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EDEN KINGLEY STOOD frozen with the folded piece of paper Chiara had forced into her hand, and she watched as the front door closed. Her mind wouldn’t accept the reality of what was happening. Eden scanned the paper then looked up, eyes wide with a terrifying understanding. Rafe had made Gabri her power of attorney. Suddenly, the world sped up, and she lunged for the door.

“What the hell!” Letty cried out still holding on to Bronte.

“No!” Eden sobbed as she flung the door open with the paper grasped tightly in her hand. She burst outside with Letty and Julia close behind her. “Please, Gabri! Don’t do this,” she begged, but Gabri already had Rafe in the car.

Standing at the back of the car, Chiara turned to Eden and held her hands out to stop her. “Mr. De Angelis is now informing you Rafaella has left all matters to him at his discretion,” announced Chiara. “He will be honoring her wishes to retrieve her father and the sentimental items of his and of her mother. He does not feel you know how to take care of her best, even if you are calling yourselves family and friends,” she said gravely. “He will take her home so she might get better, in the place she will get the most help.” Chiara quickly walked around the car, slid into the front seat and closed the door.

Eden could see Gabri pulling Rafe up and holding her close as the driver closed the back passenger door. Eden turned toward Julia, unable to wrap her mind around the fact her worst nightmare was actually happening. Rafe was leaving and might never come back. Eden could feel her body tremble and couldn’t catch her breath. Her heart beat so hard in her chest it hurt, and then the world swirled in her head making it hard to stand.

Julia caught up to Eden and took hold of her. “Hold it together,” she said firmly seeing Eden was losing her battle with her fear and anxiety as tears welled from Eden’s eyes. “Look at me,” she said and took Eden’s face in her hands. “What was the woman talking about when she said they had to get Rafe’s father?”

“I. . . I don’t know!” she cried as she shook and heard the car engine start. She pulled away from Julia, ran to the Town Car, and pounded on the window. “Rafe!” she screamed at the dark tinted windows. “Rafe, don’t do this! Don’t leave! Rafe!” She sobbed mournfully as the car eased away from her, and she fell to her knees in anguish.

Julia went after Eden and pulled her up. “Eden, we have to figure out where they’re going. They can’t leave tonight because they have to make travel arrangements. Think,” she said and shook Eden to try to snap her out of her anxiety attack and to get her attention. “What did she mean about Rafe’s father?” She took Eden by the arm and dragged her to the car and put her inside. “Letty, we’ll be back later. Hopefully, we’ll have Rafe with us.”

“Okay, please, bring her back,” said Letty distraught as she held on to Bronte. She watched Julia get in her car with Eden and then drive away after Gabri’s car.

Julia looked over at Eden who was trying to control her anxiety and terror about what was happening. “Does she have storage anywhere?” Julia asked as she tried to see if she could catch up with the Town Car carrying Rafe away. “Is she storing some of her father’s and mother’s things here?”

“I don’t know,” Eden insisted through her tears as the pain of her anxiety thrummed through her. “I only know about her car storage.”

“Car storage? No.” She shook her head. “Where did you store your things from your apartment?”

Eden looked up at Julia with wide eyes as she remembered what she saw in the trunk of the Maserati. “I think it’s her car storage,” she insisted. “I saw she had some things in the trunk when we got out our prizes from the arcade. She also has his hat in the glove box.”

“Where does she store the car?” she demanded.

“Rick’s Auto Detail and Storage,” she said. “It’s close to your offices.”

“Okay,” she said and turned the corner at the light. “I hope you’re right. Do you know the number? Call and see if they’ll stall them,” she said and handed Eden her phone.

“Okay.” Eden wiped her tears and looked up the number for Rick’s on Julia’s phone. She called but only got voice mail.

When Julia pulled into Rick’s, they saw the Town Car in front of the office facing the exit. Julia parked quickly then they got out, rushing to the office. They found it empty.

Eden looked over at the Town Car and ran to it. “Rafe!” she called and tried to open the door, but it was locked. She pounded on the window. “Rafe, please, open the door. Please,” she sobbed.

Julia heard voices and started toward them. “Eden, they’re up here,” she said then ran to the second level with Eden close behind where they found Gabri, Chiara, and Rick standing next to the Maserati.

“Rick!” Eden called out and rushed up to him. “Where’s Rafe?”

Rick screwed up his face in confusion. “I don’t know,” he said. “I got a call from her telling me to let them get things out of the car,” he said indicating Gabri and Chiara. “Plus, they have a letter saying they have the right to take care of Ms. Salvaggio’s business.” He put the key in the trunk lock, opened the trunk, and then stepped back.

“Mr. De Angelis says you should not be here,” said Chiara a bit nervously. All the confrontation she had to do on her employer’s behalf was unpleasant. “He says there is nothing more for you to do for Rafaella now.”

Gabri reached into the trunk and took out a brown cardboard box that held the urn with the ashes of Rafe’s father, and a wooden case with a handle and extendable legs, clearly the portable easel and paint supply case belonging to Rafe’s mother. He handed the wooden box to Chiara then went around to the passenger side of the car. He got in then opened the glove box pulling out the cap Rafe had been wearing the last time Eden was with her in the car.

Rick was about to close the trunk but looked up at Gabri. “There’s a small bag in here too,” Rick said and picked up the canvas bag. The bag was made of a brown waterproof canvas with buckles to keep it closed and shoulder strap so it could be hung on one shoulder or across the body.

Eden saw Gabri going back around to get the bag, and she ran up and snatched it from Rick then backed away. “I need to talk to Rafe,” she said desperately as she clung to the bag. “Let me take this to her and talk to her. Please, Gabri. I love her, and I don’t want to lose her. I don’t want you to take her away!”

Gabri was in shock at what Eden had done as he listened to Chiara translate her words. He spoke angrily emphasizing his words with hand gestures and Chiara translated. “Rafaella told me about you and what you are doing to her. You will not speak with her.” Chiara paused to listen then spoke again. “Rafaella said nothing about needing an old school bag. She will tell me if she wants it. Then you will give it to her, or we will take legal action.” Chiara turned to Rick. “He says you are our witness. If she does not hand over the bag and does not return it when Rafaella requests it, then she is the thief. We will be requesting surveillance tapes of tonight.”

“I don’t want any trouble,” said Rick as he held up his hands. “I’ll help Ms. Salvaggio in any way I can.”

Gabri walked away carrying the box and the cap, and Chiara followed with the wooden case as they walked back to the Town Car where the driver already had the trunk open for them. They placed the items in the trunk, and Gabri said something to Chiara then got in the back seat of the car. Chiara went to the passenger door and looked back at the two women. “Mr. De Angelis says he will be in contact with Rafaella’s lawyer and with you as soon as is possible.” She got into the car, and Eden watched helplessly as Rafe was taken away again.

“Call Katheryn now!” Eden demanded frantically. “We’ll go to her house right now if we have to. We can’t let him take her!”

They went to Julia’s car as she tried to contact Katheryn again. “He can’t take her anywhere if he doesn’t have her identification. Did you see if he had it?”

“No,” said Eden with frustration. “I was too busy worrying about the fact he carried Rafe out of the freaking house!”

“Okay,” said Julia and took a breath. “Just calm down. Katheryn hasn’t answered or picked up her messages so she must be out or something. Let’s go back to the house and see if her driver’s license and passport are still there. If they are, then we know he can’t take her on a plane.”

They drove back to the house where Letty was watching over Bronte. Eden rushed into the house and past Letty to get to Rafe’s room.

“What’s going on?” Letty asked. “Is Rafe coming back?”

“We don’t know yet,” said Julia and followed Eden into Rafe’s room.

Eden was in the room, desperately going through Rafe’s things. She looked in Rafe’s jeans for her small wallet. It wasn’t there, so Eden looked on the dresser and in the drawers without result. She flung open the closet door and saw the small safe had been opened and was empty. Eden sat down on the closet floor and burst into tears.

“He has everything.” She continued to sob. “He probably got it all when he was in here with her alone.”

Julia sighed and ran her hand through her silver hair. “Fuck, Rafe.” She groaned. “I can’t believe this is happening.” It had to be Eden’s choice to walk away from Rafe, now Eden’s choice had been taken away. She wasn’t sure if this was actually best for Eden or if this would just make things worse.