asy!”

I clenched my fists, anger and betrayal simmering beneath the surface.

They’d played me for a fool, but their little game was over.

When the police arrived, I let them in and directed them to the bedroom. Two officers went upstairs, while I stood in the foyer with Sarah, my legs trembling.

Minutes later, Aiden and Emily were brought downstairs, their hands cuffed behind their backs. Aiden’s face was unreadable, but Emily glared at me with thinly veiled hatred.

“What’s the meaning of this?” Aiden asked, his voice sharp but measured.

“You tell me,” I said coldly, crossing my arms.

One of the officers held up Emily’s bag.

“We found these,” he said, showing the cash, jewelry, and watches inside. “Care to explain?”

Emily’s façade cracked first. “Fine!

We were going to take them, okay?” she snapped. “But it’s not like she even notices half this stuff!”

“Emily!” Aiden hissed, but it was too late.

“Emily?” the officer said, his voice steady despite the storm inside. “That’s funny, considering your real name isn’t even Emily.”

I stared at them in shock.

“How do you know that?”

“They are thieves. Con artists. Did this in several states and escaped every time.

Well, until they ran into you, ma’am.”

I nodded.

“We found multiple IDs in their belongings. Names don’t match. And her date of birth?

Doesn’t make her eighteen. She’s thirty-two.”

The room spun for a moment. 32.

Aiden had told me she was just a teenager. My skin prickled with disgust.

The officers pressed Aiden for more information, and under pressure, he finally broke. “It’s not what you think,” he muttered, avoiding my eyes.

“We needed the money. You don’t understand—”

“I don’t understand?” I interrupted, my voice rising. “I welcomed you into my home!

I trusted you! And all this time, you’ve been lying to me?”

Sarah stepped in, her expression grim. “We’ve seen cases like this before.

They pose as a family, target someone wealthy, and rob them blind.”

“They’re good at it,” one of the officers added. “Too good. We’ll need to look through the evidence, but there’s already enough here to charge them.”

As the police led Aiden and Emily to the door, Aiden turned back to me, his mask of charm completely gone.

“You’re going to regret this,” he said, his voice cold.

I stared him down, refusing to flinch.

“No, Aiden. You are.”

Emily, now tearful, looked back at me. “We didn’t mean to hurt you,” she mumbled.

I didn’t respond.

I wasn’t going to waste another ounce of emotion on them.

That night, after the house was quiet again, I sat alone in the living room. The weight of what had happened settled over me like a heavy blanket.

They’d deceived me so thoroughly, playing on my need for love and connection.

For days, I replayed the little moments I’d overlooked. Emily’s vague answers.

Aiden’s reluctance to share details about his past. The way they always seemed to know exactly what to say.

Sarah came by later that week. “You’re not the first person they’ve targeted,” she said.

“And you wouldn’t have been the last. But you stopped them. That’s what matters.”

She was right, but it didn’t make the betrayal hurt any less.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that trust is a dangerous gift.

I gave mine too easily, and it nearly cost me everything.

Still, I refuse to let them define my future. They may have stolen my time and my trust, but they couldn’t steal my strength.

Source: amomama