Chantele Mancini would never reveal her secret passion, writing romance and thriller novels. It gave her a chance to escape the judging eyes and everyday critics who never seemed content with their own lives. Writing allowed Chantele to release her demons without explaining herself to anyone or feeling scrutinized for the way she felt. She could be anyone she wanted to and create any fantasy. She could even reveal secrets and no-one was the wiser. It was all about her, or at least, about Charlotte Grace.
***
Vincent was born in the small villages of Sicily and raised in a traditional Italian family. He played soccer for hours with friends, stopping only when his mother would drag him home for dinner. She didn't have a job, instead, staying home and raising four boys, two years apart from each other, while their father worked long hours.
Vincent's father Ferdinando, a tenacious and respected lawyer, owned a small law firm with twelve employees, enough to make a stable income doing what he loved best. Ferdinando hardly saw his family, working long hours to provide for them but it afforded them the life all parents wanted for their children.
A bright child growing up, most of Vincent’s family said he looked like his grandfather on his mother's side. His passion was for playing sports and hanging out with friends. Vincent also suffered from obsessive-compulsive disorder. His room was always perfect, not a speck of dust in sight. His clothes sat color-coordinated in their drawers, and Vincent always knew if someone had entered his room. He appreciated everything his father had given to him, knowing how hard he worked to provide all of them with an opportunity for success. Ferdinando secretly wished one of his four sons would take over the law firm one day.
Vincent, the youngest of the four, was the most intelligent. His passion for knowledge was ignited by mathematics and physics, both of which he excelled at during his school years. He earned a Bachelor of Physics and Mathematics at the University of Rome, graduating with University Medals and a Vice Chancellor Commendation Award. He went on to complete his Masters and Doctorate in London, at Oxford University, where he decided to make his future home.
***
Vincent's head felt heavy, his eyes blurred and his heart was beating incredibly fast. Billions of tiny ants were marching briskly across his brain. He was utterly lost and in shock as fear inflamed his anger. Vincent began to feel chills overshadowed by the darkness of the attic, a room that was usually considered warm and belonged to his wife.
“Nooooooo!” Vincent screamed at the top of his voice. “Why did you do this to me? Why?”
Vincent couldn't see straight, to think clearly, or even absorb what he had just read let alone process it. What did it all mean? Was this all a nightmare? If so, he wanted to wake up. That wasn’t possible though, and somehow, he knew deep down inside it was real. Which told him, life as he knew it would never be the same again.
There were two things he was sure of, his wife was missing, and she had betrayed him. Not necessarily in that order. He had no idea where to start searching for her. He did know his feelings and how much he loved Chantele, as angry and confused as he was. His love over-rode the anger fueled fireballs coming from somewhere in the depth of his soul.
Vincent wanted to be with his wife and bring her home. Doing as Chantele had taught him, he covered his head and closed his eyes, trying to picture her in the darkness. Unable to see her, he opened his eyes to stare aimlessly at his mobile phone as he aimlessly started calling her. He lost track of time, not noticing the number of attempts that had gone unanswered. As if on autopilot he hit speed dial over and over again. That was when Vincent knew Chantele was gone. It created a vacuum effect that caused Vincent’s whole world to crumble in on itself, he was ready to implode unable to handle any more turmoil.
“What is it you want from me? Where are you Chantele? Please, please come home, we need you, the kids need you.” He’d somehow ended up kneeling on the floor, crouched over in disbelief while staring at the diary he clutched furiously against his chest.
“I can't do this! I can't!” Vincent continued to bellow, tears flooding the crewneck shirt Chantele bought for his birthday only days earlier.
A million questions buzzed in his head. How did she know he would find the journal? How could Chantele know he would see it in time? Why did she even write it in the first place? Most importantly, why was her life in danger? Too many questions lurked, and not one answer surfaced to give Vincent a sense of direction.
What did Chantele mean by the numbers were the key to her whereabouts? Who is this friend? How was he going to find them? Where was he supposed to begin searching for his wife? The most prominent question of all on Vincent's mind, was - who was his wife? What did she mean she wasn't Chantele? Vincent broke down and sat on the floor, his back against the wall next to the manhole.
Vincent’s distress finally caught the attention of his youngest child, Alex. He’d been downstairs reading his Kindle in the games room. A special place Chantele designed for their children to enjoy a space dedicated to them.
***
Alex wasn't like any other typical boy his age. At nine-years-old, Alex was a child on the exterior who looked no different to his peers. However, on the inside, his mind was beyond anyone his age. Alex started reading at the age of three and could count to one thousand by the time he was four. As a toddler, he spent hours looking through books, piecing together 1000-piece jigsaw puzzles, and asking endless questions about the solar system while he named all the constellations. He was the youngest of Vincent and Chantele's three children.
Samantha and Suzie, identical twins, were polar opposites in nature and character. They shared a love of shopping with friends but loved different sports and other activities. They just had their sweet-sixteenth birthday parties, and they enjoyed challenging Chantele and Vincent. Like most teenage girls their interests lay heavily in fashion, music and spending time with their friends. All those activities left little time for anything else, especially where Samantha was concerned.
Samantha treated school as a facility she was forced to attend, although she loved hanging around with her friends between classes. She was a social butterfly, and everyone at Kensington Grammar loved Samantha.
Suzie viewed school through different lenses and loved to learn new things. English was one of her favorite subjects.
Samantha and Suzie shared an extraordinary bond as identical twins. They secretly loved knowing they had each other to share the day to day frustrations of life. While sisters are always close, they were closer than most, and always knew when the other wasn't happy. They struggled with the changes and mood swings all growing teenage girls face as they transition into young adults, becoming women of the modern world. The bond they formed proved crucial for their survival in an adolescent world of social media, peer pressure, bullying, and judgmental peers.
The twin’s strength and stubbornness came from their mother. The girls knew what they wanted and how to get it. They weren't afraid of the repercussions that came with puberty, and they embraced exploring life without knowing what each new day would bring for them with a seize the day attitude.
Samantha, Sam to those who knew her, was soft-spoken and kind-natured, adopting her mother’s warmth. Suzie was louder and more poignant. She had no problem debating issues she didn’t agree with. It was a quality passed down from their father, Vincent and when bolstered by the determination Chantele gave her she was a force to be reckoned with. The twins never wished harm on others, there was not a mean streak between them. Chantele and Vincent always focused on their wellbeing and education, supporting the emotions they endured as intuitive identical twins as they matured into women of strength.
Although the girls’ personalities were remarkably different they were more than sisters; they were best friends. Their bond fueled their power to manipulate their parents in more ways than they realized. They always fooled Vincent, but Chantele was not so easily swayed by their charms. The girls respected Chantele for
this. However, it never stopped them from challenging her.
The girls also loved their little brother Alex. Due to being seven years younger than them, he was known as a love child. They had always wanted a baby brother or sister, or at least a toy they could play with all day long as they thought he was in those earlier years. The girls admired Alex's genius qualities, often tapping him for help with homework or school projects. Alex didn't mind; he enjoyed the attention of his sisters. Alex looked up to them and admired the paradox of identical twins. They looked the same on the outside but proved entirely different underneath their physical features.
Alex loved studying anatomy. Science was his favorite subject, and he never wanted to stop learning about the universe. While many boys his age would enjoy a game of soccer, Alex would study Nikola Tesla and Einstein's theories of gravity and relativity. Chantele loved Alex's unique qualities and nurtured his interests wherever possible. She signed him up for science clubs and encouraged him to attend science fairs. It was their time to bond as mother and son.
Vincent supported Alex's gift but wished deep down his son played soccer after school. Vincent wanted to coach him and train together. Even so, their mutual love for science as father and son helped draw them closer. Vincent discussed his day in the office, the innovations in robotics, while Alex sat transfixed by his father’s daily progress reports. He especially loved visiting his father’s workplace to admire the latest in technology and to see innovative developments in a highly progressive industry.
***
The sound of Vincent's voice scared Alex. He ran upstairs, pausing at the echoes of his father coming from his parent's bedroom. The bedroom was empty, and Alex followed the sound of his father’s voice through the closet and up to his mother's writing room.
Alex found his father sitting on the ground in front of Chantele's favorite piece of furniture. He was holding onto a brown leather book Alex had never seen before. He frowned and looked at Vincent noticing his father's red eyes, how wet his cheeks were, and finally his white knuckles clutching the book.
He paused before kneeling down next to his father. “Dad? Dad, what's wrong? What's happened?”
Initially, Vincent didn't notice Alex beside him. He didn’t hear his son's voice or see the worry on his face. Alex had never seen his father like this before. He knew whatever had happened it had to be pretty bad to affect his father this way.
Vincent finally looked up at Alex. He reached out to hug his son while the contents of Chantele's diary swirled around inside his brain. Completely in shock from the revelations, he couldn't bring himself to speak.
Alex knew he needed to call his mother and tell her about his father. He saw his father’s phone on the sofa and grabbed it, dialing his mother's number. Alex waited for her to answer, wanting her to hurry home and fix what was wrong with his Dad. After several rings it switched over to voicemail, his mom hadn’t answered. Alex tried once more, noticing the call history was filled with recent calls to her. His brow furrowed, ‘why isn’t she answering any of her calls.’ It was unlike her; she always answered phone calls from the family.
Returning his attention to Vincent, Alex dropped the phone and started to shake him. “Please, Dad, you're scaring me. What's happened? Tell me! I can't get in touch with Mum.” Alex’s voice cracked with emotion as he held back tears, trying to stay strong for his Dad.
“Please, Dad, talk to me! I need you!” Alex screamed at his father again, hoping he would get through.
Vincent slowly looked up, realizing he didn’t want his son to see him in such a state. It would only scare him. He dropped the diary to the ground, wiped his cheeks and reached out to Alex.
“Alex, I’m sorry. Please don't be scared.” Vincent began, “I need you to do something for me. I need you to listen carefully and put on your bravest face.” Vincent locked eyes with his son. “Can you do that for me? Can you be brave for me?”
Alex sniffled, meeting Vincent’s gaze, nodding solemnly.
Vincent looked into Alex's wet eyes and saw Chantele. He smiled at his son's close resemblance to her. Vincent's heart ached even more for Chantele, but for now, he knew he needed to get a grip on himself.
“Yes, Dad. I can do that. What's happened, what's that book? Is it Mum? Is she okay?” Always an intuitive one, Alex knew something wasn't right. Still, he tried to hide his fear and keep his word to be strong.
“Alex, I need you to find your sisters. I need you to tell them to come home right now. All three of you have to pack a bag of clothes and your favorite things. We are leaving as soon as possible,” Vincent explained.
“But, where are we going? Why, Dad?” Alex's voice was even shakier, and he seemed confused by his father’s request.
“Please, Alex, don't ask questions. I promise I’ll explain everything to you and your sisters, but first, we need to leave. Go, round up Sam and Suzie then get them to pack. I have a few phone calls I have to make.” Vincent stood, trying to present a strong front for his son.
Alex squared his shoulders and looked up at his father. “Okay. I’ll call the girls and tell them. What about Mum, is she coming too?” Alex asked, worry coloring his face.
Vincent almost broke, instead choosing to raise his voice. “What did I say to you, young man? I told you I would explain everything as soon as I can!" He responded, masking his inability to comfort Alex at that time.
Alex took a deep breath, trying to quiet the butterflies in his stomach. His father’s reaction told him their mother was not joining them, wherever they were heading. Tears streamed down his cheeks as Alex ran to call his sisters, still not home from school. Fumbling with the house phone Alex remembered they were at a friend's place. Finally, he managed to get through to one of them, telling them to come home and get ready for a trip. Alex tried to call his mother again, dismayed to find she still wasn't answering. He knew something was wrong because his father would never leave without her, he just didn’t know what.
The girls rushed home as soon as Alex reached them. They had a million questions and went straight to their father for answers, despite Alex's warning not to pester him. As far as they were concerned, they weren't going to budge without an explanation for what was going on. Marching into their parent's bedroom, they heard him organizing accommodations over the phone.
As soon as he finished the call, the questions poured like a burst dam.
“Dad, what's going on? Alex called us and said we needed to pack because we have to leave.”
“Where are we going? What are we supposed to pack?”
“What's going on Dad? Where's Mum?”
“Are we going away on holiday?” Faster than a machine gun they switched off, one talking while the other caught her breath. They were fighting confusion and shock, still in disbelief over what Alex had told them.
Vincent knew he had to give his children an explanation. Dealing with their confusion took away from the time he should be out looking for his wife. He called Alex to join the girls and sat everyone down on the bed. Vincent glanced at the notebook, “We need to leave so the house can be fumigated. The roach problem is just getting out of hand.”
“But, Dad, what about all my friends?” Samantha pleaded.
“When do I get to see them again?”
“Mum is on a business trip and won't be home any time soon.” He explained.
Satisfied that he’d managed to reserve a cottage in the countryside on the other side of London, somewhere he knew they should be safe.
PART TWO
One Day Earlier
CHAPTER 3
C
hantele opened her eyes and stared out the window. The email she found on her father's computer the week before dominated her thoughts. The sender’s alias wasn't one she recognized. It didn't make any sense to Chantele, she knew everyone her father corresponded with. The more she thought about that email, the more she knew something wasn’t right. It had been playing on her mind since h
er short visit to see him in Amsterdam.
Deep in thought, Chantele didn't notice Harry, their two-year-old cat, pawing at her arm. The Mancini's all adored the grey ragdoll Vincent surprised Chantele with for her birthday two years ago. Chantele especially loved animals, and they loved her back. The dogs and cats in the neighborhood all knew her, eagerly greeting her on their daily walks when she smiled and spoke to them as if understanding their language.
Harry was a cheeky cat who rarely explored the outdoors. Instead, he laid in Chantele's bedroom on the window sill, sharing the cushions with Chantele as she sat to read. Harry wasn't interested in much, food being the highlight of his day. He enjoyed being around the family for the attention, yet hated when the Mancini's had visitors, choosing to hide in Chantele's bedroom in disgust.
Shaking her head, she returned to the present, noticing Harry. “Yes, Harry I see you. I know it's breakfast time cheeky boy,” she exclaimed while cuddling the cat.
“First, I want a kiss before you get any food, Mr. Prince Charming!” She grinned.
Harry knew if he had any hope of being fed, he had to do what Chantele asked. Not that Harry minded. He loved and worshipped Chantele since the day he thought she was his mother. He nuzzled Chantele nudging her under the chin before jumping down to race towards the door, indicating he completed his task and it was her turn to deliver.
Chantele, smiling fondly, shook her head. She knew the game Harry was playing. She crawled out of bed carefully, glancing at Vincent’s sleeping form. It was the weekend, and they liked to sleep in later than usual. During the week their schedules were too hectic due to Vincent’s long hours at the Robotics Lab.
Vincent’s well-respected tenure along with his profound level of intelligence held him in a position of high demand. Part of the Robotics Design and Engineering Department, he supported was associated with the innovations involved with atomic green energy. He also provided support to the IT team with analytics integration and developed for climate-friendly initiatives through safe nuclear energy.
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