My Anti-hero Fairy System-Chapter 71. The Missing Brothers

She hailed a taxi right in front of the diner, but before she could get in, her gaze caught on a woman with frizzy blonde hair, wearing a yellow crop top and faded blue denim pants. She was taping posters to nearby poles, while a toddler stood beside her, watching curiously.

As the taxi pulled up, Cara slid inside and gave the driver her destination. As they drove past the woman, she caught a glimpse of the poster she was hanging. It was a group picture of the Scott brothers, with the word MISSING printed in bold letters across it.

But it’s only been two days, Cara thought. Then again, it was strange that all four brothers had vanished without a trace.

For a split second, a cruel thought crossed her mind—to tell the woman that the Scott brothers were never coming back. But she quickly dismissed it.

A minute later, as they drove further down the street, the driver muttered, "I hope those Scott brothers don’t ever come back."

Cara turned her attention to the old man behind the wheel. "Why would you say that? Did they do something to you?"

Before he could even finish gauging her expression in the rearview mirror, Cara had already read his thoughts. Turns out, the Scott brothers had bullied him repeatedly over the years, they were his neighbors.

The old man let out a bitter chuckle. "You might not know this, Miss, but those boys are a menace. I’m not the type to wish bad things on people, but if something terrible happened to them, I wouldn’t lose sleep over it. The only person I feel bad for is Colleen."

"I’m guessing Colleen is the woman hanging the posters?" Cara asked.

"Yeah, that’s her. Victor’s unfortunate baby mama. That girl deserves better. Maybe with them gone, she can finally move on and take care of her kids without that monster dragging her down."

’Wow. I think Joana did the world a favor by killing those bastards.’

[You’re not wrong. The world seems a little brighter without them.]

They continued the drive in silence until they pulled up in front of the mayor’s mansion. Cara stepped out, handing the driver his fare. He hesitated, glancing up at the grand estate before blurting out, "Wait, you live here?"

"Yes," Cara said, already walking toward the gate. "I am the mayor’s stepdaughter."

The old man scoffed. "Your stepfather is a piece of shit!" Then, without waiting for a response, he sped off.

I concur, Cara thought to herself. He would never know how much she despised Rudy.

The gate swung open, and Max eyed her curiously. "Did you forget something?"

"Yes," Cara said simply, brushing past him before he could press her further.

She stepped inside the house and spotted her mother emerging from the kitchen.

"Hey, Mom, I just forgot something," Cara said, moving quickly to shut her up and avoid any other questions.

Arlene, however, wasn’t one to let things slide. "What did you forget?"

Cara froze mid-step. She scrambled for an answer, her mind racing. She considered saying she’d come to grab some tampons, but she wasn’t on her period. And even if she were, there were two convenience stores near the diner where she could easily get them.

Thinking fast, she turned to her mother. "I’m going to Farrah’s after work, and I don’t want to be stuck wearing my waitress uniform, or just this." She gestured to her outfit, hoping her explanation would be enough.

Before she could rush upstairs, Arlene threw another question her way. "I didn’t ask earlier, but how was the service? I hope you didn’t become a believer in Reverend Franklin’s hate sermons."

Jeez, this woman is killing my time, Cara thought, barely keeping her frustration in check.

"No, rest assured, I didn’t buy into the nonsense he was spewing. And I’m definitely not going back to that church," Cara said, exasperated. "So, Mom, are there any other questions? Because I really need to get back to work."

Arlene held up her hands in surrender. "Okay, honey, no need to be cranky. Go ahead." She turned and walked back into the kitchen.

Wasting no time, Cara raced upstairs, grabbed a jean jacket, a white top, and a pair of black pants, then stuffed them into her backpack. She stepped back into the hallway, glancing left and right to ensure no one was around before making her way downstairs.

Once at the bottom, she deliberately veered toward Rudy’s study, moving silently.

The door wasn’t locked. Rookie mistake, she thought as she slipped inside, placing her bag on the desk. Her eyes swept the room, scanning for any sign of the proof she needed, evidence that Rudy had stolen the diner from Jackie’s family.

She exhaled sharply, wondering where he might have hidden such a document, if he hadn’t destroyed it already.

[You do realize there’s a strong chance that document doesn’t exist anymore, right? Rudy is very smart there’s no point in him keeping such things around,] Hagrit chimed in.

’Rudy is smart, sure. But he’s also the type to keep souvenirs of his conquests. And what conquest beats stealing a man’s business and turning his daughter into his personal slave?’

[Man, Rudy is the worst.]

Cara’s gaze landed on the darkest corner of the room, a spot that seemed untouched by sunlight. Her instincts told her to start there.

She crossed the room and found a stack of neatly arranged documents. She began sifting through them, her fingers moving quickly as she searched. Doubt crept in as she wondered if maybe Jackie’s father had lied, maybe he hadn’t paid off his debt after all.

But then, just as she was about to lose hope, she found it.

Three pieces of paper, stapled together. The first was a check for fifty thousand dollars made out to Conrad Wesley. The second was a legal agreement confirming that the debt had been settled.

Cara’s lips curled into a satisfied smile. So, Jackie’s father wasn’t lying after all.

She carefully folded the documents and tucked them into her backpack. After making sure everything in the study was exactly as she had found it, she slipped out, closing the door behind her without a sound.

As she made her way down the dimly lit hallway, she suddenly heard approaching footsteps. Her pulse quickened, but before she could react, she locked eyes with Travis. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

For a moment, neither of them spoke. Then, breaking the silence, Travis simply said, "I don’t want to know," before brushing past her and heading toward the study.

Cara raised a brow. So, he was the one who left the door open.

Shrugging off the encounter, she continued toward the exit.

Max was already at the gate, waiting. He gave her a curious look as she approached. "Did you get what you came for?"

Cara smirked. "Yes. I got exactly what I needed."

Max returned the smile, though it was clear he had no idea what she was up to. His gaze flicked to her backpack. "You’re carrying a bag—are you traveling or something?"

"No, I’m not going anywhere," she replied. "But I’ll be back late tonight, so keep that in mind."

With that, she stepped through the gate and onto the sidewalk.

She walked a short distance, scanning the road for an available cab, but none were in sight. Sighing, she pulled out her phone to book a ride—only to spot Darren stepping out of his house, dressed in a sharp black suit.

Perfect timing.

She approached him quickly. Darren, clearly startled, took a step back against his car. "I... I was about to call you," he stammered.

"Oh, really?" Cara said, arching a brow. "Well, you can tell me everything while you give me a ride to Wesley’s Diner." Without waiting for his permission, she slid into the passenger seat of his car.

Darren let out a sigh, muttering something under his breath before getting into the driver’s seat. He shot her a nervous glance and said, "You know, you don’t have to terrorize me just to get what you want."

Cara looked at him, confused. "What are you talking about? I asked for a ride. How is that terrorizing you?"

"It’s the way you talk to me," Darren grumbled, gripping the steering wheel.

Cara rolled her eyes. "Shut up and drive, Darren. You’re really starting to piss me off."

Muttering another complaint under his breath, Darren started the engine and pulled onto the street.

As they drove, Cara glanced at him. "So? What did you want to call me about?"

Darren kept his eyes on the road. "I got the results from the sample you gave me."

Cara’s interest piqued. "That’s great. What did they say?"

Darren hesitated, gripping the wheel a little tighter. "The test came back... inconclusive."

Cara immediately turned to him, her gaze sharp. She could feel the lie hanging in the air.

"I thought you’d learned your lesson by now," she said, her voice dangerously calm. "But it seems that’s impossible for you. Tell me the truth right now—or you’ll regret your entire existence."

Darren swallowed hard. His hands, now slick with sweat, trembled slightly on the steering wheel.