I watch in acute horror as Astrid's parents stride into the room, and cause both their daughters to fall in on themselves and become meek and passive husks before my eyes.

Astrid stands and quickly scoops Liam up, hiding his face from her parents. I realise in that instant that Astrid didn't truly come back here for her parents, but for her sister.

"Mother. Father." Astrid breathes as she stands opposite her parents, shifting backwards until she is directly behind me and protected by my presence,

"You're back then?" Her mother sneers at her. "Run out of money whoring around and now you're stuck with two kids and need our help?"

I clear my throat, apparently I have been undetected by the woman up until this moment.

"That isn't the case at all Miss Green, so please, let's all sit down and Astrid can explain." I keep my voice perfectly polite and level despite my desire to knock her flat on her arse.

She merely sniffs at me as she looks up and down at my appearance. "And you are?"

"He's my fiancé." Astrid speaks before I can, she sits down in between me and her sister, handing Liam to me so she can grip Doretha's hand as she weeps silently.

In that moment I make a mental decision to invite her to come live with us, to take her away from these clearly damaging people. Doretha deserves a life away from them, just like Astrid does.

With horror on both their faces, her parents sink down onto the sofa opposite us. Mr Green holds onto his wife's hand as she looks white with disdain, directed at me.

"Explain." He grits out between his clenched jaw.

"I was taken walking home from school that day. Woke up in Germany, the man who took me wanted me to carry and be a mother to his children to continue his... family business. He raped me, I got pregnant with Liam. After he was born He raped me again and o got pregnant with Eira."

I note how brief and frank she's keeping her story, not that I blame her, no matter what she says her parents judgement will still be there. Just as brutal and unforgiving.

"I fled with Liam to Canada where I met Vidar." She holds onto my hand, I squeeze it so she knows I'm here for her. "We fell in love and got engaged."

I don't mind how brief she is keeping everything, if anything it makes it all much more special as it's private- not something for people like them to hear.

Her father laughs once she finishes. I clench my fists as tight together as I can, resisting the overpowering urge to knock his front teeth out.

"What's so fucking funny." I growl out. "Your daughter was abused and raped for 3 years, forced to have two children and is still tormented by the trauma caused to her and you have the fucking nerve to laugh?"

I'm shaking with rage by this point, I doubt even Astrid could bring me down from this fury. Only his blood spraying would quench this fire.

"You seriously believe this story?" He splutters out between laughing. "Astrid always was a fanciful little bitch, it's all a lie. She's slept around like the slut she is and now she's concocted this story to trick you and us into helping her. Well more fool you."

I stand from the sofa and match over to him, I grip his throat and lift him into the air. He chokes and his eyes pop as his legs dangle a foot off the floor.

"Call my fiancée a slut again and see what happens." I snarl, my voice and demeanour become savage and animalistic.

"Mother, father." Astrid speaks, breaking me from my trance as I throw her father onto the floor, leaving his clutching at his bruised throat. "I came back here in the hope you'd changed. To give you a chance to know your grandchildren, you don't even deserve to know their names- so forget them, and forget us."

I turn to Doretha who is still clinging to Eira like a lifeline to save her from madness.

"Doretha," I say softly, calming my raging tone from my voice, "you can come with us. Be with your sister, I have a cabin you can live in- you can start again, with us."

"I-I can." She chokes out with a look of surprised delight on her face and in her smile.

"Yes. I want you with me." Astrid replies. "Give me Eira and you can pack a few things."

Doretha leaps up as fast as she can without startling the now sleeping Eira. She hands her to Astrid and breathily dashes up the stairs.

Their mother goes to move, but I snarl at her and she slumps back into the cushions passively.

Less than two minutes later, footsteps thunder back down the stairs and Astrid and I walk from the sitting room. We stand in the hall as Astrid and Doretha fumble with their shoes, I hand Liam to Doretha as I put on my own. Then I clip Eira into her carrier, and pick up the small suitcase with Doretha's luggage.

What Astrid didn't realise was I paid the taxi driver to wait for us, I had a suspicion we wouldn't be here long. Guess I was right, even though I wish I hadn't been.

I bundle the two women into the car and place Eira in the seat between them before strapping her carrier in. I move to the boot and throw the luggage in it. Just as I reach the handle of the door once again, I hear Astrid's father call out.

"I'd watch those two if I were you, once a slut, always a slut."

That does it. I drop my outstretched hand away from the car as I spin on my heels. I did warn him what would happen if he called Astrid a slut again- didn't I?

I march up the steps at a deadly slow pace, raise my fist and deliver a nose crushing punch to his face. Blood spurts out in all directions as the small man drops to the floor, screaming and clutching at his face.

"George!" Mrs Green cries out as she comes running to her husband's aid. I spit on the pavement distastefully beside him before striding back down the stairs.

The car door is opened for me by Astrid and I hurl myself into the car. Flexing my knuckles as we drive back to the hotel, I feel slightly better than I did before.

The voice in my head told me to kill him for everything he did to Astrid and to Doretha, but I couldn't risk loosing my family for a pathetic man like that.

Astrid leans her head on my chest and my heart thunders against her cheek. Liam is in Doretha's arms and babbling happily at her, telling his own little story in his own way, she gives him her complete attention, moulding her face to fit his tone. He's loving this just as much as she is.

Once again I feel that pang in my chest as I think of all that was taken from her.

Pulling out my phone, I text Hacker.

Cancel our flight and book the soonest one for three adults. I have a job for you, will call and explain when I can.

I will do everything in my power to trace her stolen baby, if they've been adopted the there's nothing anyone can do, but if they're in care- which is highly likely then we could do something.

I'll keep it a secret for now, no point in giving her hope only to steal it from her.

She's been through enough already.

We all nearly burst into tears in relief as the hotel building appears in sight. Today has been both shit and wonderful.