My whole world tumbled down. I felt myself crashing to the floor. I felt like the ceiling was kissing me as he embraced me in a breathtaking squeeze. My lungs felt like burning as if I was underwater. I felt like dying.

So many emotions conquered me in a victorious burst of laughter. I have no idea should I cry, be angry or... I don't know.

I looked at the letter again and the lettering started to enlarge and then blur out. All I saw was white on blue blurring. When my focus was once again back to normal, I could see the lettering again. "To my dearest daughter"

If it was from my mother then how can she even call me that? Didn't she leave me? What for? Where has all this gone wrong? I looked at the letter again and wondered if I should read it or not. The line in her beautiful petite handwriting urged me to continue reading.

"To my dearest daughter,"

With all the strength in my heart, I started to read...

Lilly, I know that you are going through a hard time right now. When it is your day to celebrate, you are inside your room, reading my letter... a letter from a mother that was never there in the first place for all these eighteen years of your life. I am sorry. I am sorry I was never there for you. I am sorry I didn't fulfill my duty as your mother. And I am sorry; the deadline provided for me was only until your eighteenth birthday. I tried to negotiate until your twenty-first birthday, but he didn't give me."

There is so much she is not saying here. There is so much that doesn't make any sense here. I just wish if I could tear through this letter and go through the lines to her and demand answers.

"Even if the circumstances were different... Evelyn should have taken good care of you. I made sure she did that."

Yea, right! I couldn't help but feel the tears fall from my eyes. Should I love her? Should I feel angry? What should I feel?

"Now, there are certain things that I need to tell you and I have to do it; unfortunately now. I can't delay it any longer. Since, if I do delay it, your life will be in danger. I shouldn't say any more to you because I know you must have gone through some drama.

It all begins with your father being in love with me. Sam! You father is indeed Sam and doesn't you dare hate that man because he is the sweetest soul you will ever get to see. And even if I wish to tell you something more on this matter; I can't. I will save that for later when I will meet you. Never fear, I have always watched you. You may not have seen me, but I have always seen you, dear.

I wish I can tell you all of it. But, I am restraining it since I can't afford to- the one who is behind me, see what I need to tell you.

Your mother was not the best housewife, darling. I wish you could see me laughing now at the irony. I have many secrets. I, from a very young age, got indulged with the bad side of society, honey. But, they took good care of me; better than what my foster parents ever did. Evelyn was always the nice girl. And she got adopted in the earlier age. I was left behind. I ran away from the orphanage. Got caught, and then was sent to foster care and let me tell you one thing; sometimes foster parents are not all shiny and good. They used me in ways you can never believe. I wish I can tell you something now, but I can't. I have to remind you there is a lot I am hiding for the fear of your safety. If I tell you; your life will be in danger. So, I ran away from the foster care and was sleeping on the dark side when Peter found me. I joined his little gang and let me tell you... I found happiness.

In pursuit of happiness, he made me his first in hand. You see, he was a middleman for a big mafia gang and I... had to join them. I didn't know he was this big and this bad. Since they treated me well, I didn't complain. Later, Peter became the mafia leader and do I have to tell you what I became?

At time point, I had to take something from a less powerful gang because I was appointed with the mission. I stole a map to treasure land in AuroraIsland. Little did I know that the small gang was a branch to another big mafia gang and then what happen... let's call it war?

In between all of this, SamParker, a business mogul who had hand in the underworld business too, fell in love with me. Though I tried hard to get away from him, I couldn't. Finally, I lived a double exposure life; one being the queen of the dark and one being the good housewife.

It was then my sister came to my aid with her three children since her husband was pretty abusive. I took her without thinking twice. And once again I did a mistake, Lilly. I didn't ask her who her husband was. Her husband was the rival mafia head from whom I stole the map. I cannot tell you who he is. I am sorry.

Knowing I and my sister were related- he got a hand to me; he started to plan and take action. Sam started to fall apart. I was eight months pregnant with you. The bastard gave me time till I gave birth and then he said he will destroy everything I am associated with. It meant he will also decapitate you in all the newborn glory in front of me. I cannot bear it. I fled; with every trace of my existence.

But I made Sam marry my sister and then gave you to her and did many negotiations which I am not going to explain now. Until now, no one knows where I am. Not even Sam. If Sam ever gets to read this or listen to this, I love you; still, do.

Lil, there is a lot more to this story than what you have read. There is a lot more you need to know. But, right now know only this.

And baby,

"Glow yourself tonight,

Breathe the heat "tonight",

Fall in love "where the moon"

Cause you will find it "shining "

The place you are "search"ing

Is where "you will find me"?

Until then, see me "in the reflection".

And safeguard this letter for you have another one in the box to show it to the others. Sorry, I am not a great poet but you will see it in the poem; the next clue.

Your mother Evangeline"

My mother, the photo, in Sam's drawer... oh my God! What is this all about? Once again, I ran through the letter to find any hidden meaning. To find something in between the lines; but, alas! Nothing!

I read it again and again and indeed there are a lot of things missing; a lot of things that needed explanations. There is lot.of.things.missing. I am boiling with rage now. I hate to wait for answers. I am so splitting myself with the heat now.

This is all too much to take in.

So, indeed, ladies and gentlemen, my life is a hot cross bun, a double boiling volcano, a really special birthday. I didn't expect this much fun. Wow. I am so glad!

The last poem reads like a message. I am sure of it. The way she has fox gloved certain words and phrases seemed unreal but real. I searched all other papers, but they were all paper without any messages specific for me. It was just papers. So, I kept it in the box and hid this letter under my shoe box. I am sure no own will search there.

But before I kept away the box, I saw one more paper sticking on the flat side of the box's lid. I took it out and in pencil, she has written, "If anyone asks you about what was in the box, show them this letter." and then as a side note, it said erase me. In this letter, it was pretty much the same thing but there was no poem in the end and a few of the things were omitted.

I sat down with the letter in my hand and read them again and again. It gave me no relief but made me feel like really loved. She must have done this because something really dangerous happened. Something really bad happened. Otherwise, she wouldn't have done this. But, still, I have a lot of questions to be answered. Where can I find her?

My heart said it is there in the poem. I dearly wanted to take the poem and decipher the meaning but I think Tom could come any minute and somehow I didn't want him or anyone to see it. I didn't want anyone to see but I wanted to let Sam know since he must love her still. There are too many gaps for me to fill.

Just like I predicted, there comes Tom. He stood by my side, peered into the letter and sat down beside me. Sam, Evelyn, Tiffany, Simon, Stephen, Linda, and many others that I don't know came in. Tom asked me what it was. I said it was a letter from my mother and showed him.

Evelyn cried, Sam stiffened; and my siblings or half siblings looked at me with so many emotions in their eyes. I saw Stephen looking at Tom and then to me; again Tom than to me. I knew he was trying to tell me something. But, what was it?

After Tom read all that was in the letter, he read them aloud for all to hear. Sam sniffed and I saw him crying. What? Sam crying... Evelyn too was crying. A very suffocating family drama! When Stephen once again looked at Tom, from the corner of my eyes I saw Tom showing something to Sam. With that, Sam stiffened again and took his stone cold posture.

"Was there anything else in the box?" Tom asked me.

"Nothing!" I replied. Tom sighed!

"When were you going to tell me, Tom? Oh, I never said a lie to you, huh Tom! Wow, what an actor."

He stiffened with anger, I could read it in his eyes but in a very calm voice, he said, "I said, I can't tell you anything now. But, I will and now that the time has come, Sam, enlighten her."

"Yes, enlighten me, Sam! Or should I say, father!"

Sam stood with an easy glare. "There is nothing much to say, she had pretty much said to you everything. All you need to know now is that you are the only one who knows about the map and I need it."

I was hit with a sledgehammer. What? I am the one who knew about the map? I came to know about the map only this evening. Right after I read the letter and he is telling I know of the letter and... Should I tell him that? What is actually happening?

"What the heck are you talking about? I am so done with your fuc*ing secrecy. All these years you brought me up in a lie and now you say I am the one who knows about a fuc*ing map. Wow! So wonderful"

I was beaming red, I guess. The anger in my veins was giving me a headache.

Tom had this face which told me he was impatient. Somehow, his demeanor is making me wonder if he was the mafia head! Sam suddenly took out a gun from his holster and pointed it at Tom and bellowed, "I am so done with your secrecy. You may kill me now Tom but I won't hold back anymore. Lily, you have to believe me... he is the one who did all of these. He was the one who jailed us to get the map from you. He..."

"That's enough!" Tom bellowed and he took out the guns from his pant holster and pointed them at me and then at Sam.

"Lillian, do you believe him or me?" Tom asked!

"I don't believe anyone," I said plainly.

Tom's face hardened and the veins in his head throbbed. "Alright then, let's get ready for this party and..." he turned to me, "You will get to see the real me."

"But, uncle!" I said. I needed to get an answer. I can't wait anymore.

Stephen screamed at me "You fool; he is not your uncle! He is the one your mother was scared of. He is the one who is the rival head. He is the bastard who made us live a life of hell. He is..."

He didn't get to finish his sentence because Tom shot right next to him which scared everyone alike.

"Stephen, you were always the rebellious one! I really didn't like you. Now, shut up! After the party, it's story time." He said that looking at me. At last! I think.

I stood there with so many thoughts revolving around me while Sam didn't lower the gun from Tom.

Tom smirked and the guys that I said I didn't know about took the gun from Sam really forcefully. Then, they held everyone in their arm and took then away from my room while Tom stayed back with a victorious smile on his face.

"You have to believe me, my pumpkin. I did this for our own good!" he scratched his chin with the gun in his hand.

Somehow his stance made me believe that he was not going to let me go from his eyesight.

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Sorry if this is not so appealing. This is sort of a filler chapter for more action drama to come! Wait for it! :D