The White Foundation

Jada had taken off behind Aubrianne, while Shawn and Kirrah followed but ventured right, and Martha stood on the front porch battling with her guilt.

The sense of familiarity overwhelmed her, and no, Athalia was not on the other side of the door, she told herself.

But this would provide the perfect opportunity for her to retrieve something that belonged to Athalia. So she needed to buck up and head in there. Reminding herself, she was here for Aubrianne now.

Martha had been researching Aubrianne's situation all week, and she had her theories, and if she was right, she needed a personal item from Athalia to confirm this.

She kept her fingers crossed that Athalia had somehow left something behind, as she did not want to have to resort to asking Aubrianne to arouse any suspicions that would lead to questions.

Before bringing Aubrianne in, Martha needed to be sure. She cannot bear to give her hope only to rip it away. That was just cruel.

She braved herself and stepped through the familiar door.

Meanwhile, Aubrianne had stepped into what was believed to be her mother's room, and Jada stepped in behind her.

They saw that it was the same as outside, musty and dusty, the ceiling chipping away, the bulbs a mess, some cracked, the mattress turned up.

The pulled-out drawers that were emptied and turned upside down were different from the outside. Also, the sheets of paper on the floor looked like they had aged.

They were strewn everywhere, and a few thick textbooks were scattered about the floor, opened but caked to the floor.

The papers looked dinged and slightly crumpled. Aubrianne's searching eyes glanced at the bathroom. Inside, it was too dark. She would not go in there.

"Uh, I cannot take the dusty, musty air," Jada complained, her face clearly showing her scowl of discomfort, and Aubrianne agreed.

The air was too thick. The condition was hard to breathe in.

She was ready to leave.

Aubrianne did not know what she expected when she got there. Maybe she naively thought that or hoped things would be as they were back then.

Not thinking about what the condition of an abandoned house really looks like.

Nevertheless, Aubrianne held no memories of this place.

Casting her eyes around the room, she still absorbed as much into memory, then she suddenly moved and picked up a couple of the strewn papers as she scanned them casually.

Aubrianne was not really looking at anything in particular, just hoping to get a glimpse into her mother's life before she was born.

She saw a list of items, including morphine and ibuprofen. At least she made those two words out amid all this gibberish. It could be a list of meds printed on what looked like a work order.

Glancing at the others, it was more of the same. Aubrianne told Jada, "Look at this. It must be work-related," and Jada moved to pick up some others.

After all, Aubrianne's mother used to work for a pharmaceutical company.

Aubrianne was about to let the papers flow back onto the floor. However, as she flicked her wrist out, she could not help gripping the pieces tightly, refraining from her intentions of throwing them away.

Dr. Nathan White's name was on the bottom, and what looked like his signature on the top, and suddenly, a whirlwind of thoughts drag-raced through Aubrianne's mind.

The winner takes all.

How?, Aubrianne glanced at a few more sheets hurriedly now, paying more attention to the header directly, and she came across one that said, The White's Foundation and another that said NW Pharmaceuticals.

Which could mean Nathan White or his mother, Nadera White. This was too much to be a coincidence. But what does her mother have to do with the company that is trying to kill them all?

Oh goodness, Aubrianne clutched her chest, 'did they kill my mother?'

No, Aubrianne, it was an accident, she told herself. But was it?

Apparently, her mother worked for a pharmaceutical company that was part of one of the largest pharmaceutical chains in the United Nations of TL. Owned by the Whites? They would need to confirm this. Theo would know.

All this was news to Aubrianne. She simply remembers her mother working in a pharmacy.

Nevertheless, 'The White Foundation' was bold at the top, with a white dove as their Logo.

While Jada picked up a few and said, "Well, I'll be damned, these are the bastards who your mother worked." Jada spoke, an eyebrow raised a few sheets in her hand.

Jada saw many of these things for it to be a coincidence. What was Aubrianne's mom doing with these?

"I know," Aubrianne spoke, coming up with the same answer to the maths she was doing. She reached for the paper Jada was handing her. "I even wondered if they killed her, but I know that's silly. It was an accident."

Aubrianne smiled awkwardly, thinking how far-fetched that was.

Jada looked thoughtful momentarily, then said, "No, it could be; where the Whites are concerned, anything is possible."

Aubrianne and Jada then got busy picking up all the scattered papers and checking all the drawers as if they had discovered gold.

Which made Aubrianne question what whoever trashed the place was looking for.

Aubrianne also looped in Shawn and Kirrah via Shawn, only to find out they found a couple of boxes of the same in the garage and were attempting to solve the same maths problem.

Ok, maybe it was not who she suspected, as undoubtedly they would have taken those boxes of documents if they found them. Perhaps it was just looters.

But Aubrianne needed to know what her mother was working on. Maybe this is what led to her death. Perhaps this is why they lived so closed off.

Maybe who her mother was really hiding her from were the people who were after her father's kind. The questions and theories kept flowing as she and Jada bounced their views off of each other.

Maybe that was one of her reasons for keeping her away, not just because Athalia could not bear to be around Aubrianne's father and his mate.

Meanwhile, Martha observed that the kids were preoccupied, so she used the opportunity to scan the area, looking for a personal item. Ultimately, she realized she needed to saunter into the main bedroom casually.

Which was where Aubrianne and Jada were.

However, Jada and Aubrianne were so caught up in their findings and coming up with ideas of what could have happened that they even wondered if her mother was part of what the Whites were doing.

And when she found out, she was against it, and that's why they killed her.

And suddenly, Aubrianne's mind filtered back to that box she opened back in TL on that faithful day. There were some vials. Unexpectedly, her interest was piqued, and she could not shake the feeling that things were lining up.

There was a connection somehow. Aubrianne did more maths, she added and multiplied, but she did not know for sure and could not confirm. Because, first and foremost, she does not speak 'doctor.'

And as if her mind was suddenly working on steroids, she decided they needed to contact Daniela and get her to meet them at Zayne's community tomorrow.

Or maybe her dad knew someone. Yes, her dad might be their best bet. He must know a reputable doctor who can tell them with understanding gibberish on these scattered dried sheets. And in the files stashed in those boxes, Shawn found.

Nevertheless, Martha had wandered into the bathroom and the closet at the other end of the toilet. She was sure she would find something.

Even the side of an earring, a ring, chain, comb, a brooch, hair clip, or brush, Goddess Martha hoped for something at this point.

Anything.

Aubrianne's gorgeous brown eyes slid to their building pile, and to think she was having second thoughts about coming here.

All week she was focused on her training. It had slipped her mind many times. Aubrianne was always saying tomorrow they would go.

Until tomorrow was now Sunday, and she was leaving the next day.

Aubrianne felt she could have relaxed this afternoon and visited her mother's place when she returned another time.

But something deep within her could not let it go. How could she come this far after being excited about visiting her mother's place and, in the end, not attempting to visit?

Aubrianne even refused her father's offer to fly in Martha for this very reason.

So she rallied everyone and made her plans known. Now Aubrianne was thankful she had decided to come after all.

Aubrianne was suddenly eager to look into her mother's death.