Chapter 49

All I ever wanted was a family, and that’s why I took a step back. Christian betrayed me, but I was not reathat small hope I had in building a family. I was not ready to let go of Christian. “I can’t.” I breathed.

“So you’ll continue to live your life as a prisoner?” Beau asked with a disappointed look on his face.

Chills left my body upon hearing those words. Prisoner? Did it not go a bit too far? Yes, Christian orderinreport my every move was a bit annoying, him lying to me was unacceptable, but other than that it seemsure there had to be an explanation for all of this. Everything Christian had done had always been in the interest.

He lied to me, but that didn’t mean we couldn’t fix this mistake.

We had fixed our issues before, and we could do it again.

“I’m not a prisoner.” I chuckled in disbelief— but the look on his face told me that he did not find this as“Once you’re in— you’re never fully getting out, you know that right? The only way is death. Do you thinyou live!”

“Maybe? Fabio let your life!” I yelled back.

“Because I became the scapegoat so our parents could give you a better life. If they knew you would’ve this goddamnit!” Beau roughly grabbed my hand but I pulled it away.

“Let go of me!” I yelled at him. His words hit me hard, the Alfonzo’s had sent me away to save me so I cobetter life and I screwed it up, Beau’s sacrifice had been for nothing. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that save you!” Beau tried to grab my hand again, but once again I pulled it away.

“Christian promised to protect me and to let me go once the baby is born if you wait for a bit longer-“

“It was all a lie, wake up Serena please!” Beau told me. “He was never going to let you go and now he isnyou go at all, Fabio knows about your identity and is probably planning to execute the both of you right “Think about it, who would Christian safe? You or his entire family? He does not care about you, after thewill hand you over to Fabio before you even get the chance to blink— and if you don’t watch out he’ll gthe baby away.” Beau said, but I could not trust his words.

That was not Christian.

I thought about the promise Christian had made me. He promised to let me go after the baby got here, he had made me a lot of promises and had barely managed to keep those.

“Huh? I don’t understand!” I told him. “Christian would never do that to me, stop it!” I told him and shotas a way of telling him to not step any closer. “Be quiet, someone might hear us,” Beau whispered.

I gave him a look of pity and realized how terrible his life must’ve been for him to be living in constant febad could one man be? One thing was for sure if everyone was so terrified of this man—

that must’ve mGarcia was the monster everyone made him out to be?

“Beau, let’s forget this ever happened. Since you told me no one knows about you I will keep your identiyou should go back to Fabio for now, you haven’t even thought this through. We leave, and then?” I askeobserved the startled look on his face.

Exactly, there was no plan.

“I’m not running away from my problems once again, and I want to hear Christian’s side of the story andside of the story— I’m sure there’s a good reason—“

“There isn’t, they betrayed you, they betrayed us. Our father was coward enough to fight and gave me a enemy to be executed, while they send you away to rot and did not even contact you once in twenty-onehow you were doing. Do you think they will protect us now? They couldn’t even protect us when we wer“Beau, I’m sorry,” I whispered unsure of what to do. It seemed as this whole mess started because of meI could get pregnant by it just had to be Christian…

“If you really are, then come with me so I can protect both you and the baby, I will never lie to you and I you. I’ve been looking for you for a long time and I will never let go of you, ever.”

“Beau…I can’t.” I told him once again. The last thing I wanted was to put him in any kind of danger.

If Fabaware that he knew about his identity, it must’ve meant that he was still safe for now and I did not want “I understand.” He chuckled and finally let go of my hand. “I have one request for you.”

“When you meet the Alfonzo’s, please don’t tell them that you’ve found me— I want them to suffer.”

“Beau, you just told me that they regret their decision.” I sighed but he shook his head. “I don’t care, I wsuffer. I only care about you…so if you want to go back to them and believe that they can keep you safe falthough I do not agree with it— I’ll trust your decision.” He spoke with closed eyes before he lowered hIt seemed as if he was willing to do anything to stay on my good side.

“Thank you,” I whispered and tried to step forward so I could hug him, but he had immediately stepped forget any of this ever happened.”

“Beau, I never said I do not want to get to know you!”

“I know, but I need you to stay safe— so unless you don’t want to run with me, I need you to forget aboFabio slaughters both of us.” He spoke without looking at me. “Do you truly trust Christian?” He asked m

“Yes, he betrayed me, he made mistakes— but I trust him with my life,” I told him. The truth was that I wnot let this pass and confront him. Many levels of trust were broken but that did not mean that I did not protect me. I would not remove the baby from its father.

“Since you’ve put so much trust into Christian, from now on I’ll be his eyes and ears,” Beau spoke.

He was even willing to go as betraying Vincenzo because I had put all my trust in Christian. So Christian promise.

“Don’t tell anyone besides him that you know about me, please.” He requested once again, and I noddepromise, you have my word.”

“Good, listen. In the next few weeks, it will be quiet because Fabio is a man of strategies and won’t immeyou, He will be keeping a close eye on you instead. So don’t do anything reckless.”

“I won’t,” I told Beau. “If Vincenzo suddenly contacts you, know that he blames our family for his motherthat it’s not out of your best interest but to hand you over to Fabio.”

“You knew all of this and still you remained loyal?” I asked Beau. I truly felt sorry for him and everything through.

“He doesn’t know any better than what he was taught.”

I felt my phone buzz and quickly pulled it out, reading the message from Christian.

‘Come home immediately.’

“It’s Christian, he wants me to come home,” I told Beau. The tone of Christian’s text had confused me a lwondered what his issue was. I had not even expected him to be home that quickly.

Beau told me that it would remain quiet for at least a few weeks, so what was Christian’s issue?

Had he ftell me the truth?

I looked at my missed calls and saw that he had called me fifteen times within the past ten minutes.

“I have to go now,” I told Beau. We looked at each other for a few seconds and I still had to process eververy own twin. I had expected to feel some kind of special connection, but there wasn’t. Maybe if the circa bit better.

“I’ll contact you.” Beau tried to smile through his pain. He must’ve felt betrayed by me for picking ChristAlfonzo’s over him, but I had no choice. I did not only have myself to think about but also a baby.

“Promise me you’ll be safe.” Beau stared into my eyes. “I promise.” I smiled back at him, but there was ogoing through my mind.

What had Christian so worked up that he had felt the need to call me fifteen times?