Luna's Payback: Claiming My Fate!

43:

A year had passed since his younger sister Veronica went missing, and from the day she got married, they had no idea where she was. They tried to find out through her husband, Angelo Fuentebella, but he claimed that she had been abducted while they were on their honeymoon.

But Marky felt something was off. Many things seemed wrong. He just couldn’t pinpoint what it was, but his gut told him that something wasn’t right.

And those thoughts, which were swirling unconsciously in his mind, were echoed by the person in front of him. “I just find it strange. If the reason Veronica disappeared was because of an a*******n, wouldn’t they have asked for money? It’s been a year, and we haven’t heard any news of a ransom demand for your sister,” Michelle said, her brow furrowed.

They were sitting in a popular coffee shop. He had invited her out because he wanted help in tracking the people close to Angelo Fuentebella. They had once tried following the entire Fuentebella family, but unfortunately, they hadn’t found anything useful.

“You’re right, Michelle. Something really feels off about Veron’s disappearance. But please, don’t tell mom and dad about this, okay? I don’t want them to worry. As much as possible, I’ll handle all the weight of this investigation myself.”

The woman’s expression softened, feeling sympathy for his situation. “You can count on me, Marky. Until we have solid evidence, I’ll keep my mouth shut around Auntie and Uncle.”

"Thank you. And another thing, think about it. If you were Angelo, and your wife was kidn*pped for ransom, wouldn’t you be worried? It’s like he’s completely fine, especially during the times we followed him without him knowing. Meanwhile, we can’t even sleep, constantly thinking about where Veronica is,” Marky muttered angrily.

“I noticed that too. The Fuentebella family is rich now. It’s obvious from the way they live. If he’s got that much money, shouldn’t he be speeding up the search for his wife? Unless... he doesn’t want Veron to be found,” Michelle added, taking a sip of her iced coffee.

Marky clenched his fists. So, after all, he and Michelle were thinking the same thing. At first, he thought he was being too harsh on his brother-in-law. But what Michelle was saying made sense.

"Exactly my thoughts. If I had that much extra money, I wouldn’t just leave everything to the police to find my wife. I’d hire a private investigator. He has enough money to buy a sports car, so why not pay the fees for a P.I.? I’m sure he can afford it,” his frustration resurfaced.

Michelle shook her head at what he said. “Do I even need to spell it out for you? Obviously, he has no intention of finding Veron. When was the last time Angelo gave you an update? If he was truly grieving the loss of his wife, you wouldn’t see him going out, enjoying the single life like he is now! And the police? They still don’t have any leads on the case.”

“S-So... what does all this mean?”

Michelle sighed. "In other words, who knows, maybe Angelo is the real culprit behind Veron’s disappearance. Maybe he’s the one who wanted my best friend gone."

Marky gasped. The idea wasn’t new to him. That thought had crossed his mind several times. But he didn’t want to entertain it. Angelo Fuentebella was the man his only sister loved. He didn’t want to be unfair to his brother-in-law, but he couldn’t understand why this idea kept creeping into his head—that maybe Angelo was the mastermind behind his sister’s disappearance.

At first, he was mad at himself. He shouldn’t be thinking like that. Maybe he’d just watched too many crime and suspense movies. But no, even Michelle was saying the same thing. It meant there was a possibility that Angelo had something to do with Veronica’s disappearance.

"But don’t get your hopes up just yet. We’re not sure. The Fuentebella family is a big name now. People won’t just believe us. And besides, we don’t have any evidence," Michelle added.

A fire lit up in Marky’s eyes. "If we don’t have evidence, then we’ll find it. Veronica’s been missing for a year. And we don’t even know what her situation is. What if my sister is suffering every day? Hoping that someone will come and save her? It makes me so angry because I feel so powerless. I feel like I’m a useless big brother..."

Marky felt hot tears welling up in his eyes, but he held them back. He wanted to stay strong. He didn’t want to be weak. He wasn’t going to cry.

Meanwhile, even though Marky often teased Michelle, she knew that, at that moment, the man was feeling heavy-hearted. It was painful for him to feel like he couldn’t do anything for his sister.

That’s why she wanted to comfort him. Without realizing it, she was already holding Marky’s hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Don’t think like that! I’m sure you’re the best brother to Veron. Not everything is within your control, so don’t blame yourself too much. What’s important is that we’re taking steps, whether big or small,” she smiled at him.

Somehow, Marky’s mood lightened. Just seeing Michelle’s beautiful and sweet smile felt like it melted the anger in his chest.

“Thank you for understanding, Michelle. But I can’t stay calm. We can’t keep relying on the police. What’s the best thing we should do first?”

“If you ask me, I’d hire a private investigator right away. These days, money can get things moving. The only issue is, their professional services will surely be expensive. We’ll need a big budget if we’re going to find Veron. I’m willing to help, Marky,” the woman suggested.

A bead of sweat trickled down his forehead. He thought that was the best solution for everything—hiring a private investigator. The only problem was, he was sure it would cost them a lot. Their smaller businesses might even be sacrificed.

He felt confident that they could afford to hire professional services, but it would surely require sacrifices. But he was ready, and he was certain his parents were too. Even if they had to lose everything, they would do it just to find Veronica.

Michelle's attention shifted to the new customers entering the coffee shop. They were noisy, drawing attention. She frowned as if trying to recall something.

Michelle subtly signaled to Marky, pointing with her lips toward the new customers. “Psst, Marky. Don’t make it obvious, but... that group. Aren’t they Angelo’s minions? They’re his best friends, right? If I remember correctly... their names are Irish, Jane, and Jennifer. I think we might get some useful information today,”

He noticed the spark in Michelle’s expression.

Marky's eyes widened, filled with curiosity. What was Michelle planning to do? What was going through her mind?

He glanced at the women Michelle mentioned, and she was right. He recognized the group. He nodded. “You’re right, they’re Angelo’s best friends. I saw them at Veronica and Angelo’s wedding.”

They watched the group as they ordered drinks at the counter. The women were loud and clearly wanted attention. Michelle rolled her eyes. “You know, Marky, I really don’t like that group. They act like they're the victims, bullied because they're ugly, but when they find someone they don’t like, they bully them too. I hate people like that. I always hate bullies. And Angelo’s no different, huh? I gotta say, I’m impressed by your brother-in-law,” she added sarcastically.

“Why?”

“Angelo’s a narcissist. I can’t stand him. Out of all the people he could be friends with, he chooses a group of women? I mean, it’d be fine if it was a mix of men and women. But to be the only guy in your friend circle? If Angelo were my husband and all his friends were women, I wouldn’t care if people called me a bad wife. I’d make him cut ties with them! Just by looking at those women, I don’t trust them one bit.” Her tone was filled with irritation as she continued eyeing the group.

Marky laughed. She had a point. If he had a wife, he wouldn’t be okay with her only having male friends and being the sole woman in the group either.

Michelle continued, "You see, Angelo loves being praised. He always wants to be the star, the center of attention. He loves it when his friends tell him how handsome he is. And these foolish women? They feel like they belong, like their existence is validated because they never thought a handsome 'knight in shining armor' like Angelo would want to be friends with them, even though they’ve been bullied for being ugly. That’s why they protect Angelo so fiercely. To them, Veronica is the villain. They think she doesn’t deserve their friend because they see Angelo as this incredibly handsome, perfect guy without a single flaw. Their friendship works well. Angelo gets his ego fed with all the compliments, and they’re happy because they think they won’t be bullied anymore since they have a handsome prince charming as a friend. What they don’t realize is that they’re defending a mama’s boy who’s got no guts!"

Her voice trembled with anger, and Marky could feel how furious she was. Even though he wasn’t a woman, he agreed with her point. He felt the same way.

Veronica might not have said anything outright, but he knew she wasn’t close to Angelo’s friends. Now, he had a gut feeling it was because those women didn’t like his sister.

Michelle’s fists were clenched tightly. "Those women are a menace! I know Veron doesn’t tell me everything, but I’m sure they’re ganging up on her!"

"Calm down. We’re not here to pick a fight," Marky reminded her.

Michelle took a deep breath, trying to control herself. "I’m fine, I’m fine. But I think I have an idea on how we can get a clue about your sister."

His eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

She flashed a wide grin and glanced again at Angelo's group of friends. "Through those women."

Michelle stood up, her long hair swaying in the breeze as if she were about to march into battle. Now he was nervous. What was Michelle planning?