"Where's Ryan?"

It was two days later and as instructed by my doctor, I had stayed at home, taking off a week from school. My friends made sure to call me everyday and Lexi, the sweetheart that she is, called me every lunch and dinner time to remind me to take my meds. In these two days, mom had as usual barely acknowledged me but my curiosity was at an all time high. So as I stood by the oven waiting for mom to finish with the pasta so that I could finally have some dinner, I asked the question which had been bugging me for the last two days.

"At his dads", came her short reply and honestly I was surprised she even bothered replying to me.

Roberto Ray, our dad lived back in Seattle with his third wife and three kids. Mom caught him cheating one day and divorced him while taking away majority of the money just because she could. It was a fact that she was cheating on him too but mom had always been clever. Dad and I never really had a good relationship either. Infact, for some reason he hated me more than mom even. I remember being ecstatic when mom divorced dad and i dont actually know why she took me in the divorce instead of leaving me with dad. Rainy nights and faint noises of me screaming while dad viciously slapped me blurred my vision for a second before I came back to reality.

Past. It was in the past. I will not think about it.

"When is he coming back?", I desperately wanted to know how long my peace would last.

"Stop blabbering", mom's stern voice put an end to the conversation, "Clean the house and make something nice for dinner tomorrow. My friends will be coming over."

Saying that she walked away as I mutely nodded. Friends? These must be the new work friends she made in her new office.

Climbing up the stairs to my room, I decided to try my luck again tomorrow.

Turns out trying my luck again did not really work put because mom was gone by the time I woke up. This was however especially weird because she never left without having breakfast. And seeing how I wasn't even awake when she left-

The day continued to grow weirder when no one turned up at night while I waited and waited for mom and her friends with three huge bowls of pasta. Did she randomly decide to go on a work trip again and not tell me? That wouldn't be new but she told me to prepare dinner specifically.

Ugh...Why do I even bother.

Picking up my headphones I retired to my bed after packing up the food. She would be back soon.

She wasn't back soon.

It had been three more days of me sitting in an empty house under blank ceilings and random television shows for me to realize that she may have left for a work trip after all. I was just an idiot to think she was-

Determined to enjoy my days of freedom, a carefree laughter left my mouth before I could stop myself. I had never had no one around and the house all the myself. I could do whatever I wanted.

The doorbell buzzed loudly and I rolled my eyes. Okay so, I could do whatever I wanted after telling whoever was at the door that no one was home.

My plans did not turn out the way I wanted however. Because right there in front of me was a man in uniform along with a woman in a neat suit and they both stared at me like I was the light at the end of the tunnel or something. What?

The officer was sweating buckets. And I literally mean buckets. He shifted around as he gave me a small smile and my brows furrowed incredulously. Something very shifty was going on right now.

The cool and collected voice of the woman however broke me out of my reverie, "Hi honey. I'm Jess Miller and this man right here is Rupert Cross and we'd like to talk to you about your mom."

"Yes?", I never considered mom dealed with anything illegal or unlawful but what did I know about her work anyway? Were they here to maybe search the house or something? Do I let them? Would mom be angry if I let them? I don't exactly have the power to stop them from doing it if they wanted to though. Or if they had a warrant.

"So, two days ago your mom was registered missing into our system. I'm sorry to inform you but until we find her you have to go live with your closest DNA match", the woman continued as if she had not just told me that my mom was fucking missing. Who even reported her missing? Why did no one ever ask me? Infact- no police officer even cane knocking at my door when she was reported missing or whatever.

So I did the only thing I could before trusting these people. I turned to the uniformed officer and enquired, "I would really appreciate it if you showed me your badge please."

The man nodded vigorously as if I'd just asked for his least favourite fruit or something and provided the badge in front of my face, "Yes. Yes right here Miss."

But I couldn't reply because his badge had just given me the only confirmation I required. The man was legit. So that means she really was-

I did not want to invite these people inside. Because once they came, they would taint the only place where she-

My mom. My mom was missing. She was not coming back. They couldn't find her. She was missing. How- where am I supposed to go now? What if - did Ryan hear yet? He would blame me and call me out and maybe someone out there would believe him and I wouldn't-

"Honey?", a hand on my shoulder made me jump.

"Yes", I cleared my throat and attempted to subtly wipe the lone tear that fell down my cheek before they could see it. But by her sympathetic one, I knew it was of no use.

Attempting to get ahold of the conversation again I continued, "But you will find her right? I'm sure it won't take long."

Denial. Denial could be my best friend for now.

"We'll try our best", came the voice of the officer and no matter how hard I tried, all I could hear were his nervous breaths. Why was he so nervous? Who the hell made him a police officer for fucks sake.

Ms Miller smiled down at me, "Like I said, until we do you have to live with your next closest DNA relation."

Exhaling out a sigh I shuddered at my very clear future before nodding to myself, "I'll pack my bags. Does dad know I'm coming over?"

She shook her head and I was about to call him myself before she said something that levelled my whole world. "No Rebekah. I meant your brothers."

A small snort escaped me but the nightmare I had a few days back in the hospital blurred my vision. It couldn't be real. It was not real.
"Ryan might be eighteen but I'm pretty sure he can't take custody of me."

Deep down I knew the truth but no. No. Fever dream. That was all it-

"I'm not talking about Ryan sweety. Federico Costa has already signed the papers to take you in when we asked him."

"Don't", I glared at her heartedly, "You have nothing to prove your absurd claims."

"Actually", the woman put her glasses on immediately counteracting me and taking some papers out before handing it to me, "We do."

It was a DNA test. I couldn't take my eyes of it. It was a DNA test and it said right there, at the bottom that mine and his-

But when did this happen. How did this happen? Why- how did this happen? I was adopted. I was really kidnapped one night? I was actually- was that why Ryan hated me? Ryan. He must be freaking out about mom too. But was she even my mom anymore? But I looked so much like her. Everyone said so. Was I the only one looking for similarities though? Many kids don't look like their parents though. How was I to-

But I couldn't be a Costa. They were dangerous and everybody's worst nightmare. I was never reliant on rumours. But I couldn't help but take the rumours about the Costas seriously. They were shady. Even I knew that. But what if the underworld ...mafia... rumours were actually true? No. No that couldn't be. It was a myth. That's all. It couldn't be. But I had thought that about the possibility of the Costas and me improbable too.

"Honey", the woman shook me lightly and if her face was anything to go by, she had been calling me for a while, "We need to take you to the Costas now."

One last argument wouldn't hurt right? "But shouldn't my dad have the first claims over custody?"

How desperate was I?

If her slight heads headshake was anything to go by- I quietly turned around and packed my weekend bag. They would find mom soon. I would come back in a few days. Very soon.

"I'm ready."

Not.