Chapter 10 - The Begging
That evening, I drove to the cemetery. I needed to see Thomas and Leo. I brought fresh lilies, Leo’s favorite.
As I was kneeling by the headstones, wiping a dead leaf from Leo's name, a black town car pulled up on the gravel path. My mother stepped out. She looked a decade older. The designer makeup was gone. Her hair was flat.
She walked slowly toward me, clutching her purse like a shield.
"Elena," she whimpered, her voice trembling. "Please."
I stood up, brushing the dirt from my knees. I didn't say a word. I just stared at her.
"They took your brother," she sobbed, tears spilling down her cheeks. "They seized our bank accounts. The bank locked us out of the house. We have nowhere to go. I am begging you. You’ve made your point. Give us the money back so we can hire a defense attorney for Julian."
"You want money for Julian?" I asked softly.
"Yes! He's your brother! We are family!"
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I reached into my pocket, pulled out my phone, and tapped the screen. The photograph of them on the yacht, holding champagne glasses while I buried my world, illuminated the twilight.
"Family comes first," I read her caption aloud. "Isn't that what you said?"
