Chapter 84
BEAU AND ISOBEL
7 HOURS
“Aren’t you nervous about meeting your family?” Isobel who had been looking at Beau for quite some time asked. Beau rolled his eyes at her and stared out the window.
They had followed Christian’s instructions and after he had cleaned himself up they had made their way to someplace near the Lamberti’s estate. Christian was very clear in his instructions and they both had an idea that it might’ve been because the combination of a rat and Garcia did not look well.
Beau could still not stand Isobel and wished for all of this to be over so he did never have to see her again. The thought of not being able to choke her had burdened him, and Isobel speaking to him did not make it any better. “You don’t talk a lot, do you?” Isobel sighed and leaned back in her seat. “But you’ve never been that much of a talker, so it’s fine.”
“You tried to kill my twin sister and my niece, what’s there to talk about?” Beau spoke for the first time. He was eagerly waiting for Christian’s phone call—so he didn’t have to be alone with her.
“I don’t understand you or Christian...I’ve saved your life?” Isobel spoke offended. She had not expected them to forgive her and she knew that she still had a long way to go, but she at least expected them to be a bit grateful.
“You’re so selfish,” Beau whispered. He couldn’t believe how she could not see how wrong she was. “I’m sorry, what?” Isobel frowned her eyebrows.
“I said that you are selfish. Don’t you feel even a bit embarrassed that you have to walk through that house, while no one, not even your own father wants you here?” He spoke a bit louder this time. “If it wasn’t for you, none of us would’ve been in this mess, and maybe my sister can forgive you, and maybe I am a follower—but even I have a limit and this is as far as I’ll go.”
“I will never forgive you!” Beau spat in her face. Those words felt like a dagger through Isobel’s heart and she turned her head so she didn’t have to face him. Unlike Christian and Serena, Beau had not even shown her the slightest bit of mercy and was a complete cold stone. “And when all of this is over, you better stay away from my sister and my niece!”
Christian’s phone call came at the right time and she didn’t hesitate to pick up her phone. “Where are you?” He asked.
“We’re near your family’s house like you’ve asked us to.” Isobel’s voice cracked as she wiped away her tears. “Isobel, are you okay?” Christian asked.
Despite forgiving her wanted to ignore her feelings, but he couldn’t. Isobel was one of the few who had remained by his side when there were barely any left, and he would always care for her well-being, just like Vincenzo.
“I’m in a car with motherfucking Beau who has let out his feelings about wanting to choke me, do you really think I’m fine?” She hysterically sobbed while Beau rolled his eyes in disbelief. “Well, that’s a way to describe him.” Christian chuckled.
“Beau, I know how you feel—but can you please work along—the last thing I need at the moment is...this.” Christian sighed. Beau glared at Isobel and let out an exhausted breath. “Fine.”
“Good, I knew I could trust you—but I have one more request.” Christian carefully addressed the situation. He felt bad Beau obeyed his every wish, but there was nothing he could do about it. “I don’t care about how much you hate your family, and that’s between the two of you—but please just until everything is over, please try to work along...for Serena.”
Beau clenched his fist and wondered how far he was actually willing to go, but the moment he thought about his sister he had a change of mind. At the moment his feelings were not a priority. “Yes, fine I got it.”
“You’re so different from Serena, you listen.” Christian spoke relieved. “I’m at the gates, you guys can come now.”
It wasn’t long until Beau and Isobel walked to the gates in awkward silence and met up with Christian. “What the hell is this?” One of the guards asked with a confused look on his face, but Christian shrugged him off. “They’re with me.”
“Let’s go, we don’t have much time,” Christian spoke. As he walked through the driveway he immediately noticed the presence of all the vehicles and knew that Lucio had followed his instructions. “Beau, a few hours from now Serena will surrender herself, I’m giving you a heads up but please don’t freak out.” Christian warned him. “Johnny and Luca are with her, they’ll take good care of her until it’s time.” He spoke.
The only ones aware of his plan besides Vince were Isobel and Beau. “I understand.”
“Good, I’m not going to tell them anything about keeping Vince and Luis alive.” Christian spoke. “Won’t Serena be in danger?” Beau asked. This whole idea of handing Serena over had bothered him, but he trusted Christian and he wanted to follow Christian, the same way Serena trusted him. “Vince will keep her safe, Serena will come out of this alive—Fabio won’t harm her unless you’re there.”
“Can’t I just go?” Beau tried to convince him. “No, Fabio sees you as an appetizer and Serena as the main course—it’s better to hand her over and not get anyone on our side killed in the process so we can at least have some more time.” Isobel told Beau.
“Right, you should know as best.” Beau sighed. "Beau, don't worry—this will all be over in seven hours. Serena is strong, you know that." Christian praised her. He knew as best and even got to experience how Serena's personality had changed after her pregnancy. "You're right, she is and she will be fine." Beau agreed.
“How did it go with Vince?” Beau asked and listened as Christian told him what had happened. Despite what had happened Beau knew that Vince would eventually do the right thing.
“I feel extremely uncomfortable,” Isobel spoke and tried her hardest to ignore the looks everyone was giving her. She knew she deserved it, but she could not understand how no one had moved on.
Christian led them through the mansion until they had arrived at his dad’s office and made them wait behind a glass sliding door. “What are you doing here?” Aldo Sala asked as he opened the sliding door and glared from Beau to the daughter he had disowned. “Dad,” Isobel whispered.
“She’s with me, it’s okay sir,” Christian reassured him, but to Aldo, that wasn’t enough. “Christian, why did you suddenly ordered everyone to come here—I thought we had one more week.” He ignored his daughter’s existence and demanded an answer.
Christian sighed and looked at the Lamberti’s, the Alfonzo’s, and all the others who had not realized his presence and could only see Beau and Isobel. “Things have changed sir, come we have a lot to discuss and not that much time.”
Christian and Aldo walked through, while Isobel leaned her head against the wall and Beau looked to his parents and his brothers through the sliding door. They still don’t know, Beau thought to himself.
It had bothered him that despite him and Serena having the same eyes, which a parent should’ve been able to recognize, Matteo had failed to do so many times. It had even made him jealous when Serena told him that they all told her they knew it right away.
“You were right.” Beau gulped after a silence of nearly ten minutes. It was taking a long time and Christian had a lot to explain. Isobel turned her head and looked at him. “What?” She hissed, as she was not in the mood to deal with any of his rude comments.
“About me being nervous, you’re right. They are the same people who handed me to Fabio while they had enough power to fight for me, but they chose not to.” Beau spoke. The thought of his parents giving him away like a piece of meat, while they send away Serena in the hopes of saving her from Fabio and giving her a better life made his skin crawl, but he knew that she was no to blame. Perhaps Serena had a reason to forgive them, but he really didn’t. All he wanted was to be there for Serena.
“Trust me, the Alfonzo’s are warm people and within a few minutes they’ll be squeezing the life out of you—my family on the other hand?” Isobel chuckled as she looked at the Sala’s who were all giving her a side-eye. Getting disowned by her father meant getting disowned by her entire family.
“You’re still family, it’s not that they don’t want to forgive you. They need time and what you did was very serious, you can’t accept them to welcome you back with open arms—so you should wait for a bit.” Beau tried his hardest to calm her down.
“Then maybe you should follow your own advice and forgive the Alfonzo’s.” Isobel smiled at him but Beau shook his head. “You don’t understand, that’s different—you never got tortured, belittled—“
“It's actually really sad, I’m so sorry for all of that.” Isobel pouted and reached out to touch his cheek, but Beau turned his face to stop her from doing so. “Don’t ever touch me.”
“If that’s what you want.” Isobel shrugged her shoulders. “Beau, look!” She nudged his shoulder and pointed at Matteo Alfonzo who held his hand against his heart and looked right at Beau.
Even though the sliding door, it wasn’t that difficult to notice Matteo Alfonzo’s emotional reaction. Just like everyone else they had all turned around their heads to look at Beau, who had gotten self-conscious and lowered his head.
Matteo Alfonzo took several steps forward and threw open the sliding so he could face Beau. “Let me look at you.” Matteo gasped and held a polite distance.
Beau slowly raised his head and looked into his father’s tearful eyes while Marcello and Emilio had also stepped forward. “Carmen is going to pack her bags and leave the family,” Marcello spoke with big eyes as he placed his hands on Beau’s shoulder and pulled him into a tight hug.
Beau was aware of Carmen and the stories Serena had told him. Carmen, their little sister who was not that welcoming compared to Luke, their younger brother.
“Welcome home,” Marcello whispered while Emilio joined into the hug. Beau had no choice but to hug them back and could easily see that Isobel was right, they were warm people—but his issue was not with his brothers.
They had both pulled away and took a step aside so Matteo could look at him. Matteo could sense the anger and pain in his eyes and did not have the guts to reach out to him, so he grabbed his hand instead. “So your sister decided to keep you all to herself.” He smiled and rubbed Beau’s hand as a tear left his eye.
“This reunion is very nice, but we only have around six hours left—so if you all mind.” Christian invited them in before he gave Isobel a look. “I think it’s better if you uh..”
“Yes, I understand.” Isobel smiled through her pain. “I’ll just wait here.”
She was well aware of the kind of strings Christian probably had to pull, just for her to be here and would not interfere.
“I would like to introduce you to everyone, but we should do that some other time—this is my dad, you’ve met him a few times.” Christian led him to Lucio who was still in shock by the news. “It’s nice to meet you.” Lucio smiled.
Especially to him, it felt as if another half of the guilt he had felt had washed away. He did not want to leave the world with any unfinished business, and considered Beau to be part of it. “This one looks different from Serena, his eyes are very cold and he doesn’t look all that excited to meet us either.” Franco Lamberti had pushed everyone aside so he could look at Beau.
“Grandpa, please stop this.” Christian sighed, but Beau shook his head. “Don’t worry, it’s okay.” He chuckled. It was not something new to him and something he had often heard, but he had no reason to smile. “I meant no offense, Chris has told us all about how you’ve helped us.”
“It’s better for you to be at this side because we’re not letting a single Garcia breathe, right Christian?” Franco spoke while Christian looked the other way. It was beyond him how they were all so prepared to create a bloodbath, something which he was trying to avoid. “So what you’ve told us is that Fabio won’t harm Serena as long as they stay apart.” Matteo sighed, while Beau listened to his father’s words with clenched fists. Even until now all he cared about was Serena.
“We can send someone to deal with Vincenzo and Luis,” Gio suggested. “No, I will deal with them, I told you not to touch them and I don’t know if I can trust you.” Christian spoke.
“We don’t have any time for this, we should go over everything.” He spoke, but there was only one thing going through his mind.
Serena and the baby. He began to think that maybe he was crazy for handing over Serena to keep Fabio satisfied, and for forcing Serena to surrender herself.
He couldn’t even imagine how betrayed she would feel after seeing Luis and Vince alongside Fabio, but he also knew that Serena was a smart person and would soon realize on her own that it was all part of the plan and that he would never betray her ever again.
