Unmasking the Heiress

One glance at the caller ID and Minnie knew it was Celina.

She was due for her pampering session at Sunny Glow Beauty Salon any minute then. Celina's call must be a reminder, she figured.

Without a second thought, Minnie answered, "Celina, I told you to bring my mom over here, didn't I? Look at the time! Why isn't she here yet?"

The thought of seeing her mother again brought a smile to Minnie's face.

However, her words sent a shiver down Celina's spine

""Ms. Kast, there's a reason I'm calling..."

Celina inhaled deeply, trying to steady her spinning head before continuing with as much composure as she could muster, "While we were moving Mrs. Lydia, we picked up a tail. To keep your location under wraps, we diverted to a different spot. However, those guys actually followed us and, without so much as a by-your-leave, they... they took Mrs. Lydia!"

"What are you talking about?"

Minnie's heart stopped. She was in disbelief.

Her mother had just pulled through for her in a big way, yet she had been taken?

"Celina, what's the deal with your crew? My mom wasn't safe with you guys, and when I asked for her to be moved somewhere else, she ended up getting snatched? Seriously?

"She barely steps out of Sunny Glow Beauty Salon, and those goons swoop in to grab her?! Celina, are you telling me you've got a rat in your ranks?"

Minnie's voice thundered with fury, sending chills down the spine.

Celina, caught in the wrong, dabbed at the sweat on her brow and began to explain, "Ms. Kast, you're aware of how delicate Mrs. Lydia's situation is. To keep things on the down-low, you wanted us to roll with a smaller squad. However, those guys came in force, laser- focused on nabbing Mrs. Lydia. We were outmanned, trying to haul Mrs. Lydia and all her stuff. We didn't stand a chance!

"As for the loyalty of my team, I'll sort that out and get back to you, promise."

Celina's tone was all apologies, but her words were all about dodging the bullet. She did not want to be tagged with the mess of losing Lydia.

Truth be told, she did not have to play nice with Minnie. However, Minnie had some heavy hitters in her corner, and Celina, just a beauty salon boss, could not dare to cross her.

Celina's words snapped Minnie back to reality. That was not the time to play the blame game. They needed to find Lydia, and fast.

"Got any idea who took her? Any leads we can follow to get her back?"Nôvel(D)rama.Org's content.

"Nothing. Not a single lead."

Minnie's heart sank with the all-too-brief reply.

Celina found herself the target of suspicion, but she stood her ground fearlessly. "So, what's our next move, Ms. Kast?"

Next move? Those words were like a nightmare to Minnie.

Her whole life, whenever trouble struck, her thoughts would just clump together, sticky and useless. However, like a lightbulb flicking on, she got an idea. She told Celina to hang tight for her message and ended the call. She might be clueless, but someone else would have the answers...

Still, recalling her recent actions, Minnie pulled a wry face, mustered a grin, and dialed the number.

The voice that came through was rough and distorted, the anger barely contained even through the voice changer. The fury was palpable.