She stepped into the sitting room with its newly upholstered chairs and draperies. The homie setting left a bitter taste in her mouth. This place never felt like home for her.

She followed her father in and stopped long enough to take in the photos of her mother near the mantle. She wondered then, who really posed for those portraits?

The space of the sitting room suddenly felt small when everyone entered. The silence that followed was deafening until one of the servants entered.

"Admiral there are carriages..." Sophie paused entering the sitting room and stumbled back some surprise.

Her eyes widened and the color from her face slowly drained as she looked at Tempest then at Justin.

"Mistress!" Her voice shook.

Justin pinned her with a cold observant gaze. He recognized her.

"Lass, don't just stand there. Get us something to drink, " the Coronal broke the silence stepping forward and rushing her out of the room.

Some time had passed before the Admiral finally spoke up and looked at Tempest.

He reached for her and pulled her close to stand before him.

"Tell me what all of this is about." He urged glancing up at the two guards flanked by the magistrate.

"Why is my grandson not with you?" The admiral added.

Tempest turned to look at Justin then faced her father with a

"Please, Papa, " she began but stopped as a familiar voice floated from the hall.

"My love, do we have guests? There are...carriages, " Her mother, or better yet. Her aunt. Paused to a stop in shock before them all accompanied by Haines at her side.

Everyone in the room turned to face them.

"My love, " her father beamed stepping forward to stand before her aunt.

He gently approached her and pulled her towards Tempest.

Stiffly, Lucinda followed.

Cool unforgiving aquamarine eyes met hers as she was pulled by the Admiral to stand before Tempest.

"What are you standing there for Lieutenant? come greet your wife, " The Admiral said.

An eerie silence fell over them as Justin's dark gaze landed on him and followed him as he slowly made his way towards Tempest.

She faced him as he slowly approached her. A mixture of anger and apprehension was evident in his eyes as he looked across the room at Justin then turned to settle his eyes on her.

She felt disgusted the moment he awkwardly pulled her close and hugged her. Repulsion and hate coiled through her as his lips brushed the side of her temple.

"Wife, " he murmured darkly near her ear.

His hold on her was unbearable.

"I see you are well, " he added leaning back and caressing her cheek then slowly looked over at Justin with a menacing smile.

She abruptly pulled away from him. Her father frowned at the little display of disdain from Tempest to the Lieutenant.

"Papa, " Tempest began again. She ignored Haines at her side to face her father.

"There is something you should know," She whispered softly and held his hand.

Impatiently, he waited for her to continue.

"Darling, why don't I get these fine guests some refreshments, " Lucinda interrupted.

Nervously, she smiled and jerkily began to step away.

"You are not going anywhere, " Justin said immediately.

The Admiral's face darkened but as soon as he was about to say something else, Tempest stopped him.

"She is not my mother, Papa," Tempest said abruptly. Brooking no time for another interruption.

He frowned looking down at her. An eerie silence followed.

"Tempest-" he began angrily.

"She is telling you the truth, " Justin said. His blue, sharp, and cold eyes left the astonished look of the Admiral to land on Lucinda.

She squared her shoulders and defiantly lifted her chin standing her ground. All in the sitting room grew silent. A tense silence fell among the guards and the magistrate, a heightened sense of expectation leaping from one guard to the next.

The Admiral's eyes filled with confusion and disbelief, brushed over everyone before settling on his wife.

"What is she talking about, Charlotte, ?" he asked.

She did not answer him as she haughtily looked over them all until she stopped on Tempest. Her face grew hot as she stood in place, unable to move as Tempest spoke of all her evil deeds to her father.

After some time of listening to his daughter,

The Admiral was stricken with sadness and hurt, learning that he had been lied to all of these years.

That the woman he had been married to, in fact, was not his real wife.

Charlotte died and her sister took her place. Tempest went on to explain how Lucinda used her mother's name to marry an Earl for his fortune. He was Justin's father.

For a while the Admiral just stood there, numb now, shock taking over his system. It was all too much. The final breaking point was her truth.

She never wanted to marry Haines. She was forced to, to protect her child she endured his threats and abuse.

And...that her child did not belong to Haines. It was Justin's.

"She took my baby, Papa." She cried.

Her father witnessed her pain, slowly reached for her hand. He pulled her close, looking wary but determined to get answers.

"Did she really do these things?" He asked.

She replied and his heart sank.

"And Haines, did he... ..hurt you?" He asked hoarsely.

Tempest's eyes filled with tears before nodding with shame.

Finally, when it felt like the entire room might crack under the extreme tension, he glanced over at Justin.

He admired the way the pirate stood his ground and met his eyes.

He had been a faithful fool all along thinking that Charlotte just loved their daughter differently. But she wasn't even Charlotte.

He let go all of a sudden, his rage and anger sprung free seeing only red as he stood and lunged for Lucinda. "Where is my grandson?" He demanded, wrapping his fingers around her throat as she had paled considerably now.

It took the two guards and Bellamy to pull him off of her.

Suddenly the guards had a hold of her as Bellamy pulled the distraught Admiral to a nearby chair.

Her sudden wild-eyed venomous look rested on Tempest as she struggled to get free.

"I should have killed you when I had the chance, " she yelled at Tempest.

She recoiled from her aunt's hateful words.

"That bitch of your mother was a hindrance I couldn't wait to get rid of," She sneered.

A sob ripped from Tempest's throat with such a confession.

"You should have seen her face when the last bit of her pathetic life drained from her eyes at my hands." She chuckled madly.

Unable to resist any longer, Tempest crossed the room to confront the madwoman. And a slap echoed in the silence.

"You! Bitch! " Tempest screamed.

Justin made his way to her and wrapped his arm around her waist as she reached for a handful of Lucinda's hair. The guards struggled to pull Lucinda out of her clutches as Justin tried to as well.

"Where is my son?" She cried out as she fought in Justin's hold.

"You will never see that bastard child ever again, " Lucinda fought wildly in the guard's hold.

Tempest cried out in Justin's arms as Lucinda cackled with malicious laughter.

"Take her away, " the Admiral yelled the order.

"And don't forget him, " he hissed pointing to Haines.

In all the commotion and chaos of a screaming crazed Lucinda, they were caught by surprise when Haines reached for Tempest and pulled her before him.

Everyone went on edge as he drew his dagger forward and pressed it to her throat.

Justin approached him slowly like a lion zeroing in on his prey.

Justin's hands curled into fists as he watched Tempest turn pale in Haines's arms.

"Let her go, " he demanded.

The lieutenant tightened his grip on her and backed up slowly.

"I am not some vile pirate dog like you to be taken away, " he sneered.

Panic, hot-white and blinding, raced through him as he watched Haines step further away with her.

His heart gave a wrenching lurch as she muffled a sob filled with fear as the blade dug deeper into her skin.

"Hurt her, and I will kill you, " he warned Haines.

"Step any closer, pirate and she bleeds out before you get the chance, " Haines replied.

The Admiral let out an anguished oath as he watched his daughter struggle to get free. He felt helpless to save her.

Haines inched further towards the entrance to the sitting room with none the wiser to who stood waiting in the hall.

Justin inched slowly following him with his heart racing in horror, fearful that the lieutenant will make it through the door with Tempest.

He would die if anything were to happen to her.

It wasn't until Haines made it an inch into the threshold of the doorway, that Justin watched in awe as a ceramic flower vase rose above his head and slammed down with force.

He let go of Tempest abruptly as he collapsed to the floor in an unconscious heap.

Sophie, the maid, squeaked and stumbled back with shock from what she had done.

Tempest ran to Justin. He hauled her up into his arms, his entire body shaking with emotion as they embraced.

"Are you alright?" He asked hoarsely, his eyes washing over her face as if he were afraid that she would disappear.

She nodded.

He held her tight against his chest as his eyes rose to Sophie, still standing there, pale as a sheet.

"Thank you, " he choked squeezing Tempest tighter to him.

By then, the guards had taken Haines and Lucinda away. Sophie slowly approached them with tear-filled eyes. She drew in a deep breath of relief. Severely shaken with the days' events she looked at Justin and Tempest, then at everyone else in the room.

"Mistress?"

Tempest turned in Justin's arms and looked over to her with red-rimmed eyes.

"I know who has your son."