"Huh? JJ? Jeremy? That's your reason for accusing me of being a slut? You know what? I don't owe you any explanation but I'll tell you regardless since you clearly didn't know that a guy and a girl can be FRIENDS without screwing each other. Just 'cause you do it, doesn't mean everyone else does. Long story short, Jayden Jeremiah Knight of the Cavaleiro Corporation is my friend."
"Oh plea...."
"I don't care if you believe me or not but you, of all the people in the world, have no right to judge someone's morals. You are right. I may be alone because yes, I have a family but I don't. Nevertheless, that's none of your business because even if I was on the streets, I surely would pick that to being here with you!" She said through gritted teeth and stormed off to the bathroom.
***
Bronx...
"Hey fam!" Jake announced after barging excitedly into the house with a bag pack hanging over his right shoulder. The enthusiasm was reciprocated only by Bingo, their bearded collie. He jumped off the couch and pounced on Jake, almost tripping him over.
Veronica and Martin were so fixated on the soap opera playing on the television that they didn't spare him a glance. "Looks like only you appreciate me Bingo," he said, feigning hurt.
"Oh don't be such a baby son. You were here a few weeks ago. What do you wan...ou ou ou!" Martin didn't finish his statement when a scene in the series drew his attention.
Jake rolled his eyes as he rushed up the stairs with huge strides. He came back 5 minutes later with his laptop and phone and an airpod in his left ear. He opened the door immediately and in came Victor, their neighbour.
"Have you told...ouuuuuu," Victor didn't finish his statement when he joined Martin and Veronica in their sofa, to watch the soap opera, "Te Domaré Cariño".
"You too?!"
"Shhhh!!!!!" They all said to him in unison.
"Oh he messed up real bad this time, huh?" Victor said.
"Tell me about it," Veronica agreed, "Poor Arianna. She's depressed again." Veronica was almost in tears.
"If I were Arianna's father, Alejandro would be in big trouble," Martin said, certainly enraged by the mere thought.
"Then you should check on Lana," Jake unconsciously thought out loud and instantly regretted.
All eyes fell in his direction before he realized it hadn't just been a thought. "What do you mean by that?" Martin asked.
"Good! Now that I managed to get your attention...." he was saying, a quick thought to save himself from having to sell Lana out. Unfortunately, his parents drifted back to the television. "Seriously?! You..." before he could complain about their reluctance to hear him out, Victor turn off the TV with the remote.
"HAAAA!!!" Martin boomed in shock, still not moving his eyes off the screen. Veronica stared blankly at the dark screen, still with her hand of popcorn in front of her mouth, as though frozen in time. "If you so much as wish to sleep in this house tonight, Jake, you'll..."
"It was me," Victor said, causing Veronica and Martin to snap their heads in his direction. Confusion was an understatement of how they felt.
"You're a police officer. How are you being softer than me? I'm a doctor. Let the kids grow and understand that their parents can have a life too..."
"I'm softer?! Look how red your eyes are from trying to hold back tears from a telenovela, a TELENOVELA!"
"Okay I've had enough of your adult fun. This is urgent. It's about Andrea."
The place was finally quiet and attentive. Veronica dropped the popcorn back into the bowl and sat upright on the sofa.
"We have reason to believe someone's looking into her," Victor announced.
"I keep an eye on her social media accounts as you asked, mum, and I noticed some suspicious activity. Someone is keeping an eye on her through her accounts. Maybe it's a crazy fan who doesn't get enough from watching each of her content over thirty times. Maybe it's a stalker or..."
"Or her mum?" Veronica chipped in worriedly.
"It could be...but unless she's got a powerful person backing her, she's not behind the private detective who went to her childhood home."
"You think it's a private investigator?" Jake asked.
"I know. I couldn't get his name but from what I know, he's definitely a private investigator. I fear someone may try to use her past against her," Victor said.
"Then we have to stop that from happening. We have to stop the investigator."
"I'm afraid it's too late Martin. He already left there, which means he's got whatever he could get there."
"There has to be something we can do," Veronica muttered.
Jake moved to the dinner table and turned on his laptop. Suddenly a thought crossed Veronica's mind and they all followed him. "Jake! I bet the detective is making sure he can't be traced, right?"
"Definitely," everyone said in unison.
"I know what you're thinking and I'm already doing that. We don't have any other choice dad," Jake said, still with his eyes on the screen.
"I don't understand. What's going on?" Martin asked.
"I'm going to trace the person."
"But you said..." Victor was saying in confusion when Martin interrupted, clearly displeased.
"Jake?!"
"Honey, please. We need to do this for Andrea. He'll be careful, right Jake?"
"Yes mum but it'll take a while so you can get back to your beloved soap opera."
***
Antonio's P.O.V
Antonio's Mansion...
I sat in my study, staring blankly at the computer screen. 'Why did I lash out at her? It's not like I even care what she does with her personal life. She's nothing but a nuisance I need to entertain until I get her to work for me. I need to find a way to fix things but there's no way I'll bow to that stray cat. Is she worthy though? For someone who's sleeping with a rich bachelor...' My thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a knock on my door. I opened the door with my remote. It was one of the maids, who's name I couldn't care less about.
"Mr. Robles..."
"Why didn't you call? Where's Wanda?"
"I...I did call but didn't get any response. That's why I came right here. Wanda..."
"What do you want?"
"Detective..."
"Let him in," I said, cutting her sentence at a word. Instantly, I got a notification on my computer. 'ALERT! There is an attempt to breach into the Robles Corp system.'