Chapter 124

“You really came,” Christian spoke as I sat down in the passenger seat. “You’re right. I lost the ring, so it’s my responsibility.” I rolled my eyes. Yes, Matteo turned out to be an ass, but I was still pissed at Christian.

“Who’s watching Siena?” Christian asked. It was difficult to hate him when he was close to being a perfect dad. He was always thinking about Serena. “Carmen, my family doesn’t know I’m with you-

but she does, in case something happens.”

“Something like what?” Christian sighed. “I don’t want you to think of me that way. I will never hurt you. You should know that.”

We did not exchange any words during the entire ride, and it brought me back to the time when I still used to work at the club. It brought me back to the first night he took me home. I felt even more at ease than I did now.

All I wanted to tell him was that I was wrong and that we had to figure something out for Siena, but my pride wasn’t letting me. Just a few hours ago, I threw a fit about how I would not let him see her.

I was a joke.

“Why are you in such a hurry to find the ring?” I asked after he parked the car. I was expecting him to turn. around the question, but he didn’t. “My dad has this crazy idea of planning a photoshoot with the Alfonzo’s and the Lamberti’s, and he wants you to wear the ring,” Christian explained.

“Well, I’m sorry I threw away your family piece.” I pouted. I really did felt sorry and wouldn’t have done something like that if I knew. “You can apologize by using your hands.” Christian chuckled.

“Let’s go.”

Christian and I headed to the road where it all happened as I looked around me to observe the nearby mansions. “You wanted to look for it at midnight because you don’t want people to make another scene?” I realized. It was probably also for the best in case Gina’s husband was home.

crazy “Christian, I understand-but I don’t know how we are going to find a ring in the dark.” I laughed at his ideas before he pushed a flashlight in my hands which only made me laugh even more. “You’re really prepared!” I laughed as I made fun of him. Our eyes met, and he had a warm smile on his face as he stared at me. “I missed the sound of your laugh.”

“I’m not laughing with you. I’m laughing at you-your idea is hopeless.” I spoke with a poker-face.

There was nothing for him to laugh about. “No, it isn’t, as much as it pained me to do it-1 rewatched the video, and you threw it there.” Christian pointed in the direction of the woods. “Then it’s long gone-it was an expensive ring.”

“No, I doubt that-these people have their own money,” Christian spoke and stuck out his hand. “I’m not going to kill you and bury your body in the woods-come on.”

“I know you’re not. You’re stupid but not that stupid.” I scoffed as I walked past him. “And I can walk a hill, I don’t need to hold your hand, and I’m not a child-“I stopped in my words as I tripped over my own feet and almost fell backward before Christian caught me in his arms.

I know you better than you know yourself. I was just trying to help.” He laughed at me as I pushed him away to recover my balance. “You’re clumsy.” He smiled and forcefully grabbed my hand.

I accepted his hand and allowed him to led me up the hill without saying another word. I was not in the mood to embarrass myself again.

“So, where do we start looking?” I asked once we reached the woods. It seemed like an impossible mission, and by judging by the look on Christian’s face-he felt the same way. “You take the left side, and I take the right side.” Christian decided. As always, he was ordering people around.

I followed his instructions, and minutes felt like hours as we both searched for the ring, but as expected. we had no luck. “I’m so sorry, Christian. I didn’t mean it.” I apologized for what felt like the tenth time. He seemed really stressed out about it, and it was all my fault. The ring was my mess.

“It’s okay. You didn’t do it on purpose.” Christian sighed as he made his way towards me. “And I’m sorry for blaming you, I would have done the same.” He spoke while I listened to his words. “Still, I’m sorry.” I mumbled as I tried to avoid his eyes.

Christian stepped closer and brushed his hand through my hair. “It’s not your fault, and it’s late-I should take you back.” He spoke. I made the biggest mistake to stare into his eyes and took another step back, only to lose my balance before I rolled down the hill.

“Serena, are you dead? Does this mean I can finally have Siena?” Christian laughed while I groaned in pain. That was typically Christian. He never helped me. He made fun of me and loved to see how I embarrassed myself. He loved to prank me and would laugh at the weirdest things, like me rolling down a hill. I missed that.

“Christian, look!” I called out as my eyes landed on the diamond ring, which was covered between the dirt. “It’s the ring. I found it!” I yelled, relieved. I could at least go to sleep without feeling guilty.

Christian made his way down and pulled the ring from my hands as he grew a smile on his face. “It is!” He sighed and held it up in the air. Seeing him happy put a smile on my face, and I was afraid of letting that happiness back into my life. It wouldn’t do us any good. “I’m still here, in pain.” I reminded Christian.

He looked down at me and helped me get back up before he pulled me into a tight hug. I was startled and didn’t know what to do. I was supposed to hate him. Right?

“Thank you,” Christian spoke. He had no intentions of letting go of me, so I did one thing I shouldn’t and hugged him back. Being back in his embrace made me realize how much I missed him and how much I needed him, but I couldn’t. This wasn’t healthy for neither one of us.

“You’re not pushing me away,” Christian commented. He pushed me back and held his hands on my shoulders so he could look at me, and in that split second, I had forgotten about how much I planned on hating him.

We just stared at each other in silence and enjoyed the peace until the sound of my stomach ruined it. “Are you hungry?” Christian laughed as I covered my belly with my hands. “Maybe,” I spoke, embarrassed.

“Great, then we can go back home, and I can cook you something—“

“No.” I immediately denied his offer. It was his home-1 didn’t live there anymore. “Serena, come on, it’s 2 AM-what else are you going to eat?”

“We can go to one of those drive-by things, and I’ll just get some food there.” I told Christian.

Unfortunately, I was hungry, and nothing would come between me and my appetite, not even being stuck in a car with Christian.

“I know we’ve been through a lot, but I think you meant drive-thru, two different words with two different meanings.” Christian laughed at me. “That’s what I said!”

“I missed your energy. I hate being surrounded by smart people.” Christian spoke and slammed his arm around my shoulder. I was too focused on his touch, that his backhanded compliment did not really get through to me.

I was supposed to smack him away, but I couldn’t. I leaned into his touch and rested my head on his shoulder as we walked back to the car. What was I even doing?

“We make a good team, Serena.” Christian reminded me while he drove off. He was taking advantage of the situation, and the worse thing was that it was working. I missed him. I missed us.

“You mean we made a good team.”

“Fine, made.” Christian chuckled. Whenever I looked at him, it was hard to imagine that this was the same person who supposedly wanted to take my daughter away from me. That was not Christian, and those were not Christian’s words. Those were Matteo’s words.

Even then, Christian was still wrong for what he said, and nothing could change that. “Can I ask you something?” I asked. “Ask away.” Christian smiled, but he was probably just happy to be in my presence and completely unaware of what my next question was going to be. “Are you really serious about fighting for Siena?”

The expression on Christian’s face didn’t change, and he had the same smile on his face. “I would go to war for my princess, even if it is with you. I told you, I plan on seeing my daughter every single day.”

“So you’re not only threatening my family but also threatening me?” I asked in disbelief. I knew he r himself clear, but something inside of me wished he would just say that all of it was some kind of joke never wanted us to be like this, “I’m not threatening you. I’m telling you that I want to spend time with my daughter. I’m sorry I hurt your feelings, but I was angry and I just said it in the moment. Didn’t you want to kill the Lamberti’s the first time you met them?”

Christian’s words made me laugh out loud as I thought about the past. “See, you wanted to choke my mother, didn’t you?”

“Maybe.” I laughed at the serious look on his face. “What’s so funny?” He asked while I couldn’t control my laughter.

“It’s nothing.” I smiled and tried to calm myself down. “It’s just that all of this is so crazy.”

“That’s what I’m telling you. What exactly are we doing here, Serena?” Christian sighed. “Since when do we listen to our families?”

It was the same question he asked before, and he was still correct. Since when did we listen to our families?

There used to be a time when not even Lucio could keep us apart.

“I hate your dad. I hate your uncles, your cousins. I’m pretty sure your brothers hate me.” Christian chuckled. “But I love you, and I love Siena with all my heart, and whatever I said to Dario-it wasn’t towards you. I made a mistake and you didn’t do anything to me, so I could never be angry with you.” Christian spoke. “I made a lot of mistakes, and trust me. I’ve already received my punishment by losing you-but please don’t punish Siena. You know better than that.”

“You’re right,” I spoke as I took a deep breath, Siena was never supposed to be in the middle of all of this, and all she wanted was to be with both of her parents. How did we ever let it go that far? All of this because of something which couldn’t be reversed? All of this because he cheated?”

“What? I’m right?” Christian spoke as surprised as I was. “Do you see how much nicer you are when your dad isn’t using you as his puppet?”

yelled at each other, which is definitely surprising.”

“It’s because we weren’t the problem” Christian agreed. “What I said was out of line, you carried Siena, and you did so much more than I ever could. I understand how hurt you and your family must’ve felt by my words, but I’m really sorry.” He apologized. “She’s not just an Alfonzo or a Lamberti, let’s forget about that. Siena is ours.”

“I know.” I smiled at his sincere words. “I trust you. I just don’t trust your family. Did you see how fast they turned on me? It only took them one video.”

“How about we meet up a few times a week so I can see her without you having to worry? Just me, you and Siena?” Christian suggested. It already sounded a lot better than our previous agreement.

“Let’s do that.”

“But please, let’s keep it between the two of us-I don’t want anyone else to get involved.”

“I agree. This is between you and me. All of this doesn’t even make sense.” Christian spoke.

“Your family is angry with me because I made a fool out of myself and embarrassed you on camera, and my family is angry with you because you…cheated on me.” I reminded Christian. It did make sense to me. It was just blown out of proportion-but all of it definitely made sense, and thinking back now, we were the ones who started it.

Instead of taking my distance, I went to Gina’s house to cause trouble and lost control while I shouldn’t have. At the end of the day Gina got was she deserved, and given the chance I would probably beat her up again, but I lost control and that was never supposed to happen.

“We’re here.” Christian smiled as he stopped the car. I unbuckled my seatbelt and leaned forward to order my food while Christian gave me a judgmental look. “I forgot you like this crap.”

“I do, and I’m starving.” I huffed. Christian grabbed my hand and gave it a slight squeeze. “I’m not complaining. As long as you’re happy, I’m happy.”

“I know,” I spoke. “You told me that many times, so I know.”

“Then why can’t you forgive me?” Christian asked. I woke up from this crazy dream and pulled away from my hand. He cheated on me. “You know why.” I sighed. “You still cheated on me, and we still haven’t addressed the entire situation. The one without the lies.”

“Then let’s do it now,” Christian spoke. “Let’s discuss it right now, and I’ll tell you everything you need to know, no lies, only the truth.”