Page 2 of Deadly Secrets

I was being unreasonable, but Sarah knew me well enough to realize that Pablo wasn’t the issue. I’d been avoiding any conversation related to my summer internship at Cos Pharmaceuticals, the company my dad started five years before I was born. “Shall we grab something to eat on our way to the airport?”

“C’mon, Sienna. Stop deflecting. Tell me what’s going on.” Sarah sighed. “You’ve been a bit off the entire trip. You’ve always been a wild card, but you’ve never been this careless or insensitive. Have you talked to your parents yet?” Sarah was right, and as much as I was inclined to continue skirting around the topic, my friend happened to be the most determined person on the planet, so I knew she wouldn’t let it slide.

“There’s nothing to tell. I’m supposed to start my internship in three weeks and go to college in September.”

“You don’t sound excited.” She took a sip of her coffee.

“I’m excited about college, but definitely not the internship.” The prospect of working for my father was far from appealing. Our relationship had deteriorated beyond repair when he decided to ship me off to Switzerland at age twelve. The last thing I wanted was to spend more time than necessary with him before I left for Stanford. Don’t get me wrong, I was genuinely grateful for meeting Sarah. Without her, my time in Rubin would have been a nightmare. “I’d rather drink piss, but it was a condition he imposed if I wanted him to cover my college tuition and expenses. If enduring a month of working with him means he won’t cancel my AmEx Platinum, then I’m willing to make that sacrifice.”

“You sound like a brat.” Sarah chuckled.

“You know I am.” I gently nudged her with my elbow. “My mom has been calling me nonstop, trying to convince me to go on vacation with them, but I can’t be bothered. I’d rather spend that time home alone.”

“Are you sure?” she pressed.

“Yes. If I must choose between preparing pellets to feed the lab rats or spending some quality time with them in Cabo, I’ll choose labor over hammocks. It’s the least painful option.” Sarah knew how I felt about returning home every summer. She could count with her two hands the number of times I had traveled back to New York in the past six years or how many times I had faked not being disappointed when my mother had called me saying they couldn’t visit because of my father’s demanding work schedule. His company had always been his priority, and as much as I didn’t want it to affect me, it did.

“Miles texted me,” Sarah added.

Miles and I dated for six months until I broke up with him a month ago. I could lie and say it was because I was going back to the US while he was heading to Australia, but the truth was that I’d grown tired of his stupid ass.

“What does he want now?”

“He said you’re not answering his texts.”

“Maybe Miles should take the hint and stop messaging me.” I’d been avoiding his texts for the past two weeks. He insisted on us staying friends and that he would come and visit me as soon as he could…

I hope he doesn’t show up in California because he won’t like the sound of my door hitting his tanned Aussie face.

We stayed silent for a few more minutes as we finished our breakfast, savoring our last moments of peace under the Spanish sun. An hour later, we were both packed and waiting for our local taxi driver to arrive.

Sarah would fly to London via Madrid, where we would say our goodbyes before I boarded my connecting flight to New York.

* * *

After an uneventful flight and several champagne glasses, I arrived at JFK International Airport eight hours later. As soon as the arrivals doors swung open, I immediately spotted my mom holding a bouquet. I took a deep breath and summoned my warmest smile as I approached her.

“My dear Sienna! I’ve missed you so much.” She squeezed me tightly as tears streamed down her face. Marie Moore stood at just five-three, but her strength more than made up for her petite stature. Her light brown hair was shorter than I remembered.

“You’ve cut your hair!” I beamed.

“Yeah, do you think it suits me? Your father insists it makes me look younger,” she remarked. Fortunately, I’d inherited my mom’s features—her cute nose, full lips, and sun-kissed complexion. With her short hair, she could easily pass for my older sister.

“You look fantastic. Speaking of the devil, where’s Dad?” She anxiously nibbled on her lower lip before replying to my question, yet even before she uttered a word, I could already anticipate the answer.

“I know he promised he would come too, but you know your father. Something urgent came up. He wanted me to tell you how sorry he is.” Her voice carried a tone of disappointment, but we both understood that disappointment was a recurring theme for Edward Moore. “Let’s go home. I’m eager to hear all about your trip to Ibiza.”

Chapter 2. THE BASEMENT

(Sienna)

I only had three weeks of freedom left before starting my internship at Cos Pharma, so I decided to make the most of it and have fun exploring what the city had to offer.

A few days after I got home, I texted Caroline. We hadn’t been particularly close friends, but she knew how to have a good time, and I needed that precise diversion to avoid being under my parents’ scrutiny at home. Our paths crossed three years ago during one of my summer visits. Caroline was employed as a bartender at Port Chester Country Club and had connections to all the trendiest clubs and bars in the city. We hit it off right away, but our friendship never fully blossomed since our time together was restricted to just five weeks each year. We didn’t share many common interests either, except for our mutual love for parties and alcohol.

Caroline

We’ll pick you up at 7. Wear jeans, nothing fancy.

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