it's empty."
"Empty?"
"Furniture is gone. The lease is broken. They left in a hurry."
I felt a chill run down my spine. "Dad, do you think they're running?"
"I don't know. But I called the police. They're looking into it."
Jacob had always been the golden child. The one who could do no wrong. The one who never had to face consequences. And now he was running. Because he knew that when everything came to light, he would be next.
I didn't feel sorry for him. He had stood by while our mother committed fraud. He had benefited from her crimes. And now he was trying to escape the consequences.
"Dad, if you find him, let me know."
"I will, Bella. I will."
I hung up and stared at the phone. My brother was gone. My sister-in-law was gone. And my mother was facing prison.
The family I had once known had fallen apart.
May you like
But I realized that it had never really been a family. It had been a system of control. A way for my mother to keep everyone in line. And now that the system was broken, everyone was running.
I wasn't running. I was staying. I was fighting. And I was going to win.
