You guys have been asking me for this, so here it is... A little something with Arabella and Massimo.

Arabella

I climbed into bed and snuggled close to Massimo.

"Tell me... is our son okay?" I asked.

"He will be," he replied. "He's hurting."

I nodded.

He dropped a kiss on the top of my head.

I sighed.

"It seems like every single one or our kids is destined to go through the wire before winning the one they love," Massimo jokes.

I chuckled. "I just wish it was something more... I don't know... normal? Does that make sense?" I asked. "I guess all I'm saying I wish it didn't have to always involved something so dangerous and violent. I just...  I try not to show it, but it scares me Mass."

Massimo scooted up the bed, bringing me with him.

"I know, sweetheart. Our family has gone through so much and we always overcome it. We raised our kids well and they've all got a good head on their shoulder," he pointed out. "It's normal to feel scared. You're their mother, but if there's anything that I've learned from you is that you gotta have faith. I trust Nate and his team. I trust our family."

"I do too."

He kissed me softly on my lips.

"What was that for?" I asked.

"Just that I love you," he said.

I smiled. "I love you too."

"You make me so happy, you know that right?"

I nodded.

"You're my whole life, Arabella."

"You're mine too."

"Thank you for loving me."

I frowned. I could see that he was close to tears and I wonder what brought this on. There is not a second of doubt in my mind that he loves me and that our family is everything to him. "Are you okay, Mass? What's going on with you?"

He shook his head. "I just... when Damien and I were talking, I told him to ask himself if he can live without Hallie in his life. I told him that if the answer is no, then he needs to hold onto her and never let go no matter how hard she tries to push him away. Then he asked me, what if she doesn't love him back and I told him not to give up. Not until she's found someone who she loves and loves her back. I told him that only then should he let her go. I just got to thinking about how much I wronged you in the past and how I could have easily lost you," he said, his voice breaking.

"Mass... that was a long time ago and there was no way I was leaving you or giving up so easily."

"I'm arrogant and an egotistical jerk. You can still leave me. What if one day you wake up and you..." I pressed my finger against his lips.

"Mass, there is no danger of that happening," I said, wiping the tears running down his face. "Hey, look at me," I coaxed. "I love you so much. I'm not going anywhere," I assured him.

I kissed me once again. "I love you so fucking much, baby.

I smiled. "Right back at you, EJ."

He kissed me passionately and showed me exactly just how much he loved me.

Hallie

"Are you sure about this?" My father asked Nate.

"The publicity surrounding Hallie's paternity will help us. Not only will she be in the public eye and have every media outlet watching her, it will take the element of surprise from Barnes. He's counting on her hiding and not wanting to be found. He thrives on this cat and mouse game. He thinks he's got the upper hand by forcing Hallie into hiding. He feeds off her fear. We take that away, we can lure him out. We control this situation. Not him. We're sending him a message," he said. "We're telling him that we're right here and we're not afraid, so come and fucking get us."

"You're taunting him. You're poking the bear," my father pointed out.

"That's exactly what we want. We want him to come," Dave interjected. "He doesn't know it, but we're fucking ready and waiting for him."

"When are we planning this party?" My father asked.

"How soon can you organize one?" Nate asked in return.

"Are you ready for all of this?" Alan asked.

"I'm ready for all of this to be over," I said.

My father squeezed my hand.

I smiled at him.

Later that night I sat on the bench in the garden. I still can't believe where I am and how everything is unfolding.  Next week will be the day I will be introduced as the daughter of a powerful magnate, Larry Winston and heir to the Winston empire.

I shivered. I'll never get used to the thought. And frankly I don't know how to be a part of this world.

This world... world that Damien grew up in.

Damien...

Just the thought of him makes my heart ache. I miss him so much. It's been over two weeks without him. I was fool to think that I would be over him in no time. The truth is, the longer I am away from him, the more I think of him and miss him. But I did the right thing. But why does doing the right thing hurt so much.

"My daughter looks deep in thought," my father said as he approached me. "May I?" He asked nodding to the space beside me.

I nodded.

"What's troubling you?" He asked. "Does it have anything to do with Damien?"

I looked at him.

"When he called and not but all threatened me to make sure I threatened you right and protect you with everything I am, I knew you meant something to him."

"I can't believe he threatened you," I said.

My dad chuckled. "I'm not. He is much like his father."

I smiled. Then I took a deep breath.

"Looking at you, I can see that the feeling is mutual. You care about him, as well."

"He took care of us. Protected us. Helped us."

"What you feel is more than gratitude."

I shrugged. "It doesn't matter."

"But it does, sweetheart. It does."

"My priority is keeping my kids safe. I can't think of anything else."

"You've been doing such a great job. Protecting them. Keeping them safe, there is nothing wrong with wanting happiness for yourself. With having someone protect and keep you safe too."

I shook my head. "He's. Distraction. A distraction that I can't afford. I need to stay focus. I can't let my guard down. I can't risk it. I won't."

"Love makes you stronger. It doesn't make you weak. Hallie, sweetheart, if you let love in, you'll discover strength like you never have."

"Have you ever been in love?" I asked.

He smiled. "Once. And like you, I fought it. I was about to take over from you grandfather and I didn't want to fail or disappoint him. But then the longer I stayed away from her, the more distracted I am thinking about her, what she's doing, and if she's out there going out with some other guy. I realized then that I was being stupid and that I can have her beside me, sharing my life with me, rather than punishing us both by staying apart for a stupid reason that just seemed so silly and absurd once I realized that I couldn't live my life without her," he said. "I was lucky enough that she forgave me and still loved me after hurting so badly."

"What happened? Where is she? I didn't know you were married," I said.

"I wasn't. I didn't get a chance to marry her. She died before I could. A car accident."

"I'm sorry," I said as tears pricked my eyes.

"It was my greatest heart break. She was meeting me the night of the accident. I was going to propose to her."

"Dad..." I whispered emotionally.

"Take it from me, sweetheart. Don't waste time. If you love him, tell him. Be with him. Don't wait for the right time, because in my experience, that time will never come unless you make it happen. Stop finding excuses to deprive yourself of the happiness you can have now. Trust me, Hallie," he said. "My biggest regret is wasting the time I could have spent with her. Loving her..." he said as tears escaped his eyes.

"I'm scared..." I admitted. "I don't want anything to happen to him. I would never forgive myself if anything were to happen to him."

"There are no guarantees in life, sweetheart. Marcus Barnes may not cause him harm, but who's to say he won't get hit by a car or get into an accident?" My dad pointed
out. "Honey, you can't leave your life fearing what could happen. Because what if you both live for years to come? What if you grow old together?" He added. "You have to live for today, sweetheart."

"I'm lived most of my life in fear, I just don't know how not to be scared."

He pulled me into his arms. "I'm sorry..."

I sobbed in his arms.

"I promise you, no harm will come to you or my grandkids."

Damien

"Are you going to the party?" Bella asked as she sat down.

I looked up at her from my desk and said, "No."

She frowned. "Why not?"

"I'm giving her space," I said.

She rolled her eyes. "You've given her enough space, don't you think?"

I glared at her.

"It's been a month, Dami."

"I'm well aware," I muttered.

"So? What are you gonna do about it?"

"Stay out of it, Izzy," I said calling her by my nickname for her.

"I'm not staying out of it, Dams," using her nickname for me when we were growing up. "You're not just my brother, you're my twin brother."

"And that means?"

"That means you and I are pretty much two peas in a pod. I get special privilege and I get to call you out on your shit and tell you when you're being a bonehead."

"Seriously? A bonehead?" Now it was my time to roll my eyes.

"Yes. Bonehead, you turd."

"Name calling. Real mature, Izzy."

"Whatever. All I'm saying is, I'm with the love of my life, because I didn't back down. Hell, god knows I should have walked away and never gave Alan a second look for all the things he put me through, but I knew in my heart and in my gut that he was it for me. I knew he was my one and only and I wasn't going to just quit or give up because he refused to acknowledge what's staring him right in the face. Nor was I giving him space to continue telling himself the reasons why he And I shouldn't be together," she explained. "And Damien, just in case  your slow on the uptake, that's what you're doing.... giving her space to continue convincing herself why you two shouldn't be together. Now, is that what you want?" She asked.

I frowned and thought about it. Fuck no. That's not what I want.

Fuck.

Shit.

But...

"But I'm respecting her wishes," I pointed out.

"Damien, she's only pushing you away, because scared out of her mind and what you should be doing is silencing those fears. You should damn well knock those fears out of this fucking world, instead of letting her continue to live in fear."

Shit.

Fuck.

Bella's right and I guess she saw it in my face, once I realized she was right, because not a second later, she smirked and said, "you're welcome."

I shook my head at her.

"So, are you going to the party?" She asked me again.

"Fuck yeah!"