Samuel looked down at the little girl.

A small smile light up her face when she saw him but he made no motion to smiling back.

All he did was just give him a simple blank look before looking up at the man beside her. He knew of the importance that this man is holding over his life now. For now, he and his mother were dependent on this man.

"Antonio." His mother greeted the man with a kiss on the cheek.

"Alessandra," the man responded.

She looked down at Samuel with a smile, love shining in her eyes. "This is Samuel as you have already know." She combed through his hair softly and turned back to the man. "I hope you will be able to treat him with the same love as you do with your biological children."

He had missed the bitter tone in his mother's voice and miss the frown that made a nest on the man's face.

But what he didn't miss was the way the girl looked at his mother with fear shining in her eyes.

He instantly detested her.

The man nodded his head and knelt down, becoming eye to eye with Samuel. "How old are you son?"

"Thirteen." Samuel replied quietly.

The man smiled softly at him and brought the girl forward. She tried to move behind her father's legs but he kept her in front. She kept her head downcast.

"Ashley." The man said in a warning tone.

"Hello." she looked up and looked back down again, not meeting anybody's eyes.

"She sure has grown since the last I've seen her." his mother said. Samuel looked up at his mother and saw hatred swirling in those eyes of her. A feeling that he has never seen on her face. "So much like her mother."

"She has inherited nothing from her father." Antonio joked but Samuel could hear the bitterness that seeped through.

"Hm."

Samuel looked back at the girl again and he grimaced.

She was too shy.

This is going to be easier than he had expected.

"Why don't I show you your rooms?"

"Please."

Samuel walked alongside his mother as they walked into the grand house. Samuel has never been in a place such like this and he looked around the place with awe. Excitement coursed through his veins at the discoveries that he could make in this house.

"Ashley, why don't you show Samuel his room while I give Alessandra a tour of the house." he had the man say softly to the girl.

"Yes papi." she replied back obediently. She turned to Samuel. "Follow me, please." she said meekly.

Samuel rolled his eyes, grabbed his bag from his mother, and followed the girl. They walked up a spiral staircase and Samuel had to urge to reach out and push the girl down the stairs. He held himself back though.

"You're annoying." he blurted out.

"Sorry." she blushed and turned away from him. Her pigtails, slightly whacking him against his face.

"Your hair!" he groaned out loud.

She pulled her pigtails to the front and looked at him with fear. "I'm sorry!" she whimpered and cowered back.

"Whatever." he muttered back. He continued to follow her as she lead him to a room.

"This is yours."

He pushed her aside, though softly, and walked into the room. His eyes brightened when he saw how perfect it was.

Dropping his bags to the floor, he jumped on his bed and grinned. He turned to the door and saw the girl and for once, he didn't feel any negative feelings towards her. "Want to jump on the bed with me?"

She looked at him with surprised for a second. Looking around, she shrugged her shoulders and jumped onto the bed also. The two children started to jump on the bed, laughing happily every time they were in the air.

Samuel grinned happily, already knowing that his new life is going be great. He turned to the girl again but frowned when he saw the large bruise that was on her back. He was tempted to reach out and touch it but held himself back and ignored it.

He doesn't have to care about her. She is nothing to him.

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Samuel dropped his bags on the front porch and sighed heavily.

Digging his hands into his pocket, he stared at the house in which he spent most of his teen years. His hands reached out and felt the soft texture of the wooden door and smelt the clean air that was cleansed by the many bushes of roses that surrounded the house.

"Home sweet home." he muttered to himself.

He took a plant to the side and knelt down. On the floor laid a number pad. Putting in the numbers that he memorized by heart, the pad opened up and revealed the key.

He took the key out of the pad and closed it back up, putting the pot back to where it belonged. Pushing the key in and turning it, he opened up the door and smelt the house. He smiled softly to himself and walked in.

He was not expecting a warm welcome at all and was not surprised to see that no one greeted him as he walked in. He sighed sadly, grabbed his bags from the porch and made his way up to his old room.

As he walked in, he placed his bags at the end of his bed and threw himself down. Groaning, he took out his phone and texted his mom telling her that he has arrived.

Looking around the room, he sighed in relief when he saw that nothing has changed and everything was still as neat as when he had left it.

"So you're back."

He turned to the door and smiled softly at him. "Yeah. I don't plan on staying long. I don't want to be a bother or cause any trouble."

Antonio nodded his head. "Listen Samuel, I don't have a problem with you as of right now. But if you treat my daughter similarly to how you treated her when you were kids, I will not hesitate to kick you out of my house."

Samuel shook his head. "I know the truth, Antonio." he muttered.

Antonio didn't look surprised. All he did was just raise his eyebrows. "You know? Who told you?" He sat down at Samuel's desk chair and stared at him.

No emotions were displayed.

"My father. I visited him in prison a few years back. He told me the truth." Samuel laughed emotionlessly. "The bastard even laughed in my face and told me how happy he was to ruin the family."

Samuel didn't miss Antonio clenching his fist nor did he miss the hurt look on Antonio's face.

Samuel sighed and looked away from him. He knew that it was hurting Antonio to see him right now.

Samuel reminded him too much of the man who took everything away from him. Of the man who was the root of every single problem that Antonio had to endure for the past two decades.

"How does the truth change anything though?" Antonio muttered, closing his eyes and leaning back against the chair.

"She's my sister. I'm her older brother. It's my job to protect her." Samuel said quietly. He grabbed his bag and started to unpack it. "I saw her a few years ago. Right after I found out the truth. I thought it was a sign for me to make amends with her."

Antonio instantly snapped his eyes opened and looked at Samuel with shock in his eyes. "Ashley knows?"

Samuel smiled sadly again and shook his head. "No. She doesn't believe me. I don't blame her. Who would want to believe that the person they thought was their father turns out not to be? Not me."

Antonio sighed and looked down at the ground. "I'd prefer for you to not bring it up. I want her to find out everything through her mother's journal. It's the only way for her to not jump to conclusions."

Although Samuel knew it was hard for him to do that he still nodded his head and smiled at Antonio. "I promise I won't bring it up unless she asks me."

Antonio stood up and nodded his head. "That's all I ask for. Thank you."

As Antonio started to walk out the door, Samuel stopped him. "Antonio wait." he called out. He saw Antonio stopping and took a deep breath. "I know it was hard for you to do but I just want to thank you. Thank you for letting me come back despite everything that I have done."

"I didn't do it for you." Antonio said before walking away.

Samuel sighed and pushed his bag to the side again. He got up from the bed and started to walk down the hall to where he knew Ashley was. He stayed outside her door and glanced in, seeing her staring at a book.

"Hey." he muttered quietly as to not scare her.

"I didn't think it would be this quick." she responded back, not glancing up at him. Her face still remained blank, not displaying a single emotion to how she really felt about him moving back in. "I thought I'd have more time."

"I heard you were pregnant." he smiled at her even though she couldn't see it. "Congratulations. You must be excited."

"Not as excited as I am scared." Her eyes snapped up and she smiled sadly at him. "You must have heard the other news also then."

"I have and I'm sorry." Samuel looked at her.

"It's not your fault. You didn't tell him to divorce me." Ashley chuckled emotionlessly. "I actually thought he wanted these babies. Only now do I realized that he cared more for his reputation than he ever did for me."

"You don't really mean that." Samuel said softly.

She shook her head and just continued to smile on as if nothing bad has happened. "No, I don't. I know he did want these babies. He's just too blinded by the lies that people are feeding to him. I know he still loves me."

Samuel walked over to her bed and sat down on it. He didn't miss the way she had stiffened nor did he miss the fear that came into her eyes. A pang tugged at his heart and he tried his best to not show how hurt he was by her actions.

He deserved it anyways.

"Do you know what gender they are?"

"Girls." She responded, a ghost of a smile on her lips. "I have their names already picked out also."

"You do?"

She nodded her head and turned to him, smiling. "Isabella after my mother and Arabella to go with her sister's name."

"They're beautiful names." He smiled at her and leaned back against her headboard. "How long until you're due?"

"Four more months." It was silent for a few seconds.

Samuel could feel her gaze on the side of his head so he turned to her. "What's on your mind right now?"

"If I let you in, will you promise to help me through this?" she whispered vulnerably.

He nodded his head and pulled her into a hug. His chin rested on the top of her head. "I promise. You don't have anything to fear anymore. I promise to protect you from now on. Nothing will hurt you again. Especially me." He kissed the top of her head.

Soft sobs were heard coming from Ashley and all he did to comfort her was rub her back and constantly kiss the top of her head. "I promise." he whispered.

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