As we passed by the living room, we saw Amelia, snoring her way through the couch. I stifled my laughter as I looked at Dy's disgusted face.

"Pig." He grumbled under his breath. He grabbed my hand and pulled me along as he walked faster out the door. "Jesus! That was... something."

I grinned up at him. "You get used to it," I said as he opened the passenger's side for me.

Wide-eyed, he looked at me horrified, at my words. "I'd rather die!"

"Drama queen."

Shaking his head, he slammed my door shut and jogged to the driver's side.

Soon, we were driving through the busy streets of New York. As we got near to his house, my nervousness came back, full force. It seemed to fill the air too as I played with my hand nervously, my eyes focused on the view on my window. Buildings and people, fading in the background yet I can feel his eyes on me.

"Calm down, shortcake."

Taking a glance at him, I can see the smile that graced his face.

"I'm so glad you find this funny," I said, rolling my eyes in irritation.

I watched him as his shoulders shook in a burst of silent laughter. His smile widened and his eyes shone in amusement. "Because you have nothing to be nervous about! Dad loves you."

"Your mom will eat me alive." I reminded him.

Now it was his turn to roll his eyes. "She won't. And I'll be there to make sure she behaves."

"Okay."

"You ready now?"

"Yes," I answered with a smile.

"Good. Cause we're here."

The extravagance of the house never ceased to amaze me. With its enormous round-about and its white-coloured walls. Windows were illuminating the light from inside the house and the fountain in the middle of the driveway was lit up with small lights. Archways can be seen in front of the double doors of the house.

"Ready?" Dustyn asked softly as he guided me up the short five-step stairs.

Exhaling, I gave him a nod and a quivering smile. "As I'll ever be."

A maid opened the door for us. Behind the huge door, is the house's main living room where his parents are both standing. The smile on his mother's face gave me chills while the smile on his father's face gave me comfort.

Rodrigo Franco stood in front of me in blue long sleeves tucked into black pants. His pepper and salt hair was combed back, making him look young despite his age of fifty-five.

"Mara, darling, welcome." He said and hugged me in his huge arms.

Stepping back, I thank him for his warm welcome. I turned to Jaclyn Franco who was dressed in an impeccable red hugging dress. Despite her age, her body has the right curves and is looking slim and healthy. Her eyes, however, held a glint of danger as she surveyed my appearance.

"Tamara." The coldness in her voice was not hard to miss. I can tell, she didn't want me here, despite the warm welcome of Rodrigo.

"You look beautiful," Rodrigo said.

Looking down, a blush covered my cheeks. I can only imagine how red my face is. I get so uncomfortable with compliments.

An arm snaked around my waist and pulled me to his side. Looking up, Dy smiled at me as his father continued his torture.

"You've grown up well. Alec and Jack must be so protective of you!" He added with a smile.

Rodrigo has always been a jokester and a good host. He loves making small talks and giving compliments left and right.

"You have no idea!" I replied, with an exasperated sigh.

Before he can reply, Jaclyn announces that dinner has been served in the next room. I can still feel her dislike for me despite both of the Ramirez men's warm welcome.

Dustyn pulled up a chair for me which was across Rodrigo, while he sat across Jaclyn. I thanked him softly, not just for pulling a seat for me but also for saving me from having to stare at Jaclyn's face the whole night.

As dinner progressed to the main course, Jaclyn suddenly started making conversations with me. It was a surprise but I was glad that she was trying.

"Mara, what's your major?" She asked so casually. Too casually.

Looking up from the steak, I answered her. "I was thinking of taking up Photography and maybe I can persuade the Dean to allow me to double major in Business Administration."

Warm hands covered my cold ones, and I looked up at Dy's proud smile. "That's good, Mara."

I nodded at him. "It is. I've mostly been taking Art classes since I entered college."

Although seeing as Dustyn sealed that decision. Just him being here, I finally realized the dream I forgot about growing up. I have always dreamed of being a world-class photographer and I guess, this way I would start my journey.

"And Alec's thoughts on this?" Rodrigo wandered.

"I haven't had a chance to tell him yet. He's still in London." I said truthfully as I took a sip of the wine.

"Well, I'm sure he wouldn't care, darling, now that my son has agreed to marry you for a partnership."

Blood drained from my face and I looked at my mother's very smug face. She seemed very proud of herself and what she had just done. I paled and looked at the woman beside me with nervousness and guilt dancing in my eyes. Her grey eyes held surprise at my mother's words.

"Pardon me?" she asked with a chilling icy voice.

Mom shrugged as if her next words weren't like a knife stabbing me with every word. "Dustyn agreed to marry you just to get a partnership from your brother. Honestly girl, I never thought you could be such a brat to bring the companies in to get what you want. Such a low move."

"That's enough, Jaclyn." my dad's rough and angry voice rang throughout the dining room. It was too quiet and you can hear a pin drop.

Mom, being a bitch this evening, shrugged off Dad's warning. "I'm letting her know what I think of her."

Mara's hands tightened on the utensils she's holding. Visibly turning her knuckles to white with her tight grip. "I have to go," she mumbled quietly and quickly dropped the utensils with a loud bang. I flinched at the impact it made on the plate. Mara didn't waste any time with pleasantries and walked out of the room in furious large steps.

"Mara, wait!" I shout after her. I scraped the chair against the ground and raced after her, ignoring the calls from my mom.

Despite wearing five-inch heels, Mara walked out of the house fast. As I reached my hand out to touch her arm, she jerked her whole body away from me. I stared at her in disbelief and pure, utter pain.

Her bright grey eyes are filled with hatred, a new sense of betrayal as she searched my face for something, anything that might make all those words disappear.

But I can offer her none of those.

"It is true." She said in a whisper, more to herself than to me. "How dare you?"

And just like that, her anger was back with a vengeance. Fire danced in her eyes as she regarded me in a new light. A liar.

"Shortcake, please just let me explain." I begged her, moving my feet closer to her. Every inch of my body is begging me to touch her. To keep her close so I can make sure she listens to me and she understands me. But the image of her jerking away, seemingly disgusted by my mere touch was not enticing.

Running a hand through her curled hair, she settles them down on her hips. "I'm not some pawn you and Alec can play with!" She screamed at me.

The guard at our gate and some of the maids passing by settled their surprised gaze on us. They nervously looked away when they saw me looking and scampered away from the disastrous scene unfolding before them.

A storm was coming in the form of Mara and I'm scared none of us can stop her.

"We are not playing with you, shortcake. You know that!" I told her, making sure that my eyes found hers.

She scoffed at me, laughing mockingly. "You think I'm that stupid? I AM NOT A KID ANYMORE, DUSTYN!"

I took a breather to approach the manner calmly. "Of course not. We do everything for a reason, shortcake, you know that."

"Do I?! Because she made it sound like I was sold and you gladly agreed to it!"

Words were caught in my throat. I couldn't, for the life of me, disagree with her statement.

I was more than excited about the news of marriage with Mara. She has and always has been the love of my life. Even when I left for college, Mara was the constant thought in my head. She was never far from my thoughts no matter how hard I have tried to get rid of her.

If she could only see the number of unopened presents in one of the rooms in my unfurnished apartment.

I knew shit would hit the fan when she found out but I had hoped I would have more time to carefully thread the subject. Now, the bomb has been dropped and I am dealing with the result.

"It was nice knowing you." She said before she turned away from me and demanded the guard to open the gates for her.

I stay, my feet planted on the ground unable to move and catch up to her. I watched her disappear as she took the turn down the street, without looking back at me.

"Son," Dad's worried baritone voice made me look up to him. Behind him, my mother stood looking rather proud of the work she has done.

Shaking my head in disbelief, I head up to the house and into my room. I took out a bag and grabbed every piece of clothing I could touch. Without a second thought, I marched out of the house.

I was burning with unexplainable rage cursing through my veins and leaving a mess in my head. I could only blame Mom for this and even that was too light of a verdict for her crimes tonight.

I knew she hated the thought of Mara with me, but I never expected her to go this far. Far too much damage she had caused tonight. I had to leave while I still have a little amount of respect for the woman who gave birth to me and raised me.

"Dustyn! Where are you going?" My mother screeched in disbelief as she watched me load my bags into my car. "What the hell?!"

Burning with rage, I stopped her with my glare. "You stay the fuck away from me," I said through gritted teeth.

She paled at my words. Dad offered her no comfort, and I was glad for him taking my side on this so bluntly. Displaying disagreement with her in front of me like it was an everyday thing.

"I told the truth! Why are you so mad at me?" She asked, looking lost, clueless. She is clueless. She didn't know about the whole deal and yet she came marching in with a bomb without second-guessing her actions.

"She didn't even know Mom!" I screamed back at her. My hands grip the door of the driver's side. "She didn't even know," I repeated in a much softer voice.

I was still wearing clothes from last night, all wrinkled. My hair is unruly from all the pulling I have done throughout the night inside my car. I was unable to get an ounce of sleep because of my guilt and my worry for Mara. She's probably up there, cursing my name and killing me a thousand times inside that head of hers.

I parked my car a few steps away from their gates after walking out from my parents. I watch her stumble out of the taxi and hastily bang on the guardhouse at their gate. I watched as the guard woke up startled, surprised at his young miss walking up to him in a distressed and careless manner.

This morning, I watched the twins leave. I can tell by their scrunched up faces and Apollo's angry eyes that Mara wasn't able to get past their questioning when she went home. I do not doubt that they would've delivered a couple of punches to my face just to ease their anger.

The guard perked up from his seat as my shadow loomed over him. "Sir Dustyn?"

"Can I go see Mara?" I asked my voice hoarse.

"I'm sorry sir. Miss Tamara requested that nobody is to be let in today. Especially not you." He said solemnly. He looked torn between doing his job and doing what I asked.

My family might not compare to the power Ramirez has but we are still influential, in all aspects of the word influential. Yet, I don't find it in me to fight against Mara's orders.

My shoulders dropped in disappointment.

I looked up at the impressive mansion, secured by the massive black gates. My eyes never strayed from the window on the left side of the house, hoping, wishing, she was behind that window. As if she could see me down here, looking miserable and desperate to see her.

"I'll come back another day," I whispered into the air. Hoping some kind of magic would let her know my words.

I'm going fucking crazy without a doubt.

Contract signing, meetings, and expansion plans ruled my week. I was throwing off Veronica, my secretary, with the amount of work I threw on her shoulders. I was relentless. I was jumping from client to client, investors from investors. Having meetings all over the city to occupy my time, to keep my thoughts away from Mara.

The last time I heard from Alec, he was receiving far worse treatment from her than I am. He had to come home every day to her, throwing her bedroom door close as soon as he opened the door to their space. Mara refused to talk to him in any form or way. She refused to listen to anything he had to say. Alec sounded broken over the phone at their deteriorating relationship.

Media has made everything even worse. Every move and every word I say was being published on national television every day. They are stalking all three of us in all ways they can. Alec told me he had to force Apollo to talk to him for a security measure for Mara. The guy knows what is happening and refuses to be in contact with people who have hurt his best friend.

I know some way to, hopefully, dissipate Mara's anger towards us. It is something she has had a soft heart on since she was a kid and it is something that I could use to our advantage. Trying is better than just waiting around for her to actually talk to us. This way there's more of a chance.

I can only hope it does help our case.