Chapter 121

“Siena, are you just as scared as I am?” I asked her as I drove through the Lamberti estate. It took me a lot of courage to come here, and I felt guilty for lying to my father.

Matteo would’ve never agreed to this, and I knew he would find out at some point, but it I would let him find out when he couldn’t stop me anymore.

All Siena did was squeal as usual, and I was literally counting down the years until she could finally say something. This whole situation would’ve been easier if she was actually allowed to have a say in all of this. Would she get over her cheating father?

I was so determined to avoid Christian, but I had no choice but to face him today. I didn’t ran away from him because I hated him, but I avoided him because I wanted to hate him. I wanted to hate him for his words which I could still not process. Dirty Alfonzo’s I was planning on making a turn so I could drive away, but when I saw Marc lean against the door, all of those worries had vanished. Marc was just like Lucio, I respected him and I trusted him. Marc was always on my side and texted me every now and then to check up on me.

Marc walked closer as I parked the car and waited for me to come out. “Do you want me to take the baby?” He offered his help and grabbed Siena from her seat. “Siena, your only sane relative is here!” He told her while Siena giggled.

“I really want to know who she gets it from. You and Christian are both grumpy.” Marc spoke and pulled me into a hug. “How are you doing?”

“That’s a funny question.” I sighed as my eyes shifted to the large door. “Tell me, how many Lamberti’s are inside again?”

“It’s better if you don’t know. Let’s go.” Marc smiled. I grabbed the bag with Siena’s things from the trunk and followed closely behind him. “So you aren’t going to comment on anything?” I asked, surprised. Marc seemed completely unfazed by all of this.

“No, he had it coming for him and threatening the Alfonzo’s? Bad, bad move.” Marc shrugged his shoulders and looked at Siena. “I just feel bad for her.”

Siena giggled just at the idea of someone interacting with her and brought her tiny hands to Marc’s face. “She has a lot of energy. I can sense that she’s going to be an issue later.”

“What do you mean an issue?” I gasped, offended. “You know,” Marc mumbled. “Climbing out the window to sneak out the house, stuff like that.”

“Absolutely not, not my granddaughter!” I heard Cesca’s voice and stopped in my steps as I looked ahead of me. She stood in the door opening and had a calm look on her face. Facing everyone after everything that had happened was probably my worst fear.

“Siena, come to grandma!” Cesca smiled as she took her from Marc’s arms. “Calm down. You looked so tensed.” Marc chuckled and grabbed the bag from my hand.

“Hello Serena, it’s good to see you again.” Cesca greeted me without making any eye contact. Her tone frightened me, and the message was clear. Start any trouble today, and I’ll kill you.

“It’s really nice to see you too, ma’am.” I greeted her as she finally looked up with a frown on her face. “Just because you and Christian broke up does not mean you have to treat me like I’m old.”

She scoffed before she turned around to walk inside. Ouch.

I didn’t know whether it was because of fear, but I caught up with her. After Christian’s terrifying words Siena alone with a Lamberti had become one of my biggest fears. I did not want it.

“Does your dad know you’re here?” Marc whispered. I ignored his question and kept walking. I was going to tell Matteo, just not now.

“Serena, let me make one thing clear to you,” Cesca spoke in a threatening tone. “I also told Christian. whatever is going on between all of us-hide it. I don’t want any of this to reach Lucio, so if you two want to argue, you can do that outside.”.

“I understand.” I spoke. It wasn’t like I was in the mood to argue. There was nothing to argue about, Christian knew my conditions.

Cesca opened the door to a separate room as I came eye to eye with the person I was trying to avoid. Christian. His eyes met mine for a split second before he shifted his attention onto Siena and grabbed her from Cesca’s arms.

Siena immediately squealed and babbled after seeing his familiar face. “It seems like you have a lot to share with me.” Christian smiled and moved away from us. The bright smile on his face made me feel guilty for keeping them apart, but he left me no choice. He made it very clear how he felt about us Alfonzo’s.

I was scared, and I didn’t want them to take her away from me. If I could, I would’ve pulled Siena from his arms and tell him to play with her from a distance. “I want you to take a perfect look at Christian and his only daughter, and I want you to realize that you can’t do what you’re doing.”

Cesca scoffed before she roughly brushed past me.

My eyes softened as I looked at Christian and Siena. They both seemed happy, and they made each other. complete. No one could play with her the way he did. She loved his rough way of playing and didn’t mind the games he played with her. If someone else threw her in the air, Siena would cry-but if he did it, it was all okay. She trusted him, but at the end of the day, he betrayed both of us.

No one had to tell me that Christian was furious because I could feel the tension from a mile away.

He didn’t talk to me. He didn’t look at me-it was almost as if I wasn’t even there. All he had eyes for was Siena “They look happy, don’t they?” A voice next to me spoke. I flinched and turned around to look at Christian’s grandfather, Franco. His tone sounded sarcastic and daring, just as it always was. If there was any Lamberti who scared me the most, it would’ve been him, and I knew that he was most likely the mastermind behind everything.

“They do,” I mumbled and lowered my head to look anywhere but his eyes. His presence made me feel nervous, weak and Marc not being here made it even worse.

“Then why are you trying to take away their happiness. Don’t you care for your daughter? Don’t you have a heart?” Franco commented. It was not what he said but the way he said it. This man was sick.

“I won’t let you take away my grandson’s happiness, not when he’s about to take over the family business, and neither will he. We will fight for Siena if we have to Franco spoke. “It’s Siena Lamberti, not Siena Alfonzo, remember that,”

I felt tears in the corner of my eyes, and all I wanted was to take Siena and run away, but I couldn’t.

I was surrounded by Lamberti’s and had nowhere to go.

It turned out Matteo was right after all. They were trying to get to me, and if my dad were here instead, they would’ve never had the nerve to let those words leave their mouth.

“Serena!” Christian called my name and stuck out his hand. Franco chuckled and placed his hand on my shoulder as I held in my breath “Serena, come here,” Christian spoke in a demanding tone as he glared at his grandfather.

“Even until now, that idiot is still protecting you” Franco sighed. This time I didn’t hesitate and made my way over to Christian to grab his hand. From all the Lamberti’s present, he probably disliked me the least.

“You’re okay. He won’t hurt you.” Christian whispered as he slammed his arm around my shoulder. I was terrified, so I did not have the nerve to push him away. Christian had a conscience, and if he wanted to hurt me, he wouldn’t do it in front of Siena.

“Look at our baby, isn’t she beautiful?” Christian smiled and handed Siena over. “She’s beautiful because she looks like you.” He spoke and rested his hand on my cheek.

I knew he despised me at the moment, and I knew it was all an act to throw of Cesca and Franco, but his touch made me feel uncomfortable. I couldn’t stare into his eyes without thinking about his words.

The moment the door opened, everyone turned around to look at Lucio, who was seated in a wheelchair. It was such a huge contrast from the last time I saw him, and even though he had a big smile on his face, he seemed weak, skinny and vulnerable.

Marc pushed him towards us while Lucio stuck out his hands to hold Siena. “I’m so happy to see you, both of you.” Lucio smiled and kissed Siena on her cheek. “And I’m glad the two of you were able to work things out.”

“Ignore him. He’s off his meds.” Christian whispered in my ears.

Anyone with a pair of eyes could see that Lucio was exhausted and did not appear to be himself at the moment. “We came to see our favorite cousin!” Bella burst through the door with Mia standing beside her.

I counted the amount of Lamberti’s in the room and stressed myself out, which was weird considering Siena had the same surname. Once again, I felt weak and uncomfortable. The killing the Alfonzo’s part aside, Christian wasn’t wrong. Siena was a Lamberti, and she felt right at home here.

I clenched my fist and looked down while Christian’s sisters were playing with Siena. “Serena, can we talk in private?” Christian suggested.

My eyes moved to Siena as I shook my head and stepped closer. I would not leave her alone with them. They would take her away from me. “Serena, please-my dad is here. Even if I want to do something, I can’t.” Christian spoke and dragged me out of the room.

The expression on his face had changed and made it obvious that it was all just an act. The smile on his face was just to reassure his dad that we were okay.

“You want to talk? Talk.” I glared back as I kept an eye on Siena through the glass window. “Serena, I miss you. I miss you and Siena.” Christian spoke. “And what game are you playing? Working together with Dario, apologizing to Gina-what kind of game are you playing?”

“Me?” I laughed out loud. “Your grandpa just threatened to take Siena away from me, and you ask me what kind of game I am playing?”

“I stopped it because I didn’t want him to make you feel uncomfortable, but he is right!” Christian raised his voice. “I can’t even spend time with my daughter without you making it seem like I’m in prison.”

“That’s because you should’ve never threatened the Alfonzo’s.” I snapped back. Christian took a deep breath and held both of my hands. “I did, and I’m sorry, and I told you I’m sorry.”

I was disappointed in myself for still loving Christian, but I couldn’t help it. I became attached to him, and after Siena was born, it became even worse.

“I’m not a bad parent. You don’t want anything to do with me? Unfortunate but fine, but at least let me see my daughter.” Christian pleaded. There they were again, those sad eyes.

“Christian. I don’t think you’re a bad parent, and I know you will never hurt Siena, but I don’t want you to take her away from me, and I need some time to get over your words. Do you understand me?” I explained as if I was trying to get through a baby, “Serena, I already told you that I will not let this happen. We will either work this out between the two of us, or I promise you-I’ll fight this-

“Then fight it!” I yelled at him. “I don’t care. I’m Siena’s mother. I know what’s best for Siena-and she’s staying with me!”

Christian covered his hand in front of my mouth and shushed me. “Shut up. Do you want Lucio to hear you?”

I shook my head and pushed him off me. That was right. I didn’t want Lucio to see us like this. No one wanted that. “Serena, I’m giving you one more opportunity. You need to stop working together with Dario, and you need to let me see Siena.”

“I don’t have to do anything!” I spat. Christian never told me to do anything. He wasn’t like this. The influence his grandfather had on him was terrifying. The dark look in his eyes scared me, and I could tell that also he had finally reached his limit, but I needed him to learn his lesson.

Maybe I was being selfish and used him threatening my family as a way to get back to him, but I couldn’t stand it that everyone gave him a pass, and I could not stand it that I still loved him. I had to hate him. “Serena, you can’t work with my enemy, keep my baby away from me-and expect me to let you get away with this. I love you, and I don’t want to do this-but I won’t let you get away with this.”

“I’m sorry?” I chuckled. “Please be more specific because I don’t understand.”

“Stop working with my enemy and let me see Siena, do it yourself-or I’ll do it for you. Here, I’ve said it.” Christian spoke word for word and stared into my eyes. There was no guilt, no regret, just his truthful words. I stepped forward and grabbed him by his collar, “If that’s the game you want to play, so be it.”