Chapter 159

“So what are you going to poison us with?” Beau joked as he walked into the kitchen. I liked him way. better when he didn’t speak.

Christian was upstairs with Ramiro, who was still treating Enzo and Gina, and I did not want to interfere. I was not in the mood for any more misunderstandings, so perhaps this was what I was supposed to be doing.

“It’s beef soup, and I’m not going to poison you!” I rolled my eyes at Beau. He slowly began to change into a male version of Isobel, and there was nothing I could do about it.

Beau scrunched his nose and gave me a doubtful look as he looked at the pan with boiling soup.

“Anyway, don’t burn down the kitchen.”

“Just go if you don’t have anything nice to say!” I told Beau and threw a cloth in his face. Beau let out a laugh and turned around to walk away. “Beau, wait!” I called out.

“How is Enzo, and how is Gina? Are they talking?”

“No,” Beau answered and went back to his serious self. “They’re still weak, and Christian doesn’t want to pressure them.”

“I figured.” I sighed. No matter the circumstances, I did feel bad for Gina and whatever Berto did to them was disgusting. It was understandable that they were not ready to talk about it.

“Hi, famil-wrong timing? What’s wrong with your faces?” Carmen, who had just entered the house, asked. She held Siena in her arms and looked at us. “Siena!” I called out and dropped everything from my hands.

Siena fought to get out of Carmen’s grip and made her way into mine. “Look!” I commented as she leaned her head against my shoulder. “Do you guys see that?”

“Yes.” Carmen chuckled. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re her mother!”

Beau joined Carmen and laughed along while I stood there embarrassed. “Why did I ask you to sleep over again?”

“Because you love me.” Carmen smiled. “Anyway, I gave Siena her bottle before we left, I changed her diaper-she took a nap, so she has more than enough energy and wait-”

“Wow, Serena-are you cooking?” Carmen asked as she walked over to the pan. “Is this real life? Is Serena really cooking?”

“Yes,” Beau spoke. “And the only one who’s safe is Siena, so it’s not too late to leave and-”

I did not allow Beau to finish his sentence and hit him on the back of his head. “Stop being annoying!” I warned him as he desperately tried to protect his head.

“Look at the baby!” Carmen laughed at Siena, who had no issue moving around in my arms, and giggled. Even though a lot was going on, it was really nice to have a normal moment for once, and Siena was the only one capable of giving us that moment.

“It’s because her dad throws her around like a sack of potatoes, so she’s used to it,” Mare explained as he walked into the kitchen. Carmen gasped and turned around, so she didn’t have to face him.

“Don’t mind her. She has a crush on you.” Beau teased her and slammed his arm around Marc’s shoulder. Poor Marc had an uncomfortable look on his face and was unsure of what to do. “No, I don’t.” Carmen huffed. “He’s lying!”

“Then why aren’t you facing him?” Beau continued while Carmen couldn’t even get the words to leave her mouth. “I-It’s because I forgot to put on makeup-”

“For Marc.” Beau finished her sentence. “Forget about it, Marc is way too old for you, and he certainly doesn’t like teenage girls-and I don’t think he’s willing to catch a case over you-”

“Stop it!” Carmen nagged. “Serena, tell him to stop!”

“Wow.” Marc spoke. “You guys are definitely a loud family, the baby included.” He pointed out while Sien babbled loudly. “Do you think it’s okay for me to bring her over to Christian?” I whispered to Marc while Beau and Carmen continued their discussion.

“Yes, sure-you can go upstairs.” Marc smiled. “He would love to see her, and he could use a distraction at the moment.”

“Great,” I spoke, relieved. “Please stay here and watch the soup. I need you to turn off the stove in five minutes-thank you!” I told Marc and left him behind, flustered as I made my way upstairs.

“Siena, are you excited to see your daddy?” I asked her and made my way upstairs, the only thing which was left to do was to find Christian. “Christian!” I called out as I walked through the hallways, but I got no reply in return.

I made my way towards the door of his office and followed the voices as I leaned my head to the door. “I know it’s too much to ask, but you can’t tell anyone.” I heard Christian tell Ramiro. “I’ll deal with my uncle, just don’t tell anyone-my dad can only handle that much.”

I could hear the stress in his voice and felt guilty. He had so much more important stuff to worry about while I was playing the annoying and jealous girlfriend. I overreacted, and he took the blame upon. himself while he had all this different stuff to worry about.

“Christian, I’ve never lied to Lucio before,” Ramiro told him. “But I agree with you this time. Your dad doesn’t have long anymore and-”

“H-how long does he have?” Christian carefully asked. Eavesdropping with a baby in my arms was definitely a risk, but it was one I was willing to take. I peaked through the crack of the door and watched as Ramiro took a deep breath.

“Your grandpa, mom, and your dad requested me not to tell any of you,” Ramiro spoke. “They don’t want to see you sad, you need to keep it together, and you need to stay strong. Especially now that you’re uncle is still alive-“

“Keep it together?” Christian chuckled. “My dad is dying, my uncle is alive and hates me, my cousin betrayed me, my brother and an innocent girl almost died because of me-Serena probably can’t stand me, and I just have to accept her nagging because she’s close to leaving me again, and you’re asking me to keep it together?”

My heart sunk af his unfortunate words. Leaving him was the last thing I planned on doing. I would not do that when he needed me the most. He was so scared of the thought of losing me and just went along with everything. I called it a blessing, but after hearing those words, I wasn’t that sure anymore. “So please tell me, how long does he have?” Christian asked again. “Whatever it is, I can take it-please tell me.”

“Weeks.” Ramiro spoke. “Not months, but weeks.”

“Weeks?” Christian repeated. “Don’t you think it’s a bit selfish of him to leave me all alone like this?”

He paced back and forth while Ramiro placed his hand on his back to calm him down. “Breath, Christian -you’re not alone.” Ramiro reminded him. “You have your grandparents, your mom, and everyone else.”

I felt the need to barge through the door to tell Christian the truth. Ramiro was right. He was not alone- and even though Cesca, Franco, and I were not on the same page, we all had one thing in common, and that was our love for Christian.

“It’s okay to cry. You are not a robot.” Ramiro spoke as he pulled him into a hug. The tears leaving Christian’s eyes weren’t happy tears. They were the complete opposite, and I was partly responsible for those tears.

I froze in my spot while Siena let out a sound, making both Ramiro and Christian turn around. “Uh,”

I spoke awkwardly and walked in to reveal myself.

“I brought Siena?” I frowned nervously. Christian wiped away his tears and grew a smile on his face while he grabbed Siena from my hands. She was the only person who could make him happy, even I was a burden at the moment.

“It’s good to see you, Serena,” Ramiro spoke while Christian interacted with Siena. “I knew the two of you would get back together!”

“Right.” I smiled. “I’m actually a bit embarrassed to show my face after everything, but it’s good to see you too.”

“How is Vince doing?” I asked Ramiro. He made sure Vince received all the best care he could-but somehow, he was still in a coma and did not want to wake up. “He’s healthy-that’s a miracle,”

Ramiro spoke. It probably meant the same as always. There was no progress.

“How are Enzo and Gina?” I asked further. “Good,” Ramiro replied. “All they need to do is rest, and I told Christian everything he needs to know.”

I felt horrible knowing there were two more people he had to take care of, and I felt even worse knowing. one of them was Gina, but what else could I do? I couldn’t cause him any more stress and, unfortunately, just had to deal with it.

“The baby is starting to look a bit more like me, right? Christian asked with a big smile on his face.

Ramiro and I had the same confused look on our faces while I wondered who would be the one to tell him the bad news. “I don’t know. I think she still looks like me.” I told Christian.

“Oh, I know.” Christian shrugged. “I was practicing for when we have our son.”

“Son?” Ramiro laughed. “I’ll leave you guys to it-and if you need anything else, just call me.”

“No!” I spoke with my eyes wide opened and held Ramiro’s hand. “You can’t go yet. Dinner’s ready!”

“You cooked?” Ramiro asked and scratched the back of his neck. Even Ramiro had zero confidence in my cooking skills. “Yes, and it’s good this time-I promise!”

“I trust Serena.” Christian nodded. “If Serena says you’re staying, you’re staying-now let’s go.”

“You know I’m used to taking your orders, but I think I’ll really pass this time,” Ramiro told Christian.

“You don’t know what I’ve been through in that safe house.”

“Hey!” I pouted. “I didn’t burn down the house, and we all came out alive!”

“I’m sorry, Serena.” Christian shrugged. “I tried.”

“It’s nothing personal, maybe next time.” Ramiro laughed as we walked him through the door. “If I don’t hear from you by tomorrow, I’ll just assume that you’re all dead.”

“Thanks for everything. I won’t forget your help.” Christian thanked him as he walked away. “I thought you had fate in me,” I muttered, confused.

“I do, let’s go.” Christian sighed.

We made our way to the dining room while Carmen set the table. “I’m only responsible for this, not for the taste!” Carmen joked as Beau and Marc joined her. It was very brave of them to make jokes while I wasn’t around to defend myself.

“You guys can stop now,” I spoke after clearing my throat. “It tastes great, so there’s no need to worry.” “C-Christian?” Carmen gasped and ran over to him like some puppy. “Hi, Christian!”

Christian smiled at Carmen and gave her his signature pinch in her cheeks. “I heard about everything you’ve been doing for Siena. You’re amazing.”

“A-am I?” Carmen asked and closed her eyes while Christian patted her head. “No-this can’t be real.” Beau laughed. “Don’t tell me you’re also crushing on Christian?”

“W-what, stop it!” Carmen blushed and covered her face with her hands. Christian handed Siena over to me and pulled Carmen’s hands away from her face.

“Are you going to let your brother bully you?” Christian asked as he held her hand. It was so adorable to see how unfazed he was by Carmen’s little crush. “Serena, watch out. Your little sister is dangerous!” Beau laughed and nudged Marc, who laughed along.

“Enough about Carmen, let’s focus on my soup,” I announced and placed Siena in her chair. “I really tried my best, and it tastes really good this time!”

“You told me you ate sand as a child-we don’t trust you,” Beau commented. “You ate what?”

Christian asked, flustered.

“I ate nothing, and Beau, stop it!” I complained and filled everyone’s bowls with soup. “It tastes really good, and we’re all going to have a nice dinner, now shut up!” I spoke, irritated. “Yes,” Christian nodded and hair. brushed his hand through my “You’re really confident in her skills, aren’t you?” Marc asked him. Christian looked at me and placed his hand on top of mine. “Yes, I trust Serena.”

“Then why do you have a water bottle next to you?” Beau pointed out. It felt so weird to see how carefree all the others were, but it was probably because they were used to this. If I didn’t know any better. I wouldn’t be able to tell that we freed Enzo and Gina from Christian’s crazy uncle today.

Seeing Christian smile made me happy, but after realizing how he truly felt, I couldn’t help but wonder whether all of it was sincere. Was he really happy, or was he just pretending to be satisfied because he didn’t want any of us to see him down? I heard him complain about me, I saw him cry, and he didn’t mention it at all. Would he even address the situation?

“Why do you have a water bottle?” I asked, disappointed after noticing Beau made a valid point, but Christian shook his head and grabbed his spoon. “It’s just because, don’t listen to them-look!”

He closed his eyes, dipped the spoon into the soup, and took a sip while everyone was waiting for his reaction. “Wow,” Christian spoke, surprised.

“What is it? Do you need water?” Carmen asked. “Do we need to call 911?” Marc joined her.

“N-no” Christian laughed. “It’s actually delicious.”

“See!” I smiled proudly and forced him to take another sip. “Maybe you should be a housewife after all!” Christian commented. “Hey, only I can make that comment!” I told Christian and looked around the table.

“Wow, it’s really good, Serena.” Beau complimented me, “Yes, it’s amazing!” Carmen agreed.

I ignored their comments and only focused my attention on Christian. He appeared to be happy, but I knew all of that was fake.

Lucio was close to dying, and I was giving him a hard time. I moved my hand to his and squeezed it while the others were in the middle of a discussion. “What’s wrong?” Christian asked, worried.

“Nothing.” I smiled. “I’m just thinking about how much I love you.”

“You heard, didn’t you?” Christian asked, embarrassed. “You heard all the things I said about you, right?”

He sounded worried while there was no need to be. His reaction was justified, and I was sure that no one around the table would laugh at him for crying about his dying father. “I did, and I want you to know that you can talk to me about everything, even if you disagree with me-I need to hear it.” I let out my honest feelings.

“I understand, and I’ll listen to you and be there for you, just like I was there for you when the whole thing with your brother went down—”

“When you told me you loved me?” Christian chuckled. “Yes.” I nodded. “That was the first time I told you I loved you.”

“I know you were disappointed by my reaction today, and I know that you feel like you can’t speak up- because you don’t want to lose me, but that’s not the case,” I told him. “I want you to tell me everything. even if you end up hurting my feelings.”

“Okay.” Christian smiled. “From now on, I’ll tell you everything.”

He closed his eyes, dipped the spoon into the soup, and took a sip while everyone was waiting for his reaction. “Wow,” Christian spoke, surprised.

“What is it? Do you need water?” Carmen asked. “Do we need to call 911?” Marc joined her.

“N-no” Christian laughed. “It’s actually delicious.”

“See!” I smiled proudly and forced him to take another sip. “Maybe you should be a housewife after all!” Christian commented. “Hey, only I can make that comment!” I told Christian and looked around the table.

“Wow, it’s really good, Serena.” Beau complimented me. “Yes, it’s amazing!” Carmen agreed.

I ignored their comments and only focused my attention on Christian. He appeared to be happy, but I knew all of that was fake.

Lucio was close to dying, and I was giving him a hard time. I moved my hand to his and squeezed it while the others were in the middle of a discussion. “What’s wrong?” Christian asked, worried.

“Nothing.” I smiled. “I’m just thinking about how much I love you.”

“You heard, didn’t you?” Christian asked, embarrassed. “You heard all the things I said abou, right?”

He sounded worried while there was no need to be. His reaction was justified, and I w around the table would laugh at him for crying about his dying father. “I did, and I w you can talk to me about everything, even if you disagree with me-I need to hear it.” feelings.

“I understand, and I’ll listen to you and be there for you, just like I was there for you when th with your brother went down—“

“When you told me you loved me?” Christian chuckled. “Yes.” I nodded. “That was the first time I told I loved you.”

“I know you were disappointed by my reaction today, and I know that you feel like you can’t speak up- because you don’t want to lose me, but that’s not the case,” I told him. “I want you to tell me everything. even if you end up hurting my feelings.”

“Okay.” Christian smiled. “From now on, I’ll tell you everything.”