“Why would you even do that?” Lucy was confused by June’s actions. “You are not even with Liam!”
“Says who?” June walked into her home office with Lucy behind her. “Who says I’m not getting together with him?”
Lucy couldn’t believe her ears. “I know that Mr Ambrose was wrong. He shouldn’t have hidden the truth from you or gotten into that situation with Clarence. But I promise, if you take a critical look at it, he didn’t mean you harm.”
After June’s display, Rafael left the house and everyone dispersed. It was clear June wasn’t in the right head space to be reasoned with. However, Evelyn remained and spoke to her daughter.
After a good thirty-minute talk, June was up to date on the happenings with Rafael while she was gone. She finally understood her family but her stance remained the same.
“I want a man that can trust me with anything. Not a man that would kick me aside at the slightest road bump.” June declared. “I don’t want to speak about this anymore, so drop it.”
Lucy heaved a deep breath and decided to pick up things later. “What are we going to do about his mother?” She asked afterwards, and June sighed.
She had been thinking the exact thing. Clarence’s words were stuck on repeat. She knew she needed to speak to Rafael before taking legal measures on his mother but she sufficiently burnt the opportunity to do that earlier.
“The detective will handle that aspect of things,” June said and it sounded all shades of wrong, even to her ears. “I just need to find where April is hiding and move forward.” She explained afterwards.
Lucy shared a look with June and updated her on the latest happenings before leaving for work. Meanwhile, Liam was out on a rampage. He had received word from his spies on the latest sighting of his brother.
Liam visited every hideout that supposedly housed his traitorous brother on the side and left no stone unturned. However, it seemed like Arnold was always a step ahead. It frustrated Liam and he hardly returned to June’s house in his quest to tie up his loose ends.
Rafael returned to his mother’s house from June’s home. He had received news of June’s visit to the prison as well as Clarence’s threats. He refused to believe that his mother would do anything crazy so he took it upon himself to find out the truth.
“Rafael…” Mrs Beatrice was shocked when she saw her son pull up into the compound. “How are you doing?”
“What did you do?” He asked, staring her right in the face,
Beatrice was stunned. “I don’t understand.”
“Clarence has something on you.” He pointed out. “I need to know what it is.”
Beatrice feigned ignorance. “I don’t understand you. Isn’t that girl in prison?”
“You haven’t answered my question, Mother.”
Just before she could speak, the police sirens were heard. The compound was filled with police vans. Beatrice lost her confidence, “I did nothing! It was that wench, April.”
“She threatened to destroy your name on the media. She wanted to tell the world that you raped and got someone pregnant. I couldn’t allow it!”
Rafael felt a headache coming. “What did you do? What did she ask you to do?”
“She said I should establish a company for her and give her some money,” Beatrice stood up. “I did that and she still wanted to rip me off.”
Rafael remained silent.
“That night, she asked me to kill Colton. She wanted to get him out of the way and threatened me to do it, Rafe.”
“Did you?” Rafael asked with a shaky voice. “Did you do it, mother?!”
“I didn’t! I wanted to! I called the man for the job but he was already dead when they got there!” She said with her hands up.
Rafael didn’t believe her. “He was already dead? Is this a joke or are you trying to get on my nerves? You hired killers on someone and you say he was already dead?”
“I promise you, son! It’s not what it looks like! I didn’t do it.” She said. “The men called me that night and told me how they found him dead in his hotel room.”
“I ordered them to take him to a spot he frequents and plant some things of April around him. I needed her to get off my neck so I framed her for it.”
“That’s all I did! I promise!” Beatrice said with fear as she watched the police enter with a leading detective. “Please don’t let them take me away.”
The men entered the house with a warrant. “Mrs Beatrice Ambrose! You have been summoned to the station for questioning.” One of the men said with a respectful outlook.
Everyone knew the Ambrose Family Matriarch. She was a force to be reckoned with. However, with the evidence received against her, she couldn’t do anything but follow them and hope that her son would clear the air in time.
Rafael stood on the sides as they read his mother’s rights and took her away. It was a painful situation as his son, Luis stepped out of his room at the ruckus and watched the entire scene unfold.
“Pack his bags,” Rafael ordered one of the housekeepers. “He leaves with me.”
“No.” Luis voiced his disapproval.
“Pack his bags!” Rafael’s tone left little room for refusal.
The young boy wore a grotesque look as they brought his things down and he was forced into the car by his father. During the ride, Luis spoke up. “Is she going to prison?”
“I don’t know.” He said, and for the first time, he meant it.
Rafael knew his mother was innocent. He believed she didn’t kill the young man but that didn’t excuse the fact she would have killed him. His mother was so obsessed with the family name that she did things beyond his imagination.
Luis didn’t respond to that. He could sense his father’s inner turmoil and as much as it hurt him, he knew there was nothing he could do. He couldn’t even ask about his auntie which was promised to him.
Everything seemed to be falling apart.
Rafael returned to his home with his son. They had lunch and retired to their rooms. It was the holidays, which meant Luis had a lot of time on his hands. Rafael returned to his home office as he tried to get to the root of things.
Meanwhile, June was seated in her room when she was texted of Beatrice’s arrest. She heaved a deep sigh, refusing to feel bad. If Beatrice had a hand in the death of someone, whoever it was, she should pay for her crimes.
Her mother stepped into her office as soon as she dropped her phone. “Do you have some time?” She asked with a calm tone.
“Please sit down.” June knew her mother was worried after their earlier scuffle. She was upset to know that her mother allowed Rafael anywhere near the house but she was also happy to note that her mother always had her interest in heart.
Evelyn made that clear when she stated how she would never force her to do anything she didn’t want to. It was a tough moment between them but things were less heightened now.
“Tomorrow is your father’s death anniversary.” Mrs Evelyn spoke with a solemn look on her face.
“What?”
“Your birth father.” She explained. “I was wondering if I could do something in honour of him.”
June swallowed, having not expected such from her mother. “O-Of Course! You can tell me the time and place. I will be there.”
Evelyn felt relieved. “I was hoping we could visit the old house.” She sighed. “I know that the house has been sold but I want to visit the old mansion. We could ask the owners to let us in or camp outside for some time.”
“You see, that was the home I married your father in. His spirit would visit that house for the death anniversary. I just want to be closer to him.”
June perfectly understood her mother’s demands, but she needed to make sure. “I know that the old Rivera House hold a lot of good memories with my late father, but we cannot ignore the fact that it also holds some of the terrible memories of your life.”
“You might get in there and have an attack. I can’t risk that.”
Mrs Evelyn shook her head. “I thought of that too. It’s been a long time since I visited the house but I believe I am strong enough to face anything. I won’t be alone.” She stared at her daughter and they interlocked hands on the table. “I am not alone.”
June was proud of her mother’s journey so far. They agreed to visit the house the next day. Knowing the security risks around her, June met up with Liam when he returned at night.
“I will need some men to follow me out tomorrow.” Liam stared at her from his bed. She stood at the tiny opening of his door.
“Come in, Little Rivera. Don’t let me stop you.” He said when she lingered at the door. June rolled her eyes and walked in. “Good. Where is my fiance going tomorrow?”
June did a double take. “F-Fiance?”
“Don’t tell me you forgot already.” Liam stood up from his bed, revealing his bare chest. “You said it yourself. You belong to me. You even sealed the deal with a kiss. No?”