60. Bleak Future (Bonus 17)

Tristan was accompanying Andreas to the O'Neil house after the rescue mission was complete. They were sitting in a car. Tristan was looking at Andreas silently as the air was tick with tension.

Tristan asked " You haven't said a word ever since have gotten into my car."

Andreas turned to Tristan "Do you really want to talk about this? I don't think you do. I am going to be your guest alongside my sister, Amethyst while my father is going on a vacation since uncle Francesco is dealing with his ... father, uncle Antonio and your uncle's mess. I prefer to be at a Rosario house. I keep it civil with you and we don't have to talk about what happened. I don't need to..."

Tristan said "Well. I do. Tell me what's bothering you?"

Andreas looked outside "I endure this all. You are dating my cousin and I need to count you as almost a part of family. I am frustrated with how indifferent you are. You are too calm for my liking after what happened... But I endure it keeping the peace."

Tristan said "Calmness is not a sign of indifference. Talk to me about what's wrong.... We can have a conversation."

Andreas said "What's wrong? Well... Your father's uncle just snatched my mother from under your radar and set traps for my father to kill him. This is disturbing but it gets better. He seemed to feel an entitlement to actually claim me as his own too. He said he wanted to tame me so I became his obedient son that he never had ... I don't know if it was going to be after or before he was going to make mother a widow or get her to sign the divorce papers..."

Tristan said "He didn't succeed."

Andreas said "No he didn't. What's most disturbing is we haven't found his body yet. He could be vaporised or he could have escaped. No one knows. This rescue mission didn't find a body. That's bothering me."

Tristan said "Is it really? I don't think it is."

Andreas said "Of course it is."

Tristan said "I know you Andreas. I know your father also. You wanted him to be captured alive. In my view, to you or your father, it's the same thing if Jackson is dead or he has escaped. His death and his existence have their own repercussions. He was a game player. You lose if you get caught. You wanted to find him alive. That's bothering you."

Andreas said "You bother me Tristan. You do too."

Tristan said "That's not my intention to bother you. What bothers you about me?"

Andreas said "You don't seem to get it. You don't seem to get the problem. You must start thinking about the consequences of your actions. How many times did Vincenzo tell you about Jackson's role in causing Vienna's accident? You wanted evidence. What about now? You want evidence? Well. There is none. That building is vaporised into thin air. You can't ignore warning signs."

Tristan asked "What makes you think I ignored them? I had my uncle under surveillance. I tracked him where ever he was..."

Andreas said "You should have killed him."

Tristan said "Your father should have killed him too when he had his chances years before I was born. It's easy to look back with regrets. I don't. I never regret the past. I don't live in the past. I suggest you don't either."

Andreas said "I am not asking you to live in the past... I am asking you to look at the mirror and see that being a controlling maniac doesn't change anything if you don't listen to warnings. If you killed your uncle this would not have happened."

Tristan said "Well. As I said... If killing was the best option your father would have done it before me. Jackson was known to your father before me and he had motives to kill him. I had no evidence to convict him..."

Andreas said "You protected him instead of handing him over to your father at least to deal with him if you didn't have the courage and guts to kill him. Now that your father has your resources accessible to him, Jackson knew your father would take the chance to kill him. So Jackson struck when he knew he was a dead man walking any way."

Tristan said "Look closer to home Andreas. I did not know the extent of how much my uncle was obsessed with your mother. I underestimated his obsession. I could never believe that my uncle could love your mother so much to want to want to make her a widow. Vincenzo warned me. I did not see anything wrong with a few pictures. So I didn't anticipate what he was capable of. After Vincenzo blaming my uncle for Vienna's accident I did place him under close watch looking for proof. I didn't think Jackson who believed in protecting blood ever would endanger Vienna. I wish to learn from my mistakes and move on. I am human Andreas. But you, blaming me for not predicting the future or underestimating my mentor is not fair. There are rules in my organisation. I can't just murder my uncle who was the heir to this empire. I had no evidence and proof. I had no reason to believe he was a danger and I am not proud of my actions. You must know that. I am not proud of how I have handled my uncle."

Andreas said "I don't blame you. You asked me what's wrong and I told you. Nothing changes what happened. You protected your uncle. That little picture shrine he had created in his pent house was shocking and disturbing. There were pictures of my mother, me and amethyst. He obsessed over my family right under your radar and you didn't confront him about it. Look closely Tristan. Family is not always right. Right now the only reason I don't wish to take revenge on you or your family is because my mother did not get hurt. She is shaken up but she is not hurt. I am rational. I don't think it's fair that I go after your mother for what was done to mine. I should ..."

A dangerous glint was now in Tristan's eyes. Andreas decided to stop talking as he suddenly felt suffocated. He had a feeling Tristan wanted to strangle him. It was just a hunch.

Few minutes past and Tristan was staring down Andreas in silence. As they got on the long drive away to the house of O'Neil, Tristan signalled for the driver to stop. There was a sound proof glass between the driver seat and passenger seat so he made a soundless gesture that was enough.

As the car stopped, Tristan said "Get out of the car. We need to have a talk about what you said about my mother..."

Andreas sighed "For the love of god." He shook his head and got off the car.

Tristan got off after him "Oh. You will need his love if you implied any offense."

As Andreas got off the car, Tristan ordered his men to remain, while he told Andreas "Follow me."

Andreas sighed and followed Tristan into the woods that surrounded them. At each side of the drive way there were just woods. It seemed quite dark out there too.

As they reached away from sight, Tristan without warning reached his hand to the collar of Andreas's shirt. He grabbed the front of Andreas's shirt "You threatened my mother. Do you know what that means?"

Andreas put his hands up "Hold on. I did not threaten her. I said I should hurt your mother. I should exact revenge but I won't..."

Tristan said "You threatened her. I tell you this. If you even look at my mother the wrong way, I will kill you. Do you understand?"

Andreas sighed "I do understand."

Tristan said "Demonstrate that you understand. What would happen if you look at my mother funny?"

Andreas sighed "You will shoot me."

Tristan said "I will chop you up. I will chop you to pieces and will send it to your father. If anyone threatens my mother, I kill them. I only let you live because you are Vienna's cousin. Know that if you were anyone else I would have chopped you up with an axe and you would have been in a suit case on your way to your father."

Andreas said "There is no need to be graphic. I get it. You love your mother. So do I... Your uncle abducted my mother. He disrespected her... It's my right to seek revenge. Only if it happens to you, then you will know how it feels. You don't know what it's like for a living psychopath to obsess over your mother."

Tristan said "Of course not. Because my father killed them all. My father had to fight off so many admirers who wanted his blood. My father didn't let them live. Your father let Jackson live. It's not my fault. Look closer around you if you look for someone to blame Andreas. Jackson was not easy to kill. He was protected. He could not be killed without repercussions but now that he was alone, things changed."

Andreas said "Are you done now? We established I am not after your mother's blood."

Tristan said "We are not finished. No."

*************

Vienna was waiting for Tristan to return. She was told to wait and have dinner with Tristan. Then she was to return home.

It was getting dark out there. Amethyst was drawing. That was her way of stress relief. She had a talk on the phone with her parents and now was trying to keep it together by keeping herself occupied. She was a lot like Vienna. They both liked art and were good at it.

Vienna turned to amethyst "What are you drawing? It's been a while you are busy."

Amethyst said "Our house ... back in Milan. I miss it already..."

Vienna asked "Trent won't want you go to college in Milan thought. You need to spend time here for his sake. You may need to get used to living in United States..."

Amethyst shrugged "I know. I still miss home..."

Vienna said "Why? America is your second home. Your mother is American you know..."

Amethyst shook her head vigorously "It does not matter. Home is where I feel safe... I don't feel safe here. How can I? They haven't found his body. They haven't found the man who abducted my mother. I don't want him near my mother again. We didn't have any problems in Milan. Only when my mother came to New York that man dared to abduct her. I miss Milan. No one dared even look at my mother back home. The people averted their gaze, they bowed their heads, they never dared to even think of hurting my mother..."

Vienna said "Your Mother is safe though. Amethyst."

Amethyst sighed and put away her pen and paper "I am not arguing Vienna. I am afraid I need to be proven wrong. I don't feel safe here."

Vienna sighed. She could see the effects of the ordeal. When a family member of family was threatened there was less likely for trust and safety to be restored to how it was before.

She saw Trent enter the room. He asked amethyst if she wanted to go for a walk before dinner. At least amethyst trusted Trent. She went without any fuss.

Vienna watched her cousin walk away with Trent. They held hands and left with no more words being said.

Vienna stood at the window a while longer and then decided to also go for a short walk. She made her way outside the mansion as she put her coat on.

As she stepped outside she felt the chills. It was typical winter evening. Cold, dark and lonely.

She wrapped her arms around herself and sighed sitting down on the steps leading to the house. She closed her eyes thinking about how peaceful life was not long ago. An attack on the Rosarios had increased security tightening measures and just tension. Jackson was truly a rare breed.  Rosarios were off limits. No one messed with them and their families unless they had a death wish. Maybe Jackson truly had a death wish. He had nothing to lose. She had a peculiar feeling. She was a girl. A Rosario. What happened to her aunt Anna could happen to her. So she had to keep watch. Were there people who had a death wish and were willing to risk all to abduct her? She had a feeling it was a highly likely possibility that one day this could happen.

What if she made mistakes like her aunt Anna and slipped through security? She hoped she never made such choices. She shivered at the thought. She was hundred percent certain that although his uncle Arturo was quite violent and aggressive, he treated his aunt Anna like a soft rose petal. There was no way his uncle was going to stay too mad at her aunt. But Vienna was not sure if the same thing could be said about Tristan. If she ran away, was he going to take her on vacation to forget the whole thing and to strengthen their relationship focusing on their love life? Well. She could not be so sure. She recalled how Tristan reacted when she endangered herself. She didn't even want to try to imagine what Tristan was going to do if she ran from her guards and then got caught. He was going to really come down hard on her.

She noticed the arrival of cars suddenly. Tristan was there. She saw Tristan getting off before her cousin came out.

Vienna ran to Tristan and embraced him "So happy to see you are safe."

Tristan kissed her forehead. She then broke away and walked to her cousin to embrace him "Andreas. Thank the Lord.". But Tristan in a way restrained her by wrapping his arms around her tummy immobilising her. He leaned down and whispered "I need more kisses..."

Vienna turned to Tristan "Tristan ..."

Tristan turned her around and kissed her deeply silencing her."

Andreas sighed as he watched the two kiss. This guy was pushing it. He was deliberately kissing Vienna in front of him. He could do it inside but he had to be public.

Andreas looked away and stood awkwardly.

It was Vienna who said "Tristan. We need to stop. My cousin is here..."

Tristan pulled away "He can close his eyes if he doesn't like it." Tristan loosened his hold on Vienna and then as Vienna turned to walk away he embraced her from behind again not letting her take any steps towards Andreas.

Vienna blushed and looked up "Tristan. I need to give my cousin a hug. I haven't seen him in a while."

Andreas walked closer to his cousin "It's alright Vienna. I will be at the guest house if you need to see me."

Vienna gasped as she watched him walk away "Tristan..."

Tristan turned Vienna around and said "Yes Vienna."

Vienna said "What is going on? Why is he at the guest house when his sister is in your residence in a room next to Clarissa?"

Tristan didn't let go and said "He needs to earn the right to come to our house. He hasn't earned my trust."

Vienna said "He is my cousin."

Tristan said "I know. That's why he is staying in the guest house and not in a grave. He threatened my mother. I told him if he looks at my mother the wrong way, I will kill him. So I am being considerate here. I gave him choices. This was the best option. At least you have a cousin for now. But if he is a threat I will kill him."

Vienna couldn't believe it "He is my cousin. He won't hurt your mother. It must be a misunderstanding. Don't talk about killing my cousin like it's nothing."

Tristan nodded "Well. He talked about killing my mother like it's nothing."

Vienna said "I can't believe he said that. Why would he threaten your mother?"

Tristan said "As revenge for his mother getting abducted by my uncle Jackson."

Vienna said "I need to go talk to him. He can't say that. It's not your mother's fault... Can you let go?"

Tristan shook his head"I am sorry. I can't. I have missed you. Dinner will get cold Vienna. After dinner I will take you to see him... in his room. But if he doesn't behave himself I will put him in a cell."

Vienna gasped "Cell?"

Tristan said "You can't expect me to give him five star treatment if he makes threats... it's better than sleeping in a coffin... He gets to choose. He is going to be under arrest and put on trial if he does anything wrong in this house."

Vienna said "How would your father feel? How would Trent feel that he is in a guest house? You won't bring him over for dinner?"

Tristan said "Of course. He is away from amethyst so my brother can talk to her freely without him intercepting them. They will have no objections."

Vienna asked "Will you tell your father what he said?"

Tristan said "Yes. Tonight. After dinner. My father or may not have a talk with him. My father may leave it to me. This is between me and Andreas."

Vienna missed the old days. Life used to be simpler. Life used to be brighter. Now future was bleak. "Will life ever be the same?"

Tristan said "It hasn't changed for me Vienna. My life is always about you. You are still here. So life hasn't changed."