**Kimberly’s POV**
I had waited for almost an hour at the coffee shop, but none of my friends showed up. Neither Hannah nor Louis walked in. I kept glancing around, hoping to see them, but nothing. After what felt like forever, I grew frustrated and decided to leave.
As I turned to go, a memory hit me-something Mona had said earlier. I froze, piecing it all together. She had practically bragged about kidnapping my friends before I left home.
“How could she be so heartless?” I muttered to myself, struggling to control my rising anger. Every day it seemed like dealing with Mona became more unbearable. But getting angry wouldn’t help. I had to focus on finding my friends. That was my priority now.
I walked back into the coffee shop and approached two waiters standing by the front door. As I neared them, I greeted them politely, “Hello there.”
One of the waiters smiled and replied, “Hi, ma’am.” The other just nodded, avoiding eye contact.
“I have a really important question to ask. Hope you don’t mind?” I asked, trying to be as polite as possible.
“Of course, ma’am. You can ask,” said the smiling waiter.
The other waiter didn’t seem like he wanted to talk, which was odd, but I ignored it for now. I focused on the one who was willing to help.
“I was supposed to meet two friends here this morning, but I haven’t seen them yet. Have you by any chance seen them?” I showed them pictures of Hannah and Louis on my phone.
The waiter examined the photos, then scratched his head as if trying to recall. “Yes, they were here earlier this morning.”
Relief washed over me. “Thank goodness! So, where are they now?” I asked eagerly.
“They left with a couple of guys.”
I blinked, shocked. “Which guys?”
He hesitated. “I’m not sure, but they seemed to know them. They all sat together and talked for a bit before-”
Suddenly, the other waiter stomped his foot, cutting him off. “We can’t give out that kind of information, ma’am. You should ask someone else,” he interrupted rudely.
The first waiter looked confused but nodded, and both of them quickly disappeared into a staff-only room before I could say anything else.
“What’s up with that?” I muttered to myself, standing there, feeling helpless. The second waiter had acted so weirdly, especially when he cut the other one off. It was like he was hiding something.
Frustrated, I left the coffee shop. The only thing I could think to do now was go back home and confront Mona. She had to know something. She was my only lead, as much as I hated to admit it.
—
When I got home, it was eerily quiet. Everyone had probably left for the day. I was about to head upstairs when I saw Mona descending the stairs, dressed in her fancy clothes.
I marched right up to her, my frustration boiling over. “Where are they, Mona? Where did you take Hannah and Louis?”
Mona stopped and looked at me, feigning confusion. “What are you talking about?”
“Don’t act innocent! You know what I’m talking about. Where did you hide them?” I demanded, barely controlling my temper.
“What’s going on here?” I heard my father’s voice behind me. I turned to see him standing in the doorway, a look of concern on his face.
“It’s Mona, Dad! She kidnapped Hannah and Louis!” I blurted out, my voice rising in anger.
“What?” My dad’s gaze shifted to Mona, shock in his eyes. “Is this true, Mona?”
“Dad, no! I don’t know what she’s talking about! She’s been accusing me ever since she got back this afternoon,” Mona said, putting on her best innocent act.
I was seething. “You admitted to it earlier! You said I’d be begging you to tell me where they were. Don’t act like you don’t know!”
“When did I ever say that? We haven’t even spoken today!” Mona replied, her voice calm but full of lies.
I couldn’t believe how easily she was lying. “You told me this morning that they were with you! Stop pretending, Mona!”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she insisted, keeping her act up. “You’re making up things because you’re angry at me.”
My father stood there, clearly unsure of who to believe. His face showed how conflicted he felt, caught between his two daughters.
“Enough!” my dad suddenly shouted, silencing both of us. “Kimberly, calm down. Mona says she didn’t take them, and I believe her. Have you even checked their house?”
“I went there, Dad. They weren’t home. And the coffee shop staff said they left with some strange men.”
“Well then, stop accusing Mona. If they left with some unknown people, maybe something else is going on,” Dad said firmly.
Mona put on a sad expression, acting like the victim. “I don’t know why you’re blaming me, Kimberly. I’ve done nothing wrong.”
“You’re lying, Mona!” I shouted, unable to control my rage.
“Enough!” Dad cut in. “I’ll handle this. I’ll make sure Hannah and Louis are found within 24 hours. Stop blaming your sister, Kimberly.”
I clenched my fists, feeling cornered. “Alright, Dad,” I muttered, trying to rein in my anger.
“Thank you, Dad,” Mona said sweetly. “I appreciate you stepping in.”
“Good. No more arguing. I expect you two to get along,” Dad said before leaving the room.
As soon as he was gone, Mona brushed past me, smirking. “Better get your facts straight next time. Maybe someone else is after your friends.”
I watched her leave, feeling my blood boil. She knew something. I was sure of it. But there was nothing I could do now.
As I climbed the stairs, my phone buzzed. I pulled it out and froze. What I saw on the phone shocked me.
My heart pounded in my chest as I stared at the message on my screen. The blood drained from my face as I realized what I was looking at…