Chapter 24
“I’m not returning those items,” Antalia said, folding her arms tightly. “Izzy. I’m your aunt. How could you ask me to return things you can easily afford?” She turned to the manager, her face reddening. “I’m authorized to use that card. Why should I return anything? I mean… what would this look like? What would people think?”
Izzy held her gaze, trying to piece together how long this had been going on. She’d trusted her family to access her accounts, always thinking it was the right thing to do. For years, she’d ever considered replacing Attorney Alcaraz, who managed her grandfather’s estate. Now, she was suddenly grateful she hadn’t.
Before she could say anything, Monica walked inside the office, with a flushed expression. “Hey… sorry, I’m late,” she said, brushing the sweat from her forehead. “Did something happen?
To Izzy’s surprise, Calen trailed behind Monica. Why was this bloke here? She wondered inwardly.
Monica looked between her mother and Izzy, then back to Calen “Mom said it was an emergency?”
“Yes, it is,” Izzy replied. She gestured toward the manager. “The bank manager flagged some transactions he thought were suspicious. That’s why the credit cards were blocked.”
“Suspicious” Monica’s brow furrowed.
“Yes, like a vacation in Belize.” Izzy kept her eyes on Monica. “I didn’t realize you were planning a trip there, Monica.”
“What?” Monica’s eyes widened. She glanced nervously at her mother, then back at Izzy. “I… I told you about that trip, remember? The one with Arianna and Sam? It’s for Sam’s birthday next year.”
Izzy nodded slowly. Of course. A vacation she hadn’t even been invited to, all first–class flights and luxury suites–paid for with her money. She resisted the urge to let out a dry laugh, still processing the audacity.
Wasn’t this just like their vacation in France or when they toured around Europe without her?
At that moment, Calen scoffed and spoke up. “It’s just a few thousand, right? Why is the bank making this into a whole ordeal?” He turned to the manager, a look of annoyance flashing across his face.
The manager straightened, folding his hands as he addressed Calen. “Sir, it’s not just one transaction. There have been multiple high–value purchases flagged in a short span, including flights, jewelry, and luxury items.”
“Look,” Monica looked at Izzy. “I know you’re upset about what happened, but, Izzy, I was just concerned about you. I told Calen what you said because I didn’t want you to embarrass him to his father. You should know that, right?”
Izzy fought the urge to roll her eyes. Who gave these people the audacity to treat her like she was foolish? The answer was painfully clear: she had.
The old Izzy had been passive, indifferent to these matters. To her, working tirelessly to prove herself worthy in front of Calen and his father had seemed like the right thing to do. She’d practically worshipped the ground Calen walked on.
“I am done with this,” Izzy said, getting up.
“Izzy, sit down,” Calen interjected. “You can’t leave this place without solving this issue. How could you use this as an opportunity to get back at Monica? She’s your cousin, for crying out loud! Her mother raised you! How could you be so -ungrateful?”
Izzy stared at Calen, disbelief flashing in her eyes. “This has nothing to do with you, Mr. Weiss. I don’t understand why you are even here.”
“You-”
Chapter 24
“Was it to support my cousin?” Izzy lifted an eyebrow, her gaze arting between Monica and Calen. Almost immediately Calen’s expression changed.
“What? Of course not! I am here because
“That doesn’t really matter, does it?” Izzy interrupted him. “I am leaving.” She turned on her heel, but Calen was quick to stop her.
“I said, you cannot-
“Get off…” Izzy said, her eyes narrowed. Almost immediately, the anger she felt seemed to explode. “Now!” she hissed.
This clearly surprised Calen. He looked at her in disbelief as he obliged. The previous Izzy would listen to whatever he wanted. The previous Izzy wouldn’t question him. And more importantly, the previous Izzy wouldn’t raise her voice at him. “You… what are you…” he stammered, struggling to understand this new defiance in her.
“I have things to attend to,” Izzy said before turning to the manager. “I apologize for all this drama, but please keep the cards locked.”
“What?” both Amalia and her mother spoke at the same time. “Izzy, what are you-” Monica immediately teared up. She tried to hold Izzy, but Izzy quickly moved away, avoiding Monica’s hand.
Izzy didn’t linger any longer. She knew that if she stayed, she might reveal that she knew something about Calen and Monica.
However, Monica couldn’t let Izzy go just like that. She immediately ran after her and held her arm, pulling her.
“Izzy, wait! Please listen to me.”
Monica clung to Izzy’s arm, her face contorted. “Izzy, please, you have to understand. I didn’t mean to expose you to Calen. I was just worried about him. I didn’t want him getting hurt because of… what you were doing.”
Izzy pulled her arm free, a look of disbelief flickering across her face. “What I was doing? Are you really saying that I had some plan to ‘harm‘ Calen?”
mother.
Monica’s eyes
filled with tears. “You don’t understand. I know you’re upset with me, but don’t take this out on my Mother has done so much for us, for both of us. She worked so hard to raise you. If you want to be mad at me, fine, but don’t make her suffer for it.”
Izzy glanced at Amalia, who was nodding along to Monica’s words, her expression a mixture of self–pity and entitlement.
“So much?” Izzy’s voice cut through the silence, her gaze cold as she looked between them. “Alright, let’s talk about that.” She turned fully to face Amalia. “How much?”
Amalia blinked, momentarily taken aback. “What do you mean?
“How much did you spend to ‘raise‘ me?” Izzy repeated, her eyes unwavering.
Amalia stammered, clearly caught off guard. “Izzy, I don’t understand. We provided for you… food, clothes, and a place to live. Isn’t that enough?”
Izzy scoffed, a bitter smile tugging at her lips. “Food? Clothes? You mean the secondhand clothes you bought with my parents‘ money? The cold porridge you fed me while you and Monica enjoyed warm meals?” Her gaze hardened as she took a step back. “You want to talk about sacrifice, about all the things you supposedly did for me? You did the bare minimum and took every cent of my parents‘ inheritance for yourself.”
Amalia’s face turned an unhealthy shade of red. “Izzy, that’s not true. We gave you a home!”
13:29 Wed, Jan 1
Chapter 24
“A home?” Izzy shot back, incredulous. “A home under my name A home where I was treated like an outsider, where every scrap of kindness was held over my head as if it were some great gift? Save it, Amalia.”
Monica’s lip trembled as she took a hesitant step forward. “Izzy, please, don’t be like this. We’re family.”
Izzy glanced at Monica, her expression indifferent. “Family? You mean the kind of family that spends thousands of dollars on luxury vacations without a second thought, using money that isn’t theirs?”
Amalia stammered, her face shifting from anger to panic. “Izzy, you can’t just cut us off. We… we’re all you have left.”
Izzy’s gaze was icy. She turned to leave, then paused, looking back at them with a cold finality. “My lawyer will reach out to you soon. We’ll settle this once and for all.”
Without waiting for a response, Izzy walked out, leaving them in stunned silence.
