When Gavin's return date arrived, Laura and her children came outside to greet him. Miguel was heading somewhere, even though he and his father do not have a very close relationship.
Laura had her lunch, devised a plan, and went to Lana's room. She made her way back from the room, shouting as she went.
"Gavin! That b!tch is gone! Lana is gone!" She cursed loudly, surprising Gavin.
"You mean she's no longer there? You moronic people!" As they approached the front porch of the house, he summoned a few guards.
"Check around this house and search for Lana, and also check the CCTV cameras." They went in search of her after he gave the order. Laura's heart was pounding from fear that someone would discover her whereabouts.
Not too long afterward, several of the guards spoke up while panting. "We have not seen her boss; she is not in the house," they told Gavin, which fueled his rage. He approached one of them and struck him across the face with a punch.
"What about the CCTV?" Before answering his question, they shot each other a quick glance.
"Boss, we looked over the CCTV footage from a few weeks ago, and it appears that she was gone. We didn't get her video." They spoke as Gavin angrily smacked another guard.
"All of you bastards!" He gave a furious cry. He summoned all of the house staff and maids to the living room, where they assembled.
"I told you there was something strange about that girl." Laura whispered to calm Gavin down.
"Now, tell me, did anyone see Lana here in the house, or was she on her way out?" They just stared at each other in silence as he inquired.
"I thought I asked a question."
When they saw her for the last time, they all reported what they had seen and denied ever having seen her before. This infuriated Gavin. He meant to hold Lana until she was worthless, then kill her.
He remembered when he was supposed to redeem his brother's properties and assets during his business trip. They told him they could not give him anything because Lana was the only member of his family still alive.
"If I find out that one of you helped her get away, I will kill you without hesitation. Get out, all of you!"
His scheme has been exposed. His goal was to murder her and take possession of everything. He could have faked her death certificate as well, but it wouldn't have persuaded them much unless they were looking for proof.
Hilda and her husband Andrew made a stop at the airport, displaying the passport they had made for Lana and themselves. Andrew held a sleeping Lana in his hands as they made their way to the aircraft.
They traveled for several hours before arriving in Miami. Hilda saw the sleeping girl's chain around her neck as she looked at her. While she slept, she held it.
Lana didn't trust the folks who took her since the day she managed to get away with it thanks to Laura. She was afraid they might end up like Gavin. Hilda and her husband made a great effort to help her come out of her shell. They always make her smile or laugh, and they provide her with everything she needs.
To start her from where she left off, they hired in-home tutors. She took her studies seriously, picked things up quickly, and her brilliance impressed her guardian. She would occasionally cry during the night because she continued to feel pierced by her parents' deaths and felt alone.
She had spent five healthy years indoors. Andrew and Hilda persuaded her not to go out.
Lana
I've been living with Aunt Laura's relatives for the past five years, and I now think of them as my parents. Even though they didn't appear to be planning to have children and only had me, they didn't have any more children.
"I'm pregnant!" With a document in her hands, Hilda—whom I now call mom—said. With pleasure, I got up from the TV and gave her a hug.
"That's wonderful news, mom. Congrats. Does dad already know?" She shook her head and put her index fingers on her lips when I asked.
"Shhhh! Don't tell him yet. I'll break the news to him surprisingly." With happiness, she said. I congratulated her and gave her another hug. After ten years of marriage, they haven't had a child.
"You'll have a younger one soon." Muttering under her breath, she headed for the stairs. I have been afforded opportunities to accomplish things ever since I turned eighteen. They granted me a lot of things, including permission to drink alcohol in moderation, but what I really wanted was to see the outside world that I had been kept away from.
"Do you want to be kidnapped by Gavin? Lana, stay inside; it's unsafe outside. He may be trying to find you." My father would caution me.
"However, five years had passed, and I still didn't get the opportunity to attend school as other people did. I remained homeschooled, I haven't gone to the park, and I haven't made friends. I am aware of your concern about my security, but I doubt Gavin would find me."
I no longer refer to him as "uncle" because he is not deserving of the title. He mistreated me, killed my family, deprived me of my freedom, and made an attempt on my life.
Even though I told my father to report him to the police, he told me that because he is a powerful man, he can buy his way into the police department.
.....
Dad was so excited to hear of mom's pregnancy that he felt compelled to host a celebration. We sang, danced, and did a lot of other things around the house because I was so happy for them.
Without her knowing, I also ordered her a gift. The only person who knew was Dad. My phone rang while I was still in the party mood, and it was the delivery guy.
"Dad," I called as I approached him. He lowered his wine glass and grinned at me.
"What is it, my dear?" He pondered.
"You know I told you I'm going to get mom a gift; the gift is here." I told him, covering my uneasiness with a scratch on the back of my head.
He grinned and said, "Go straight to the point, Lana," as if he had already read what I was thinking.
"The delivery man is here, and I ordered the gift a few hours ago. He instructed me to pick up the item and sign the necessary paperwork." With that, he shot me a warning glance.
"So you want to go outside to collect it from him, huh?" I gave him a swift shake of my head. "Lana, what do you want to get?" Mom inquired, having already overheard our exchange. I swallowed my saliva and looked up at her. Her rules about leaving the house were extremely tight.
"I need to pick up the package, says the delivery man, who is standing on the front doorstep. I will go get the package right away and come back. I swear." I swore while glancing at her. After giving me a long look, dad tapped her and said something in a whisper.
"Go swiftly, grab it, and return as soon as possible. Please, don't stay long." I gave her a quick hug and gave her a peck on the cheek, as she stated calmly.
I went outside to check on the delivery guy at the gate.
"Are you Miss Lana Monterio?" He asked, and I smiled and gave a short nod. Looking out the entrance, I saw the stunning Brickell Avenue street. Oh my god, I love Miami; it gave me the opportunity to move on from my tragedy and start over.
"Can you sign here, please?" He requested, then handed me a pen and record book. He grinned at me, signed it, handed me the present, and winked at me.
It irritates me. He's a mature man in his late 30s, while I'm still a lady. "Thank you for choosing us." After saying so, he got into his truck and drove off.
A smile spread across my cheek as I gasped and grabbed at my package.
"Meow!" I heard a tiny, endearing sound. I was forced to follow the voice. I then noticed a small kitten. It appeared frightened.
"Hey, are you lost, little kitten?" I asked, hoping not to frighten it away with a calmer tone and a somewhat higher voice. It ran away when it heard my voice.
"Hey, don't run; come back." I chased after it, not realizing that I shouldn't be outside the house. I loved cats so much, but my new parents wouldn't get me one since my dad had a cat allergy.
Until the kitten went somewhere I couldn't locate it, I was still chasing after it. "Where did you go?" I murmured as I looked around.
I noticed how creepy the place was. I experienced a chilling sensation that caused the hair on my skin to stand up. As I turned to head back home, I became aware that I was being followed.
My heart skipped a beat as I remembered my father's warning. Gavin was consuming my thoughts. I chose to move quickly, but there was more sound from the footsteps behind me.
I turned and saw that a man was after me, so I started running without thinking. The man took off after me, and I picked up the pace as my chest clenched and my stomach ached.
"No, not now." As the panic attacks got worse, I screamed as loud as I could
"Help me!!" As soon as the man got close to me, I yelled. I was attempting to visualize the path I took when I was chasing the kitty, so now wasn't the time to find my phone and call my parents. I felt someone smack my head abruptly from the side, and I was completely unconscious.