The next morning was cold and dreary. Thick fog shrouded the winding road leading up to the imposing gates of the Westchester Detention Center. Annabelle clutched Emma’s hand tightly as they approached the drab, gray edifice that looked more like a medieval dungeon than a modern correctional facility.

“Are you sure about this?” Emma’s voice quavered with uncertainty. “What if they don’t let us see her?”

Annabelle swallowed hard, mustering her resolve. “We have to try. Aiko needs us now more than ever.”

They passed through the security checkpoint, relinquishing any potential contraband items. The burly guard eyed them.

“State your business,” he barked.

“We’re here to visit Aiko Takahashi,” Annabelle stated, trying to sound mature.

The guard’s brow furrowed. “You girls know the rules? No one under eighteen allowed in the visitor’s area without a legal guardian present.”

Annabelle’s heart sank, but she wasn’t ready to give up. “Please, sir, I’ll be eighteen in just a few months. Aiko is our adopted sister, and she needs us. She did nothing wrong.”

Emma’s eyes welled up with tears that spilled down her cheeks. “P-please let us see her,” she whimpered.

The guard’s hardened expression softened. He lowered his voice. “Look, I could get in serious trouble for this, but wait here.”

Annabelle and Emma exchanged a hopeful glance as the guard disappeared through a heavy metal door. An agonizing moment passed before he returned.

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

“Alright, this one time only. But you gotta keep quiet about it.”

“We won’t tell a soul.”

“Follow me.”

They were herded down a labyrinth of corridors that reeked of industrial cleaners and despair. At last, they reached a small visitation room divided by a thick pane of glass. Aiko entered from the other side, eyes downcast until she saw her adopted sisters. A fleeting look of joy and relief washed over her features.

Annabelle and Emma scrambled for the phone on their side, hands trembling as they lifted the receiver. Aiko did the same, and they stared at each other for a long moment, drinking at the sight of her face.

“Aiko...” Annabelle choked out, her voice thick with unshed tears. “We’ve missed you so much.”

“I can’t believe you’re here,” Aiko replied, her eyes shimmering. “You do not know how much I needed this.”

Emma pressed her face to the glass, tears streaking down her cheeks. “We’re going to get you out of here, I promise!”

“Aiko, I need you to listen...” Annabelle leaned in, her expression turning grave. “We had a visitor at the house. An older man dressed in an expensive suit with a British accent. He said the strangest things...”

Aiko’s brow furrowed. “What did he want?”

Annabelle looked away, chewing her lip. “He... he wanted Mother to sell the entire farm to him. For some absurd, multi-million dollar price.”

“What? That”’s insane! Aiko shook her head in disbelief.

“Five million dollars,” Annabelle said. “That’s the figure he named.”

Her voice trailed off as Aiko went pale as a ghost, eyes widening. She rocked her head, mouthing frantic words that Annabelle couldn’t make out.

The guard’s voice crackled over the loudspeaker. “Visitation time is over, ladies. Let’s go.”

As Aiko was ushered away, still mouthing silent warnings, her defeated expression caught Annabelle’s attention and filled her with a cold dread. What had her adopted sister become entangled in? And who was this mysterious British man?

“What’s going to happen to her?” Emma asked, her eyes filling with moisture.

“I don’t know yet, but I intend to find out.”

As Annabelle and her sister walked away from the detention center, a lead weight bore down on her chest.

Breathe, Anna, you’ll sort this out. Let’s see what Mother has to say about Malcolm.