‘Yes, but you must know that my father is not the kind of man to associate himself with the kind of men you are accusing him of being with. And, no I am not some naïve little girl who has no idea what her father does.’ She was begging silently, her face stained with tears. She had no idea she was crying.
‘This is how the law works. We will take him and his wife, who we have reason to believe is his accomplice. You have my word that your father will be given a fair trial and a chance to defend himself,’ the officer continued, only after cuffing both her parents.
‘Elliot, do something,’ she shouted at the man who stood there doing nothing, ‘Uncle, please. Help your brother.’ She pleaded to everyone in the room.
‘Don’t trust anyone, we love you.’ Her mother spoke these last words as the police took her away. She didn’t know who it was holding her until the room was vacant of the four people, and she turned around to see Ella, standing behind her and Mrs. Georgina.
‘Georgina, come with me. I must speak to you alone.’
The woman holding Carola wanted to say no, but both her master’s brothers knew how important the woman was to their niece. They took her away, all the while she was thrashing. She could only look back at the child she had brought up, her eyes telling her of her sorrow and the apology she couldn’t say.
‘Elliot, what is happening?’ Carola asked, tears muffling her voice. She had no idea what to do or how to make sense of what was happening around her. This was the man she loved, and to see him betray her like this was something she could not make sense of.
‘Darling, I am only giving you one chance to make this right. To save your brother.’
‘What? Please let him go. Both him and my parents.’ She pleaded. She would do just about anything to save her family. Hell, if Elliot wanted her shares of the business, she would gladly hand them over.
The man she had loved was a liar, and she couldn’t wait for the life of her to figure out why she had loved him in the first place.
‘Come. There is someplace you need to be.’ This was not Elliot who had been there for her every time she needed him.