Cesar saw the tears fill her eyes and started talking again. “Unfortunately, I had to make her think I was into her to get the information I needed, but I can assure you, that couldn’t be farthest from the truth. She actually makes me sick.”
Ceaser waited for her to reply and then looked at Travis for help.
“Baby, he’s telling the truth.”
“I don’t believe him.”
“Do you trust me, your daddy?” Travis asked.
She hesitated before giving a slight nod.
Fuck, the last thing he wanted was to screw up Travis’s and Nia’s relationship.
“Her mother has been stealing her inheritance since her father died,” Cesar said.
He was glad to see her eyes widen.
“How do you know that?” she asked.
“I had a hunch after Amber told me about how close the two were why it all went to her mother. I did some digging and got a hold of a copy of her father’s will and found out her mother got five million, her sister got one, and Amber got the rest, close to fifty million, and the house. Her mother has been living off of her inheritance since she was nine when her father passed away. She hasn’t used a dime of her own even though it has tripled in the last decade.”
Nia looked down at her hands. “I don’t think it’s going to matter to Amber. She was insecure before she saw you and her sister together. After, it was like she closed herself off. She wouldn’t talk to me about it. She just stared out her window.”
“Do you know where she is now, honey?” Cesar asked.
Nia pressed her lips together and shook her head.
Travis walked over to her and cupped her face. “Honey, look at him. He loves her, and he’s trying to protect her. Please help him do that.”
Cesar’s stomach knotted as he waited for her to talk.
Nia sighed. “She was going to go home.”
Cesar’s eyes widened. “To our house?”
Nia shook her head. “No, to her mom’s house. She was going to pack. She wouldn’t tell me where she was going after that. The way she acted made me afraid. It was like she was dead but still breathing and functioning.”
Cesar pinched the bridge of his nose. Fuck. “Listen, I’ve got to go. I’ve sent the police there to arrest her mother and sister.”
Nia’s hands covered her mouth. “Oh, no.”
“Do you want me to come with you?” Travis asked.
“No, but I might call you later.”
Nia got his attention before he left. “Hey, Cesar. You might think of calling Sienna or Bella. They might be able to get through to Amber. They all have been hurt too many times, and it bonded them together somehow. Amber might listen to me later,” Nia said.
“Thank you. I’ll do that if I need to, but I’m hoping she’ll listen to me. I’ll call to give you updates.”