"Sir, there's two police officers waiting outside looking for Ms. Clara Bell."

I stiffened.

...looking for Clara Bell...

....looking for Clara Bell...

The words kept ringing in my head and my heart dropped. And then unanticipated rocks hurled and knock me out of my mind.

My eyes flew to Mrs. Samson, an average height lean woman with my eyes as big as the buttons on her button down v-neck black dress, heart pounding like thunder in my ears. My whole body froze to my seat, whole system reeling on the words that came out of her mouth like needles poking on my brain.

Dragging sound of the chair next to me snapped me out of my losing mind.

"Dad is in the library, Esther. Can you please inform him we have visitors," GP instructed her and she nodded her head before turning on her heel heading back to the mansion.

"Lucas, call your friend Hunter..." GP's voice receding from my hearing path, mind reeling back to Esther's news.

There's two police authorities looking for Ms. Clara Bell.

I was mindlessly staring into space, staring through the men who was arguing who's taking over the situation, but their voices was just a blur to my ears. All I hear was the pounding of my heart, their words just passing through my ears like wind, I can hear it but I can't understand it.

Brittany's words rang in my head. "Yes. I just got questioned today. You're name is on the list you know?"

I didn't take it seriously when she told me over the phone.

That post Claire on Twitter took all my interest.

Claire?

I was visibly shaking. Hands absentmindedly curled tightly into a ball on my lap.

"Clara Bell?" I heard my name but I didn't look up. I was still staring into oblivion, mind racing. Even when I felt Alex's hands gently rubbing my shoulders, all my senses is lost, somewhere in the past.

Claire! My head screamed.

"It was Claire who puts the watch in her stuff. It was a set up. That bitch lied to me." Tabitha's confession rang in my ears.

My whole body tensed up as anger rose within me. Hands curled into a ball, I shot up and faced the three men.

"Alex, take Clara Bell in the library, I'll find a way to stall the cops while GP makes a call," Lucas told Alex.

Ignoring his command. I stared at Alex. Teeth clamped. His eyebrows drew together, a few lines under his eyes. Holding his gaze I spoke. "This is a set up!" I gritted, anger rising each passing second. I felt the Santorini's eyes bored into me. I dragged my eyes away from Alex and met GP's and Lucas' eyes. Shifting my eyes back and forth at them. They both has this curious look on their faces.

My heart pounded harder and harder like a bomb about to explode out of anger. I stood up stiffly. The three was staring at me, all eyes filled with curiosity except Alex who was staring at me with fear on those orbs. He knows who am I talking about. I know he knows a lot more than me.

"Who?" GP inquired causing me to take my eyes away from Alex and met his.

Alex beat me to it. "Claire," Alex replied with barely suppressed anger.

Just hearing her name, it made my blood boil. I had never felt this intense anger before.

"Piece of shit/Son of a bitch!" GP and Lucas bit out scathingly in unison.

And then GP spoke. "We don't know yet if they have any evidences that lead the blame to Clara Bell," he explained.

"True," Lucas seconded. "By then we have enough time to do our own investigation. And if everyone was pointing at her, then we have all the evidences we needed to prove her innocence."

"Agreed." GP and Alex replied in unison.

"Clara Bell," All our attentions drifted to Uncle Gio's with long decisive strides approaching us.

Auntie Enna was half walking half running trying to catch up with Uncle Gio. Both carried the same facial expression, anger and fear.

"Go with your auntie, Clara Bell. Don't come out until we say so," he ran his right hand across his lower part of his face, other hand resting on his hips, looking perturbed. "Rafael, your dad is coming. Whoever did this to you better start moving to hell," he threateningly stated.

My face grew taut. I am not gonna hide.

"I was set up! And I'm not going to hide!" I snapped without even thinking who am I talking to. My anger got the best in me.

Alex held my two arms, gently pulling me to face him. Then his hands that was gently wrapped around my arms slowly glided downward, then stopped on my hands. Then he held my hands so gingerly and our eyes met. His gaze was pleading me to listen to them.

"You are not going to hide, Clara. We merely want you to stall the meeting with the Police. Until then, we will find whatever means we can to prove that you are innocent," he explained. He pulled his one hand up and ran it down my right cheek in a gentle caress as he gazed at me with tenderness. I instinctively leaned my face against his warm palm, anger slowly dying, his tender voice sent a little calmness in my raging temper. His warm touch sent some comfort but it was gone as fast as it came when he pulled it away.

Meeting his gaze, I nodded my head acquiescently.

I hate the idea that I am helpless, but truth hurts. What does it do if I come now and meet those cops? Will I prove to them that I was set up?

If Tabitha and Claire, and I know a few more girls doesn't like me cahoots, I have no proof I am innocent. That thought made my heart clenched. Am I so bad? I can't even find a true friend outside my circle.

Even if it's against my heart, I agreed.

My eyelids stung from the suppressed tears. Tears of disappointments, frustrations.

I was moving like a robot as Auntie led me towards the mansion. I stopped at the entrance of the door and I looked back at the men left behind us, all consumed in a deep conversations or arguments. Their stance couldn't hide the tension growing and all the more I felt fear starting to crawl in my gut.

"Everything will be alright," Aunt Enna consoled. I pulled my eyes away from the three men I cared and met Aunt Enna's tender gaze. I was nodding absentmindedly. She pulled me into her arms and I let the tears flow freely, but quietly.

"We will never let those who persecutes win, honey! They will pay for this," she added on.

I know my dad will get me out of this.

Wiping the tears away, I pulled myself back. "Thank you, Auntie." I murmured.

I looked back to the men behind us and a small hope rose in my chest. After a short pause, I looked back at aunt Enna. "Let's go." I forced a smile that didn't reach my ears.

I felt Auntie Enna's hand on my back, a gentle stroke in a comforting manner. Then she led me inside.

....

"Rafael is coming, I already made some calls. Sawyers and your uncles are helping now as fast as they could. Hoping within this day, we can gather all the evidences we need to prove Bell's innocence," Uncle Gio stated.

I nodded in agreement. Then I remember the cops. "I think we need to invite the cops in for a drink. We can't let them wait outside for a longer time, they will get suspicious. Then we can stall them as long as we could," I said as I shifted my eyes at the three Santorinis.

"I agree," Uncle Gio replied. "Come with me, GP. Let's go and welcome them." He turned to his eldest son. GP nodded. Then he turned his attention to Lucas and me. "You two," pointing at us, "find out about those crew Clara Bell works with," he directed us. And then he turned briskly on his heel. "Let's go this way," he motioned the way towards the right side of the mansion and GP just followed his dad.

I pulled out my phone out of my pocket as I followed Lucas who was now also glued on the screen of his home heading towards the mansion's back door.

"Hey, Jim! It's Lucas..."

Lucas fading away from my ears as I turned and walk away while eyes on my phone's screen.

I called my dad first.

"Yes, son?" I stopped and stood firmly. My free hand absentmindedly flew to my waist as I spoke, staring ahead but unaware of my surroundings.

"I need your help, dad," I replied.

"With Clara Bell?" he chuckled, sounding thoroughly amused. "Thought you can handle it," he jested.

"Dad!" I gritted with a warning tone. I'm losing my patience.

"Okay, Okay. What is it? Something happened?"

"There are two police officers here looking for Clara Bell." I gritted out.

I heard him gasped.

I continued. "Mrs. Helena Ratskin's heirloom is stolen. And she's suing the Victoria secret cause it happened after they used her place," I explained.

"How could someone hates her? She's so kind and thoughtful?' Dad blabbered absentmindedly.

"She got set up, dad."

"Obviously!" he snapped, "but who would set her up?" Dad asked scathingly.

"Claire," I gritted. Free hand absentmindedly curled into a ball.

"Please dad, I already have a lead. My PI found him but he's dead of cancer. I have a feeling he's not dead. If yes, I need to know if there's anyone that knows him closer, friend or relative. I'm sure he has at least one person that he confided his secrets," I explained, sounding desperate.

"I'll do what I can. Go and stay with her, I'll start working on it."

Before I could say anything, dad already cut the line.

I was just about to call Cornick next when my phone rang.

It was Langdon.

I connected the call and stopped at the doorway of the library.

"Yes, Langdon. Any news?" I started as I watched Lucas back heading towards the fireplace, phone on his right ears.

"Sir, I found Mr. Hemmings' mistress. And regarding Mr. Hemmings, I have men dug his tomb. Just waiting for my cousin who is a Forensic Pathologist to confirm it was Mr. Hemmings bo--"

"Still not a solution!" I cut him out, staring viciously at the picture of the old Santorini hanging on the wall across me, just above the fireplace all system still glued on the other line.

"All I need is a confirmation, Sir. The only way to make her talk is offering her to pay her debt and an account for her to start a new life. And maybe protection, Sir," he explained.

"Money is never a matter, Langdon," I gritted out looking away from the portrait and eyes dropped on the tiled floor. "Bell's life is all that matters to me. I don't care how much, make sure she'll talk. And whoever behind this, I will make sure they will pay a thousand times!" My jaws felt rooted as I stared hard on the floor. Hands clamped tightly around the small machine right next to my ear.

"Copy, Sir."

I ended the call. I looked up and eyes landed on Lucas.

I strode in, eyeing Lucas as he ended the call. "Anything?" I asked Lucas as I walked closer to him.

"Everyone is on the clock. All we could do for now is wait," he replied. He shove his phone into his pocket and reached the decanter sitting on the ivory fireplace mantel. He pulled the lid open, placing the glass lid on the silver tray next to the small whiskey glasses, then he took a glass and poured the brown liquid halfway. He then gave it to me.

I took it murmuring thanks. I caught him taking another glass before I turned on my heel and walked to the nearest armchair, next to the panelled window.

I took a sip, my mind still racing.

My phone rang just as I set the whiskey glass down on the end table close to me.

It was uncle Rafael.

"I'm on my way. I got a word from a friend who works at the precinct. A search warrant is being made as we speak..."

My heart started to pound like a drum. I absentmindedly shot up, eyes met with Lucas as I listened to the other line.

"Claire and Tabitha testified that Claire had stolen Tabitha's watch. And a pair of earrings, apparently my innocent daughter gave it as a gift to Claire. That earrings was an heirloom, but it's not Helena's. It's Mrs. Gurkin..."

My head started to pound. My fingertips rub my temple as I paced around the room. "The wife of that Russian shipping magnate, Mr. Baris Gurkin."

I shook my head in disbelief.

"But Clara Bell never met them?" I muttered in disbelief.

"She did," uncle Rafael groaned. "She went with his grandfather. The Gurkins invited them over, they prepared a small party for the old duke,"

"Oh shit!" My jaws clenched tight. "And Baris hated you and dad," I hissed.

"That's the thing. When he found out that Stav and I tipped off the Police about his illegal shippings, he threatened me that he will destroy me."

I shut my eyes tight as I tried to fight the urge to scream. Screamed so loud, the frustrations and fears that started to nestle in my heart.

"But he's not going to destroy my daughter!" he stated gruffly. "Whoever crosses my family will go to hell!" he gritted.

"How about the heirlooms that Ms. Helena's missing?" I asked feeling my anger rising in every passing second.

"That's the mystery," he answered. "Jonathan Hemmings is not dead!"

"What?!"

......