Chapter 194

"What is she doing here?"

Ariana felt her heart sink as she stared up at her mother. "Mom what are you saying? What do you mean?"

"Do not even call me that! You lost that right the moment you turned your back on us!" She spat.

This time she felt thunder strike within her as she turned helplessly to her brother for help. But the latter only shrugged as he also didn't understand their mother's outburst.

Calhoun unconsciously moved to stand protectively between Ariana and her mother. She broke into a laugh and took out a cigarette before lighting it and walking away from the scene.

"Fuckers!" She breathed.

Ariana's hands were shaking as her eyes caught the large portrait of her father down the hall. She moved towards it like a zombie. And when she got there she almost toppled over as she found a few friends settled around with a candle lit in front of it. It only meant one thing, her father was truly dead.

"No," she screamed covering her mouth and gaining the attention of every guest who turned around to look at her sadly. They had all been wondering where she had been and now that she was here they felt sorry for her.

"Daddy no!" She screamed even louder as Calhoun rushed to hold her. He hugged her tight so that she would cry into his shoulder. He hated seeing her like this but he knew she had to cry her pain out so she could feel relieved.

Daniel simply tapped her shoulder and walked out of the room. He had his own pain to fight off and besides Ariana looked like she brought her entire support team unlike him who came alone.

He went to the front porch and sat down by himself. His family had fallen completely apart. Sometimes he wondered what would have happened if he didn't leave them behind when he did. He would have never achieved anything for himself.

"May I join you?" Lisa called as she made her way to where Daniel sat.

"Sure," he said wiping the tears that had managed to drop down his cheeks.

Lisa sat quietly and said nothing. She had understood what happening now. Since Calhoun was with Ariana. She felt it would be humanly nice to keep the next sane family member company and Daniel seemed like the only sane member left after Aria.

"So you want to talk about it?" Lisa whispered as she saw Daniel discreetly wipe away tears.

Daniel didn't say anything. He was afraid if he opened his mouth he might say what he wasn't meant to say. He shut his lips and tried to calm himself.

"I didn't really know Mr Brown, your father," Lisa started slowly. Someone had once told her that to get someone talking you had to start that conversation and that's exactly what she was doing, starting the show.

"He was a nice father. Ariana talked a lot about him... she told me how he used to take her to school because she was scared of being bullied on the school bus," she whispered and she saw Daniel chuckle softly at her comment.

Lisa was silent again as she stared at his face. She waited for him to speak as she had no other childhood story to share.

"If he was such a good father to her why didn't she come when he fell sick?" Daniel's broken voice filled the evening air.

Lisa swallowed as she now started getting a glimpse of his troubles.

"Well, she stopped answering their calls when they publicly connived with a guy who was obsessed with her. They got charged with murder and they were going to find themselves behind bars until Aria came to their rescue. They got saved but Ariana's reputation was ruined. She became the daughter of a cheat and gambler... I would have done the same in her shoes." Lisa said without a filter.

Daniel only furrowed his brows for a few seconds before he shook his head. It was for the same reason he had left home. He had found out that his father was cheating on his best friend's father. When he confronted his father, he was told to stay out of it. He didn't want to be a child of a band of thieves. So without telling his sister, he just vanished one morning. He would have taken Ariana with him but he wanted her to see the kind of parents they had.

"They've been like this for a while now," he whispered. "Too bad he had to die without seeing his daughter," He added.

"Was he sick?" Lisa put in concerned.

Daniel shrugged and stared straight ahead. "He had developed real cancer. When I found out it was already too late. He was in his last stage."

"I am sorry for your lost," Lisa whispered.

"Oh, don't be. My tears aren't for him," Daniel said. He picked up a stone and threw it in the distance. "I cry for the family we could have had but we didn't because they decided to be bad parents with terrible habits."

"I missed my sister and I am glad this situation has brought us together. Now I can literally keep in contact with just her and I won't have to go around telling people I am without family," He said with a small laugh.

Lisa smiled at that. In her heart, she knew that this bad situation brought something good out of it. At least now, Ariana could have her older brother walk her down the aisle without worrying about hurting her father. He was dead now. But she dared not say her thoughts out loud to avoid long Daniel up.

"I am sorry I didn't even offer you guys something to drink," Daniel said as he got up. He stretched his hand to Lisa. "Come let's go inside," he offered.

Lisa gave him her hand and he led her inside. The guest was already preparing to leave and Ariana had retired to her room with Calhoun. Lisa could still hear her crying softly behind the closed doors but she was not worried for she knew Calhoun would protect her.