Ceres Beau.

I was caught in the middle of a war zone, a silent, cold and deadly war between father and son, I could've never imagined Drake standing up to his father, and Rehal looking at his son as if he were worthless.

"Now is not the time for you to unpack your failures as a father Drake." Rehal hissed toward Drake who seemed unfazed by those words. "Same could be said for you father, haven't you meddled in my life enough times, haven't you destroyed my marriage already, what else do you want, so help me God father, stay out of my way because now isn't the time for me to open up your own box of secrets." Drake sneered back and I had to hand it to him, he was ballsy.

Not many people could stand up to a man like Rehal, there was something about him that just made you fear him, whether it was money or his natural intensity I would never know, but he hadn't perfected the art like Hugh had, or any of my brothers and cousins really, they were like the flames a moth was drawn to, you knew you would burn yet you flew straight at them still.

"I believe this conversation is for you two only." I muttered moving away from Rehal to Derek who waited for me. "No dear, you're family, after all in spite of everything you and Drake have children, that's a bond that can't be erased." Rehal protested, reminding me of what held me and Drake close, more than I actually liked.

"I don't think so, your family is a bit unwelcoming, last time I was here, I was pleading and weeping for you to talk to Drake so that we could reconcile, you had your guard grab me and throw me out." I chuckled lightly and yet my words shook both men. "The tree may forget but an axe does not." I mused facing Rehal.

"I am truly sorry for that incident and the ones that followed, I was only attending to Drake's wishes." He responded and it made Derek snort behind me at how easily he could scapegoat his own son. "Is that so?" I exclaimed nonchalantly.

"Don't you dare use me for your excuses father, I didn't even know Drake came to you, you kept me far from him, barred him away from me and threatened my children if I even so much as breathed his name." Drake angrily grabbed his father's collar and I smiled. "Get your hands off me boy!" Rehal ordered vehemently but Drake instead punched his father.

"Oh my goodness, did he just punch his father." Derek sassed behind me. "He legit just punched his father." I answered back. "Guurl.." We both crooned.

The two men were both separated from each other by the other guests. "I'm so tired of you trying to control me, manipulate me like I'm some chess piece, fire me, take everything from me I don't care, but I swear I am tired of watching you pretend that you love my mother when you're fucking your secretary again!" Drake yelled over the crowd and a silence washed over the whole house. "Oh my goodness." I stated in delightful surprise.

"This night just gets better." Derek shook in excitement and I tried hard not to giggle. "How dare you boy, I am your father and you accuse me of something so heinous!" Rehal shot back angrily, his guests struggling to hold him back. "Don't deny it father or I'll say something much worse." Drake warned lowly and it tamed his father instantly.

"Wait you're telling me there is something much worse than that." Derek mumbled in my ear. "Apparently so." I replied with a look that spoke of my amusement at the turnout of this situation. "You two need to stop right now." Jade, Drake's sister intervenes and the two listen.

"Everyone the appetizers are ready, please move into the dining hall." She further announces, I grab Derek's hand and we begin our slow walk where the others were going. "Ceres, a word." Dana, Drake's mother asks and I nod toward her. "When you get the opportunity, go, I'm probably going to be entertaining the spilled tea for a while." I tell Derek who nods just before Craig shows up by his side.

"Hey Mrs Will." I speak and the woman snickers. "I would rather you call me Dana, we're not family anymore but I need your advice." She asserts and I frown questioning what advice I could give her that was remotely sufficient to help her. "I don't think I can do that in any situation." I tell her and she chuckles.

"You may be right, but I definitely know you're wrong, you married my son at a young age, I expected you to fail abysmally at it but you strived through it all, my meddling, his father's meddling, gave us grandchildren, you were the perfect husband, back in the day, you would've been the ideal wife, who stood strong by her husband's side through everything." She sighs leading us through another hall which was brightly lit and the walls filled with beautiful artwork.

"You're much like me, yet tonight dear Ceres, reminded me of how much pain I've endured to be the perfect wife, perfect mother, yet only one of my children, has a modicum of respect for me and he isn't here, he saw the hypocrisy of this family and left, I am tired Ceres and it is with that in mind, I ask you if it is the right decision to walk away." Her words shocked me, I had never taken Dana as someone who could get tired or give up.

"Don't lie or skirt around the truth, I'm a growm woman, I can take it." She pressed further and I nodded. "Your husband is toxic, an ingrate and has no heart for anyone else than his ambition, look at what he's done, to you, your family, staying with him would only prolong the inevitable, he will hurt you." I tell her and she nodded with a heavy exasperated sigh. "I thought as much." She accepted.

"Thank you Ceres, for your honesty, it is your willingness to move on after what my son did to you that gives me courage, things will get better." She says and I simply nod. "Anytime Dana." I mumble before turning to leave but she caught my arm. "Drake dear, I need you to have this, I don't understand much of what is there but I know it has something to do with Rahel's plans for your company, you're building a future for your children and I'll be damned if let him get in the way of that." She stated with a hardened conviction.

I slightly squeezed the flash drive Dana had given me and put in an inner pocket where no one could find it. "Thank you for helping me." I tell her and she waves it off. "I should be the one thanking you, you deserve more than what Drake can give you Ceres, he's a broken man, and broken men can never make good husbands or fathers, all I ask is by the end of tonight, convince him to go for therapy and rebuild his life away from you, you're not obligated to do it, but its a favour from one mother to another." She concludes.

"I'll try." I say. "That's all I ask." She accepts with a slow nod.

Dana and I find ourselves back in the large dining room, Rehal was at the head of the table, Drake next to him opposite Jade and at the other end Dana sat. "I'm so glad you could join us, all of you, it is a special night, my son wanted to propose yet again to the love of his life." My head snapped forward toward Rehal when he said his announcement. "What?" Those words didn't come from Derek or myself, they came from Craig, Forester and Drake himself.

"Father what the hell, you don't just spring that up on someone, a little tact at least, did Drake hit you that hard." Jade chided but everyone heard it. "I'm so sorry, I think my father is just a bit overexcited." Drake apologized and everyone settled down to fake the fact that they were eating and the hall wasn't tense at all. Suddenly wine spilled on Derek's leg. "Oh my goodness, I need the bathroom." He urgently got up.

"I'll take you." Craig offers immediately. "No its fine, I ask the maid." He waved him off and I faced Drake but said nothing as everyone continued eating. I peeked at my phone feeling it vibrate, it was Derek telling me the plan had gone smoothly, shortly afterwards he came back and sat down next to me.

My phone rang just on time, I knew it was Klein, Harry and Lola wanting to know when I'd be back. "Excuse me, my kids." I emphasized on it seeing Rehals and Drake's reactions were priceless.  "Uncle Ceres Klein ordered too much pizza again." That was Harry. "You said you couldn't choose which flavour you wanted, I got all of them." That would be Klein. "Daddy pizza!" That would be Lola, the glee in her voice over one of her favourite foods was unmistakable.

"Okay, okay my babies, don't bicker or start another war." I chuckled into the phone. "I'll be back soon, and please don't eat too much pizza okay." I say cutting off the bickering. "Okay!" A chorus of acceptance replied me.

"Harry, Klein are your clothes in the hamper and is Lola's room clear of toys?" I asked knowing they were back home creating chaos. "Yes dad." The response was disgruntled and lazy. "Lolita, daddy misses you, he misses all of you." I mutter into my phone, I truly did miss my children, they were my world after all.

"Miss you too daddy." Lola and her brothers all reply and I couldn't wait to go back home. "I'll be back soon okay, I love you." I tell them and a chorus of I love yous comes back before I cut the call. "They sound happy." He suddenly asserts. "Sweet good Lord, Drake what the hell." I hiss holding onto my chest.

"Sorry I didn't mean to scare you." He apologized. "You never mean a lot of things." I replied without a hint of emotion which threw him off. "I messed up, I shouldn't have called you yesterday, and all the shit I put you through, I don't know how to fix it, and all I can do is beg for your forgiveness and hope that you do forgive me." He exclaimed and I found his apology and his tears amusing.

"I cried for a long time, begged you to come back to me, begged your family to talk to you, make you see reason but they ignored me and so did you, Drake I want nothing to do with you, my kids are better off without you and don't you think I know you don't care half as much as you potray for my kids, you feel the deep neglect and void of me not being there to make your life seem worth it, —wanting to be with the kids is an excuse for you and it disgusts me." I spat my words at him, jabbing my fingers into his chest.

"It's not like that." He argued angrily. "Then what is it?" I questioned.

"Your little twink not satisfactory anymore, miss me being there by your side constantly reassuring your broken ego and moral compass, what is it huh." I asserted and he was silent. "Exactly Drake, you're a broken useless man, a puppet to his father, you don't have a passion of your own, no direction, you're like a leaf blowing in the wind without a destination and I won't entertain you any longer, do me and my family a favour, stay far, very far away from us." I conclude but he grabs my arm and pins to the wall.

"I love you, believe me." He pleaded, with a kiss that felt repulsive, I recoiled when his lips were on mine, I felt violated in a way, so I kneed his balls and punched him causing him to groan and fall to his knees. "Dammit." He hissed. "Never touch me again!" I spoke kicking him over and over again until Derek rushed in and held me back.

"Get help Drake, do that for everyone but especially for yourself." I spat before allowing Derek to lead me away. "And you mister Will, stay very far away from me." I warned, with Derek leading us out, the Ferrari already waiting for us and he sped off back home.

Something About
HOME

longest chapter I have ever written in this book, I sort of wanted it to be our last scene of Drake for a while till the end of the book.

Saint Jay.