Suddenly, Cindy heard somebody crying in the next room. She went into and could see that the person who was there was her aunt, Sharon.

'Oh Sharon, what's the matter with you? Why are you crying?' Cindy asked.

'Don't worry about me. Everything is fine. What are you doing here?'

'I need some help. Somebody doesn't want to see Edward and me together and I can't understand why. Apart from that, I thought my mother could be here. She left the house early in the morning, which is unusual,' explained Cindy.

'Sorry, but I haven't seen your mother yet. Why should she be here? Why do you need help?' Sharon asked.

Cindy told her about the awful argument she had had with me because of my reaction against her mother. At that moment she realised that I had been telling the truth.

Chapter 6 - THE TRUTH IS REVEALED

The following day when Cindy woke up, she felt really confused. She couldn´t believe what was happening. She needed to trust somebody, but who could it be? After having breakfast, she noticed her mother wasn't at home.

'Where's mum?' she wondered. 'How strange! She never gets out so early in the morning.'

That wasn't a problem for Cindy so she continued thinking about what to do. Meanwhile, her father invited her to have a talk in his study, but she couldn't waste time.

'I'm coming in a few minutes, but first let me do something in my bedroom,' she said.

'I'll be waiting for you. It's important.'

She ran to the toilet  because she was planning to escape. Then she silently jumped through window onto the garden. Finally she got it! She reached the street very fast and took a taxi. She wanted to go to Dr Brent's office to ask him for help.

When she arrived, she noticed nobody was there. All the same, she went in and something called her attention. On the desk there were two photos. I was in them!  They were the fake photos the buttler had showed me. Cindy felt astonished. She couldn't believe somebody wanted to hurt not only me but also her.

Meanwhile, they had tied me to a chair and covered my eyes in order to gain time to escape. After a while I could set myself free. As I was leaving this lousy place, I was astonished at what I saw. I ran away as fast as I could. When I got home, I gave Cindy a call. She had to know about it. Since it wasn't convenient to discuss all this on the phone, I asked her to come to my house.

'You won't believe who's behind all this,' I exclaimed.

'Who?' asked Cindy naively, unable to imagine what she was about to hear.

'I saw your mother talking to those two men outside the hideaway where they took me to,' I said.

'Are you joking?' she interrupted. 'It can't have been my mother. How dare you say something like that about her!?'

Our conversation turned into a nasty argument.We kept shouting at each other unwilling to listen.

'I feel disappointed,' Cindy concluded, her eyes filled with tears. 'You lied to me about who you are. I should have listened to our butler.'

'Well, I'm disappointed too because you can't trust me,' I added.

She just put on her coat. She slammed the door behind her without giving me a chance to explain and went home. Her mother was waiting for her with an anxious look on her face. Cindy ran to her arms and she hugged her daughter in silence.

'Why are you crying?' she finally asked. 'What's happened?'

While Cindy told her everything, Mrs Taylor pretended to be surprised and tried to reassure her. 'I thought he was a good person. I liked him ,' she lied. 'I wouldn't have expected such behaviour from him.' There was nothing else to say and Cindy went to bed.

The bell rang early in the morning the next day. Who could be paying me a visit at seven o'clock? Half asleep, I opened the door. There was Mrs Taylor. She came into the living-room and sat down without being invited to. Before I could say a word, she started to talk to me aggressively.

'I'll get straight to the point. Don't you dare see my daughter again,' she shouted. 'Stop doing harm to her, and to us!'

'Me to you?' I asked. 'What about the harm you're doing to me?! I know everything you've been up to.'

'I don't care what you say,' she barked. 'Just tell me... how much?'

'What do you mean 'how much'?'

'How much money do you want to leave my daughter and never come back to her?'

I had to make a great effort so as not to forget I was talking to a 'lady' and reply with the words she really deserved. I just led the way to the door and wished her well.

‘You know those pictures are fake!’ I yelled, suddenly filled with rage.

‘It’ll be up to you to prove that,’ they said with an evil smile on their faces.

Across town, Cindy was throwing the last coins she could find in her purse to a taxi driver. She rushed into her house and desperately opened the doors of the living room.

‘Our butler has kidnapped Edward!’ a breathless Cindy shouted. ‘I don’t know where they’ve gone...’ She tried to explain all the things that had just happened but she was interrupted by Mr Taylor.

‘Darling, calm down!’ He hugged his daughter and kissed her forehead as he took her to the sofa. ‘Don’t you think that’s too crazy?’

‘But it’s true...’ Cindy replied in astonishment. She really couldn’t believe how calm he was.

‘OK, sweetie, come here,’ her father said, ‘You've been through a lot these past few weeks. Let’s have some tea and watch a film together.’

Cindy knew that something strange was definitely going on with his father.

‘OK, daddy, you’re right,’ she said. She would have to think quickly of how to get away and find a proper rescue strategy. As strange as it might seem, her parents clearly wouldn't help her. If she couldn't find someone who believed her, she would be on her own.

And just then she realised something else, 'Where's mum?'

Chapter 5 - AN UNEXPECTED OFFER

Cindy was left alone in the park. It was dark and getting late and she felt scared. She couldn't understand what had happened and didn't know how to help me. The only  thing she could do was to talk to Dr Brent. She decided to go to his office, but she arrived at an inconvenient moment, just when he was leaving with Sharon. Cindy couln't believe her eyes: her own aunt and her father's friend were holding hands and getting into his car. She was helpless and confused. She could only hope I wouldn't be in danger.

In the meantime, I had been taken to a derelict house on the outskirts of the city. When I came round, I found myself in a cellar where my captors showed me some photographs of me. I took a close look at them. To my horror, in one of the photos, I was in Mr Taylor's study, standing by his desk and forcing the top drawer open. Another picture showed me stealing something from it.

I swear it wasn't me. They were fake photographs used for damaging my reputation. I didn't know what reasons these men actually had, but this time I was really in great trouble.  

'Well, I'm afraid Edward isn't here,' Cindy shouted.

I was hidden among some bushes, watching them and feeling fear for her. Suddenly, a tall man wearing a mask came from behind me, grabbed hold of me and led me to Cindy.

'Of course, he's here,' he replied in an angry voice. 'We're here to tell you the truth, Cindy. He's deceiving you. He's been going out with Doctor Brent's daughter.' Finding it difficult to understand what she had just
heard, her eyes filled with tears.

'I'm so sorry, darling,' I said. 'Please, don't cry. I didn't want to do it. I was forced by Charlotte in exchange for her help. Forgive me, I beg you.'

Cindy believed me, which made the two men very angry. 'Who are you?' she asked. The tall man took off his mask. It was the Taylors' butler!

'Why are you doing this?' asked Cindy.

'To protect you and your family,' he explained. 'He's a liar! All he wants is your money!'

'It's not true! Edward loves me!' she shouted.

He wouldn't listen to her. Both men took me by the arms and dragged me to a black car. As soon as we got in, they hit me on the head and I fainted. I never knew where they really drove me to.

Cindy and I went to Samon Ketium Park as it was arranged but not before having organised our strategy. Then, Cindy went to the central fountain while I was standing near a small newsagent's. If something went wrong or was suspicious, I would come up to her pretending to be a relative and take her away.

As soon as she got there, she checked her mobile phone. I came close to her and she had just received a message which said she had to go to the pond. It wasn't far from the park so we arrived there in a few minutes.

We looked around and saw that there was a man sitting on a bench with a very strange look. He was almost hidden under his coat. It was quite dark.

'You look so weird, and I've just received some instructions,' Cindy said. 'Is it me you are looking for?'

And in a very low voice he answered, 'No, I've been sent to talk to Edward. We knew you wouldn't have taken the risk of coming alone .'

Main Pond

Chapter 4 - AN EVIL GUARDIAN

A few days after that Sunday lunch, Cindy began to worry because she hadn't heard from me for quite a while. Unable to keep on waiting, she gave me a call. She got no answer and became anxious about my feelings for her. Her mother was concerned about her mood swings. She was no longer the lively girl she used to be and usually locked herself in her room to cry alone.

To cheer her up, her parents thought they should take her away from home. The three of them spent a week in their cottage enjoying the fresh air and the greenness of the countryside. By Sunday evening Cindy seemed to have recovered and was again the cheerful daughter that had always lit up their lives. When they got back home, she was too tired to have dinner. Instead, she had a relaxing bath looking forward to a good night's sleep. She was putting on her nightdress when she found a note lying on her bed. It read: 'I know it all'. Feeling more annoyed than puzzled, she lay down trying to work out who the message was from and what this person might want. She would have liked to ask her mother for help, but it would have made things worse. She preferred to say nothing and wait to see what would happen.

It took me two weeks to get over my confusion and decide what to do. I had already had two dates with Charlotte. It was wrong of me to do that and it was unfair to Cindy, too. I didn't even enjoy it. Charlotte was a very attractive girl, but so self-centred and big-headed. I couldn't stop thinking about Cindy while I was with her: her beautiful blue eyes, her friendly smile. Now it would be too difficult to face her. I felt so guilty and ashamed. Finally, I plucked up the courage to call her and found she was desperate.

'I need your help,' she said. 'I've been getting strange messages.'

'Who do you think they are from?' I asked.

'Obviously, from someone at home,' she said. 'They are just pieces of paper left in my bedroom. The last one tells me to meet this stranger in a park. Can you come with me? I don't want to go there alone. I'm scared.'

I agreed without hesitation. We met at my house the next day. We were happy to see each other again, but really worried. What was about to happen?

'It's getting late. Come on! Let's go,' she told me.

'Wait a moment,' I said. 'This may be dangerous. We shouldn't take risks. We must have a plan.'

Dr. Brent didn't want to have any problems with his wife so he decided to help his daughter. Charlotte was a stubborn selfish girl so he expected that she would forget me soon. In the meantime, Sharon asked me not to give her away and to persuade Charlotte not to tell her mother about it.

'Don't you want them to get separated?' I asked, feeling confused.

'Yes, of course, but I don't think this is the best way to reveal the truth. In fact, I got my job thanks to my sister and I don't want to hurt her and my brother-in-law's feelings,' she replied.

'Who are they?' I asked Sharon. I was getting more confused, and curious too.

'Mr and Mrs Taylor,' she answered. I couldn't believe it. The mess had turned into a nightmare.

To put an end to those unlucky circumstances the four of us got together and decided to put our cards on the table. I would have a date with Charlotte as I had promised to reward her reliable attitude and, why not, to start a lasting relationship. Sharon wouldn't say a word to Cindy, her niece, at least for the moment. And Dr Brent wouldn't tell the truth about me to Cindy's parents.

Chapter 3 - NOTHING WAS WHAT IT SEEMED

Charlotte wanted to go out with me and obviously I felt attracted to her. The taxi arrived at the doctor's office and we got out.

We went in without knocking at the door. It wasn't necessary for the doctor to explain all about the affair with his secretary because again they were kissing and caressing each other. Charlotte was shocked by what she had just seen and asked, 'What are you doing?'

The secretary ran away and I followed her trying to find out more about the affair. Meanwhile, Charlotte and his father were arguing about the embarrassing situation. Charlotte was an unconventional girl and from the very beginning she had regarded me as a smart, interesting boy. Ignoring her mother's feelings, she asked her father to help her start a relationship with me to keep his secret.

At that moment the butler came in to bring some more sauce. Just my chance to put Cindy's mother off her annoying questions. I thought it would be a good idea to stand up and walk to her as if I wanted to greet her with a kiss. On the way, I would bump into the butler making him drop his tray. I did, and it turned out better than I had expected. Suddenly, sticky red sauce was all over Charlotte's designer dress. She gave a cry and ran to the kitchen to clean it off. I followed her while Cindy went to her bedroom to fetch some clothes she could wear. Her parents looked at each other wondering what was really happening, but said nothing. They remained seated and continued eating. Meanwhile, I explained it all to Charlotte: the incident at the party and the lie I had told them to win Cindy's parents approval.

'Will you help me to get on?' I asked her.

To my surprise, she immediately accepted, but on condition that I had a date with her. I couldn't believe my ears. Nor could I answer her when I saw the butler standing by the door. He had been listening to us.We ignored him and went back to the table. Charlotte started to play along and I was amazed to see how
convincing she was.

'Look what you've done to my favourite dress!' she shouted at me. 'How can you be so clumsy!? What am I going to do now? I can't go into the street looking like this.'

'Don't worry,' said Cindy. 'I'll lend you this one.' Charlotte didn't pay attention to her friend's offer.

'I want to go home. Take me home!' she ordered me.

'But Charlotte, we're having lunch,' I replied.

'I don't care. Take me home! Now!' She looked as if she was really angry with me.

I didn't mind having to pay for another taxi, not this time. She was as cunning as a fox ...and beautiful, too. I
couldn't stop looking at her and she noticed that.

'Tell him to take us to Princeton Square. That's where I live,' she said.

'I'm afraid we're going to 233 Oak Street instead,' I replied.

'To my father's office?' she asked. 'Why?'

'Because we have a lot to talk about,' I explained. 'There's something your father needs to tell you.'

Chapter 2 - ANOTHER LUCKY ESCAPE

I must have been at Dr Brent's office for about two hours. I still felt a bit dizzy and would have liked to stay longer to recover, but he said I looked much better and took me home. On the way he didn't say a word. He looked upset and confused. I understood so I just looked out of the window and didn't insist on having a conversation.

'Thanks for your help,' I said while I was getting out of the car. He didn't even reply and drove off.

I was just opening the door when I got a call from Cindy, who was very worried about me. I told her that I was fine but kept the secret about Dr Brent's affair.

'My parents haven't had the chance to get to know you. Why don't we meet tomorrow for lunch?' she said. I accepted her invitation.

I went to bed feeling exhausted after such a busy night. At 11 o'clock the next morning  it was hard for me to
get out of bed. It was getting late so I had to spend my little money left on a taxi to be punctual. Cindy's parents welcomed me with a beautiful table where exotic food was served with expensive white wine. We were having a good time at last until the butler interrupted to say that Miss Charlotte Brent had come to pick up her cell phone, which she had left at the party.

She didn't wait at the door and came straight into the dining-room. There she was standing in front of me before I could react. I started to sweat and my legs were trembling under the table. I looked at Cindy hoping to get some help from her. She was rubbing her nose as she usually does when she is nervous. She was speechless. Charlotte said hello to everybody but not to me. She was expecting them to introduce me to her. There was silence. And then I heard the words I feared so much.

'What's the matter with you, darling? Aren't you going to greet your brother?' asked Cindy's mother.

The best thing to do was to disappear but it was too late. I felt sick and ran to the bathroom. I took my cell phone and called Cindy to ask for help. I explained what had happened.

'I can't believe you're so stupid! But don't worry. I've got an idea,' said Cindy.

She went to the window and threw her shoe at her father's car to make the alarm go off. Then she ran to him and said that it was his dear Lamborghini that was in trouble. Cindy saw Dr Brent coming into the living-room while his father was leaving through the back door to see to his 'baby'. She immediately brought the doctor to the bathroom. When they opened the door, I was sitting on the toilet looking pale and nervous.We explained the situation to him.

'Would you help us?' I asked. Doctor Brent looked hesitant, but finally said, 'Yes, but only tonight.'

After pretending to be father and son for a while, it was time to have dinner. Cindy's mother sat next to me. While we were eating, she asked me about my sister. I started to stutter, 'Oh, my...my.. sis..sister. Sh...she is...' I fainted.

Doctor Brent realised that this time I wasn't pretending. He stood up, carried me in his arms to and drove me to his office. A few hours later, I woke up on a stretcher. I heard people talking in the next room. Dr Brent and Sharon, his secretary, were having a conversation that wasn't professional at all. Suddenly, there was silence. I had a look and saw they were kissing. Dr Brent came to check me. I pointed to the photo on his desk and said what a pretty wife he had.

'Help me or I'll have to tell your wife about you and your secretary,' I said.

The Taylors´ House

Chapter 1 - WHAT A MESS!

I was deeply in love with Cindy. She was the most beautiful girl and we had been going out for six weeks. One day she told me that her parents were having a special dinner to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary and it was a good occasion to meet them.

It was really a problem for me. The Taylors were a rich family who lived in a luxurious house in the most smart neighborhood of the city. And I was so poor that I didn´t even have a proper suit to wear.

The moment arrived. I was standing in front of a huge man in black. He introduced himself and I told him I was Edward Brent, his daughter´s boyfriend.

´By the way, are you a relative of Mr Charles Brent´s, the doctor?´, he asked. That was a wonderful opportunity for them to think that I also had an important rich family.

´I´m his son.´ I replied.

´What a coincidence! I haven´t seen him for a long time and I also invited him to dinner tonight. I met his daughter once but I didn´t know he had a son, too.´ At that moment the butler came and said, ´Dr Charles Brent has just arrived.´ I was terrified...