Chapter 47

"How dare you speak to me that way!" Nichole snapped, her voice harsh. "I'm an adult, and you're just a child. You don't know anything about what's going on!"

Hannah's eyes filled with tears, and she turned and ran back to her brother. "It's not true," she sobbed. "My mom didn't do anything wrong."

Carmela put her arm around Hannah, pulling her close. "It's all right, sweetie," she said, her voice soothing.

Pedro walked into the room, his eyes taking in the scene before him. He looked from Carmela to Nichole, his face confused. "What's going on here?" he asked, his voice low and even.

Nichole's face went pale, and she looked away from him, her eyes full of shame. "Nothing," she said, her voice small. "They were just leaving."

Pedro turned to Carmela, his brow furrowed. "What did she do?" he asked, his voice full of concern.

Carmela told Pedro everything that had happened, from the missing head pin to Nichole's accusations. 

As she spoke