The Ultimate Chance-Chapter 114

"If you need help finding your son, just say the word." Julie offered.

"Thanks, Julie. It’s already enough that you don’t blame me for how Aubrey was treated." She straightened up to leave.

"What are you talking about? Angel means a lot to our baby. She has become more compassionate ever since she met him and besides, I know you would never treat her that way. I still want to get that doppelganger and rip her wig off."

The mention of a wig did nothing but increase the number of potential suspects. Avery muttered her thanks and left before she gave in the urge to point this out.

"So we are not just looking for blond women with similarities to me. They could be brunettes for all you know. All we know for sure is that they have to be about my height." She pulled at her hair. "How many women check this box? Millions?"

He wanted to deal with this on his own but he knew that wouldn’t be realistic. If the kidnappers wanted money, they would have long called for a ransom. That, and the fact that they had certainly gone through so much trouble to find a woman who could pass off as Avery. They also knew their routine and the right time to show up at Angel’s school, which meant it had been planned for a long time.

"The longer they have Angel, the more danger he is in. We have to split up and seek everyone’s help. We cannot do this on our own." He suggested to her.

She wouldn’t usually agree to involve anyone in her matters but she nodded. Anything for her son’s safety.

Damon made the call to Mabella while she sent a voice message to Gabriel and Mina, asking them to meet them at her villa.

Gabriel has made a guess from the voice message and the video Damon had made him watch on repeat earlier and was making speculations by the time Avery and Damon arrived.

"And get this. This woman looks exactly like Vivi. She even has Vivi’s scar on her ankle." He went on, making the women look at him like he was explaining the impossible.

Chloe, who had tagged along when she heard about it from Mabella, didn’t think it was impossible. "Actors do use makeup and fake scars all the time and they look so realistic they could pass off for the real deal. This woman must be a professional at acting with years of experience to be able to do everything like Avery would."

"You’re right. She either knows Avery too much and is a perfect imitator or she’s a professional actress who would pull off any character if she has enough detail." Mabella watched the footage again and was baffled at how little the differences were.

"A professional impostor..." Mina whispered. "Hey, Gabe, did Damon tell you whether or not they have a clue?"

"We don’t have one yet." Damon answered her question before Gabriel did.

"All we have is the fact that she must be of the same height and size as me. Her appearance isn’t even a clue." She rubbed her forehead.

She spaced out for a moment and when she caught Chloe staring at her, she blinked in confusion. "Is anything wrong?"

Chloe whipped out her phone and tapped on it rapidly, then brought the screen to her. "Check this out. Does she look like she could be your sister?"

Avery’s eyes widened. "Yes she could. Who is this?"

"Fake Shirley." Damon guessed without seeing the picture, and he was right.

Chloe bit her lip. "If that woman is crazy enough to try to extort you again, she would go for your weaknesses. Manipulating your memory of Avery would never work. Going for an innocent child does sound like something she would do."

Avery squinted her eyes. "If your ex girlfriend is behind this, I swear, I will kill her and then kill you."

"I’ll dispose of his body if that’s the case. I’ll check with her." She pocketed her phone.

"If she is behind this, what are the chances that she would spill the beans as soon as she sees you?" Mabella reminded her. "She knows you and Damon are friends now. If she is behind this, that is. Since she did her homework and all that."

"I will not stay here and do nothing, okay? I would rather try and fail." Chloe insisted.

"I know. Just be careful." Mabella added, making the latter scoff.

"Why do you care?"

Mabella smiled awkwardly. "Damon, a word?" She caught Avery eyeing them curiously and wanted to find an excuse for calling her brother aside, but knowing how skeptical Avery was right now, that would only cause the opposite of the desired effect.

She pulled him over behind a wall and whipped her head around to ensure no one had followed them. Oblivious to Gabriel who had secretly followed them, she asked, "I have a bad feeling about this."

"What?"

"Perfect impostors, meticulous kidnapping and sending the victim’s family into confusion to stall for time. This reminds me of..."

"The Romanos. Me too." He confessed.

Mabella was furious. "And you haven’t said a word about it?!"

"I didn’t think about it until a second ago." He confessed.

"Well, do something about it! You know what they’re capable of." Mabella warned and walked off in frustration, and he was yet to make the call he wanted when Gabriel showed himself.

"You didn’t just eavesdrop on us, did you?" Damon couldn’t believe he was capable of that.

"I always knew you were not all clean but the Romanos? Did you piss in their yard?" He half-joked. "If you did, you better clean it up before my poor nephew has to pay the price."

"I need your help." He said the words he didn’t think he would ever say to this scumbag. As expected, Gabriel dramatically widened his eyes and burst into laughter.

"You need what? Wait. You’re serious."

"Yet here you are, stalling when your nephew could be having a meltdown for being away from his mother. Help me keep Avery distracted. I can’t involve her in this." He asked.

"Mabella can do that. I’m coming too." He wanted to strangle the woman who impersonated his sister and kidnapped her son, and Damon couldn’t say anything to stop him. Understanding the vengeance in each other’s eyes, they silently agreed to let Mabella stay with Avery.

...

"Baby, I need you to stay here in case anyone sees Angel and calls the house telephone. I sent out a police report." He lied when they returned to the living room. "They could try to contact us."

"What did Mabella tell you?" She didn’t buy it. "You both know where Angel is, don’t you?"

"No." He averted his gaze.

"You cannot lie while looking at me, can you?" She ridiculed, and turned to Gabriel instead, then she remembered Mina’s mention of a mafia baby.

"This has something to do with the mafia, right? Is this why you don’t want to tell me anything?" She interrogated them. Why else would they be on the same page when they were always against each other?

"Mafia? Don’t be ridiculous. The mafia doesn’t exist." Gabriel tried to laugh it off, only to meet her displeased gaze. "It’s the Romanos."

"The who?" She was shocked and so was Mina.

"The Romanos? What would they want from a little child? It’s not like they’re in need of money so unless they have some kind of feud with the parents..."

Avery threw her arms in the air. "I don’t care what feud you have going on with the Romanos, whoever those are, but I want my son back in one piece."

"That’s why I need you to stay here." He took her hand and kissed it. "I will do my best to bring our son back in one piece."

"I’m coming with you." She whimpered.

"No can do. Do you want me to waste more time by listing off reasons why you shouldn’t come?"

As expected, she shook her head. "I need you back in one piece too."

Considering the glares she had been giving him as soon as the Romanos were mentioned, it was surprising that she was worried about him too. Ignoring Gabriel’s groan about how boring and cheesy they were, he kissed her gently and walked out the door, his expression changing as soon as he was out.

"I’m going to set their lair on fire."

"I’ll get the lighter." Gabriel seconded.

Meanwhile, Avery paced in distress and only stopped when she couldn’t hear Damon’s car anymore. "I guess they are gone. Mabella, do these Romanos live too far away?"

Mabella didn’t want to add to her distress so she hugged her, assuring her no one would dare to hurt Damon’s son. Not even the Romanos.

"Avery, can I come back to check on you later? I’m so sorry. I don’t feel well." Mina spoke up for the first time since the guys left.

"Go ahead. Take care of yourself first, okay?" Avery didn’t mind her leaving.

Unbeknown to her, Mina’s wish to leave had nothing to do with feeling unwell. She made a call as soon as she was in Avery’s compound and soon after she arrived at her apartment’s rooftop, a helicopter landed to pick her up.

A short helicopter ride later, she alighted to the joyous welcome of the man she didn’t think she ever wanted to see in her life—Jose Romano. He was still as sly as ever, looking like he had expected her to come crawling back for help.

"To what do I owe the pleasure, princess?" He eyed her as though he was waiting for her to jump into his arms like a little girl excited to see her father for the first time in years.

She stood as far from him as she could without needing to shout. "Pleasure? You kidnapped my best friend’s son!"