Mrs. McAlister stood by the front door welcoming guests who had come to attend her Thanksgiving dinner into her lovely decorated home. It was no surprise that she invited quite a number. The decorations set an exciting ambience for a promising Thanksgiving dinner. Wreaths of beautiful fall flowers and hay stalks truly represented the spirit of Thanksgiving. And not forgetting little turkey figurines that covered the tables and stairs.
The guests were led into the huge ballroom where they were to have their dinner. One long table was placed in front of the room, facing the round tables neatly arranged in the room. The tables were covered with white cloths and a runner of greenery, candles, and beautiful fall flower arrangements. The room looked grand, as though it were some sort of decorative dinner party. Everyone couldn’t help but admire the place and made word of how Mrs. McAlister had excellent skills in decorating.
Mrs. McAlister was joined by Mrs. McDonell, who also helped in receiving the guests. Mrs. McDonell wore a red velvet midi shirtdress, while Mrs. McAlister wore a white long-sleeved dress with matching gold and pearl necklaces and earrings. The McDonells had arrived at the mansion hours before the expected time. The rest of them were already in the hall, catching up with close friends. As for the two Barclay sisters, Carly remained in the hall as she caught the attention of so many young and older women who recognized her as the woman who stole Leo’s heart. She was treated more like a celebrity as she wore a stunning brown sweater dress with black knee-high boots. She tied her black hair into a ponytail, showing off her lovely gold ear hoops. She looked stunning, and the women around her couldn’t help but compliment her beauty and how Leo was lucky to have her.
As for the other Barclay sister, she was upstairs in Zac’s room, as he had been trying to find something nice to wear for the evening. The two had been there for over an hour.
“Remind me why Felicity isn’t here,” said Angel as she looked through Zac’s closet, where he hung his shirts. The closet was almost half the size of a normal room. Angel didn’t want to guess how big Mrs. McAlister’s was.
Zac sighed as he was going through his pants. “She isn’t going to make it in time, and you’re the only one who can help me.”
“You have a very stylish mother. You should have asked her.”
“She suggested all white, but all I really want is to be comfortable with myself. I now wish we weren’t having this dinner.”
“Next time you might want to suggest telling her that.” Angel peeked behind her at Zac.
“May I remind you that the woman barely ever listens to my father? What makes you think she’ll listen to me?”
Angel picked a brown shirt and went over to the shelf nearby where there were white folded t-shirts. She picked a short-sleeved one. “You’re her son. Throw a tantrum and she’ll listen,” she said.
Zac looked at her. “I’m not a three-year-old.”
“You’re her only son. Try to make up some excuse, and she might just consider it.” Angel walked over to him to take a look at the pants. She picked brown pants that were darker than the shirt. “Here, this is another outfit that might be good on you.”
“We’ve been trying out outfits, and I don’t seem to like them. What if this one doesn’t work?”
Angel rolled her eyes. “This is why Felicity was needed here. Just try it. We still have more time before dinner starts. Hopefully, Felicity will arrive. If she finds me in here alone with you, she’ll think otherwise.”
“I wouldn’t worry about Felicity thinking like that. She does admire other guys in front of me, so why can’t I admire you while we search for what to wear?” Zac raised his eyebrows.
Angel shoved his clothes to his chest. “This will work just fine,” she said, her tone serious. “If you need me, I’ll be downstairs.” Angel started to make her way out of the closet.
“But Angel, what if I don’t like it?” Zac asked as he watched her go.
“Oh, you will.” Angel held the doors to his closet. “That I am, rest assured.”
“Angel, wait.” Zac came towards the doors and held them to stop Angel from closing them.
“What?” Angel asked, her eyes wide, looking at him.
“You look really beautiful this evening, honestly. And I was joking about what I said earlier.”
Angel smiled. “Thanks. And you’ll look nice in what I have picked for you. You’ll find me downstairs.”
Angel closed the door to the closet. As she turned around to head for the door, she couldn’t help but sigh. Zac can be a lot to handle sometimes, she concluded. Before she headed for the door, she noticed herself in the full-length mirror close to Zac’s king-sized bed with many clothes he had rejected piled there. Angel wore a long, white, sleeveless V-neck dress. She wore a fancy brown belt round her waist, and she wore white high-heeled shoes with brown and white flowers. She tied her hair up into a ponytail, just like her sister. She tied her hair with a ribbon with white and brown flowers, and two thick strands of her hair fell in front of her face. She didn’t want to look too fancy for this dinner, but there was no denying that she looked elegant.
She made her way out of the room, and the soft music playing and the chatter of the noise grew louder as she made her way to the stairs. When she got there, she looked down at the foyer as many guests continued to pour in. It didn’t surprise Angel the number of guests she had seen so far. She started to make her way down the stairs. There was no denying that she had caught a few people’s attention, including one who had just walked in through the door.
Mrs. McAlister and Mrs. McDonell were talking to a couple who had just arrived, so they didn’t see Leo walk past them. As soon as he stepped into the foyer, he looked up at the stairs, and there she was. Angel was no longer paying attention to the front door, as she had to pay attention to walking down the stairs. Leo couldn’t help but notice how elegantly she looked. After not seeing her for a week, his heartbeat started to quicken. There was no denying that he was yearning for something. Was it to talk to her? Or was it for her to look at him?
After the couple in front of Mrs. McAlister had passed, it was then that she noticed Leo already in the foyer, standing there. She couldn’t help but express her excitement.
“Leo! Oh, my handsome boy, it’s so good to see you,” said Mrs. McAlister as she went over to hug him.
Angel stopped walking down the stairs, and Mrs. McDonell froze upon hearing Leo’s name. Not to mention that all the attention from the people present turned to Leo.
“It’s good to see you too, Mrs. McAlister,” said Leo as he smiled at her.
Angel held the decorated banister as she looked down at Leo in a black shirt and brown pants. Her heart skipped a beat upon seeing how he smiled at Mrs. McAlister. Angel hadn’t seen him for almost a week, but it felt like she hadn’t seen him in a long time. She noticed Mrs. McDonell, who stood looking at Leo like he was a ghost. Angel gathered herself and continued her way down the stairs.
Mrs. McDonell broke away from the spell as she made her way to Leo. “Leo, how are you?” she greeted. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“I’m good, Mum,” he said. And the two of them hugged. They didn’t have much of a choice, considering that all eyes were watching. Mrs. McDonell didn’t care as a smile played across her face. She had missed him greatly.
As Angel reached the bottom of the stairs, she wondered whether she should say hi to Leo or pretend that he hadn’t seen her and go straight into the ballroom. She turned to see Leo hugging his mother. After they hugged, the two of them talked a bit until Mrs. McAlister chirped in.
In the end, Angel thought it best to just go in the ballroom. Before she could make her way there, Carly walked out and went straight for Angel upon seeing her.
“Hey, is Leo here?” Carly asked.
“He’s just arrived,” said Angel as she jerked her head towards the front door. A huge smile played across Carly’s face the moment she saw Leo. She started to make her way over to him.
Leo noticed Carly approach him, and a huge smile came across his face. Mrs. McAlister noticed that his attention was elsewhere, and when she saw Carly, she couldn’t help but giggle. Mrs. McDonell did her very best not to stop smiling as Carly finally reached Leo and the two of them hugged. She thought she was going to puke.
Mrs. McAlister couldn’t help but compliment how gorgeous the two of them were together. Leo and Carly couldn’t help but smile happily at her as they both held hands. Angel took that as her cue to leave. She would eventually meet him in the hall, as she, Eric, Carly, and Leo were to share a table with a few other people. She felt that now wasn’t the time to meet him.
When Angel walked into the hall, she went over to Amanda’s table. She was chatting with her usual clique, and she told them of Leo’s arrival. As much as Amanda was happy to hear it, she did her best not to sound unsupportive over his relationship with Carly and Leo as she was talking about it with her friends. She would be the odd one out if she were to express her views that were contrary to theirs.
Angel walked around the hall and found Eric by the bar talking to a few friends over a drink. She noticed how Eric’s friends couldn’t stop looking at her like hungry wolves as she approached. She felt a little uncomfortable. Eric, sensing the situation, excused himself and took Angel aside.
“Sorry about that,” he said as they walked away from the bar with Angel. “I assure you that they won’t try to do anything funny with you.”
“It’s fine,” said Angel as she shook her head. “I came to tell you that Leo is here. He’s in the foyer with your aunt, Mrs. McAlister, and Carly.”
“Oh, that’s great. I should be asking if you’re okay with all this, though.”
“With Leo being here? Yeah, I’m good.” Angel cleared her throat.
“Have you greeted him yet?” Eric raised an eyebrow.
Angel sighed, as she knew she couldn’t lie to him. “No. There were too many people there.”
Eric continued to study Angel. “You know it’s okay to tell me that all of this is making you feel uncomfortable. I mean, everywhere you go in this room, there’s not one single talk of Leo and Carly. If you ask me, it’s getting pretty annoying.”
Angel chuckled. “What do you expect? They make a very good couple.”
“Let’s not try and change the subject. I’m not going to ignore the fact there’s tension once again between the two of you. And the last conversation the two of you had almost turned into a fight.”
“Yeah, but I ended it before it got too heated.” Angel folded her arms.
“I know it’s a lot to ask, but can the two of you work something out? I mean, the damage has already been done. The whole world knows about them. If you really are supportive of their relationship, you should’ve resolved things with him by now.”
“Are you clearly saying that I should be the one to apologize?” Angel now raised her eyebrow at him.
“Well… isn’t it logical? I mean, you’re the one who barged into his office like you didn’t want them to move forward with their plan. If anything, Leo thinks you don’t want the two of them to be together.”
Angel sighed as she closed her eyes. If only they knew, she thought. She opened her eyes to look at Eric. “I only want what’s best for them. Eric,” she said.
“Yeah, but it’s their relationship. We have no say in it. Or is there something I should know about?”
Before Angel could say anything, the huge doors to the hall flew wide open. Mrs. McAlister walked in first before making a grand announcement of the newest couple in town. Carly and Leo stepped in together, elbows interlocked and smiling at the crowd before them. The whole room applauded for them. Mrs. McDonell, who had followed in behind them along with some other guests, also clapped, with a smile on her face. Zac followed in behind her, also clapping as he now wore the clothes Angel had told him to wear. Amanda and her friends at the table clapped, and so did Eric and Angel.
“They have made quite an entry, huh?” Eric asked.
“Yes, they have,” Angel replied. She put a smile on her face, but it disappeared as soon as it came.
Mrs. McAlister soon announced that their Thanksgiving dinner may now begin. Everyone was to settle in their seats, as there were a few welcoming remarks that Mr. McAlister would like to say. As all the guests started to make their way to their designated seats, Angel and Eric walked to theirs.
“Now, Angel,” said Eric as they reached their table and took their seats. “I want you to play nice, okay?”
“Will staying quiet suffice?” Angel asked.
“Funny.” Eric smiled sarcastically. “Maybe a little bit of small talk will do.”
Leo and Carly were making their way to the table. Angel saw them, and for a moment, her heart skipped a beat as she looked at Leo. She thought of looking away quickly, pretending not to have seen him, but Leo’s eyes soon met hers as he turned away from Carly. Angel suddenly felt short of breath as she felt Leo coming to sit at her table was a bad idea. But there was no running away from it now, for the beloved couple soon reached the table. Angel had no choice but to put up an awkward smile.
“Hi, Leo,” Eric greeted as he stood from his seat and went round to give Leo a hug.
“Hi, Eric. How are you doing?” Leo asked.
“Great. You two walked in here like a couple from a movie or something.”
“You know, Mrs. McAlister,” said Carly. “Dramatic as ever.”
Eric turned to look at Angel, who looked at him with a raised eyebrow. He was telling her to say hi to Leo with his eyes. As much as she didn’t want to, Angel sucked in a breath to say hi.
“Hi, Leo,” said Angel.
“Hi, Angel,” said Leo. “I thought I saw you earlier by the stairs.”
“Yeah, I was helping Zac with something. When Mrs. McAlister announced your arrival, I would have come to say hi, but there were a lot of people there, and I thought of coming here to tell Carly and the others.”
“I see.”
There came an awkward silence, but Eric told Leo to sit and asked him how his leave from work was going. Leo said it was going fine so far. Eric went back to sit next to Angel. Carly sat on Angel’s other side, and Leo sat next to Carly.
After the whole room had settled down in the ballroom, Mr. McAlister, who was at the long table on one side of the room where he sat with his immediate family, stood and raised a glass. He hit it gently with a spoon to gather everyone’s attention to him. He welcomed everyone and was happy to have them. After a short speech on the importance of Thanksgiving and why it was important to celebrate it with friends and families. He later told them to enjoy the dinner and expect some entertainment and fun for the night.
***
“This is a bad idea, boss,” said Carlos.
Red Lion sat beside him in the passenger seat. He turned to look at Carlos. “I’ll be quick about it, don’t worry,” said Red Lion. “No one will even know I was there, aside from Leo, of course, and maybe Carly.”
“You should have just sent me in there. You don’t need to show yourself.”
“No, I was serious when I told Carly to end things with Leo. Now, she leaves me no choice.” Red Lion pulled out his gun and checked it. He made sure to carefully place it behind his belt.
“But don’t you think there are other ways to have done this? What if Chang and Mr. Walters were right and we could use Leo to our advantage?”
“As far as I can tell, their plan is useless. I’m not leaving things to chance. If it means breaking them up by force, I will.”
Carlos sighed. Red Lion can be stubborn at times, and when he has made up his mind, it is difficult to change it. “I sure do hope you know what you’re doing. I have a bad feeling about this.”
“This is why I intend to do this alone. I’ll be back.”
Red Lion opened the door and got out of the car. After closing the door behind him, he straightened out his midnight blue jacket and started to make his way up the little hill towards the McAlister’s mansion.
***
During dinner, Angel was doing her level best to smile and contribute to the conversation that went round the table. Apparently, Zac came to join them after realizing he would rather sit with Angel and the others than with his family members. Sadly, Felicity had to call and cancel, saying that she wasn’t going to attend the dinner. It didn’t stop Zac from having a good time, as he was the main entertainment at their table alongside Eric. A few times, people would turn heads and wonder what was going on there when they laughed or talked too loudly. As much as it was fun at first, Angel couldn’t help but shake her head in embarrassment. Leo, even though he tried to hide it, also felt the same.
After dinner, music was played, and everyone got to the dance floor to dance as a jazz music band played on a small podium for the audience. Those who felt the need to dance and enjoy themselves went over to the dance floor. Others, as usual, went over to the bar or outside the ballroom for private discussions. Leo had gone over to his grandmother at her table to have a quick word with her. Carly remained at the table with Eric and Angel. Soon enough, Eric asked Angel to join him for a dance.
“I’m not in the mood to dance today,” said Angel as she pouted her lip. She was looking at her phone.
“Oh, no, you aren’t going to refuse me now, are you?” Eric asked. “Come on, let’s go.” Eric took Angel’s phone and set it on the table, telling Carly to watch over it.
He took Angel by the hand and took her gently with him, off of her chair and onto the dance floor. Carly couldn’t help but smile at the two as she watched them. She turned towards the table Leo was at with his grandmother and wished that she could also go on to the dance floor with him.
“People can’t stop talking about you two,” said Amanda as she looked at Carly from across the room, whose attention had now turned towards the dance floor.
“Let them talk, Grandma,” said Leo. “You know I care less about that. Don’t forget, that’s how it was when I was with Kim.”
“Well, the McDonell name does carry a lot of weight in society.” Amanda sadly smiled at Leo as he held his hand. “Tell me the truth, Leo. I want total honesty on your part.”
Leo looked on eagerly at Amanda, waiting for her to ask her question.
“Are you really happy with Carly?” Amanda asked.
“Yes, I am,” said Leo as he smiled. “Why are you asking me this? Don’t you like Carly?”
“Of course, I do. I was just making sure that you are happy as you say you are.”
Leo raised an eyebrow at his grandmother. “Why do I feel there’s more to what you’re currently telling me?”
Amanda sighed. “Carly is wonderful, Leo. I’m not saying you made a bad choice here. I’m just hoping that the two of you have really gotten to know each other at a deeper level. The time you two have dated—even behind our backs—is enough to know someone, especially when they are angry or when they show their vulnerable side to you… all those little things. They may seem small now, but they’re really important.”
“I get you, Grandma.” Leo held his grandmother’s hand tightly. “I can assure you that I am.”
Amanda smiled, and she soon lifted her eyes to look at the people on the dance floor. Leo followed her eyes, and immediately his eyes landed on Eric and Angel dancing to the jazz music being played. Eric twirled Angel around, and Angel couldn’t help but giggle and laugh. She was really having fun. All of a sudden, Leo felt a little uncomfortable in his chest. For a moment, he felt like he couldn’t breathe. What was it? He quickly looked away when he realized that his grandmother was actually studying him.
“What is it?” Leo asked.
“Oh, nothing,” she answered with a smile. “I got the answers that I needed. What I can advise you, Leo, is to take your time.”
“Take my time with what?”
“To know what your heart truly wants.” Amanda patted him on the shoulder. “Go. I feel Carly needs to be taken on the dance floor.”
Leo smiled at his grandmother as he stood up from his seat and went back to his table. Carly looked up at him eagerly with a smile on his face. Leo asked for Carly’s hand, and the two of them joined the others on the dance floor.
After dancing to two more songs, Angel called it quits as she told Eric that she wanted to sit down for a bit. As she went back to her table, she found the phone where she had left it. She took it and checked to see if there were any messages or missed calls. Soon enough, Mrs. McAlister soon appeared behind her.
“Angel, dear,” said Mrs. McAlister as she patted Angel behind her shoulder to grab Angel’s attention. “I need you to check the hold-up of the mini tarts in the kitchen. I fear something must have gone wrong.”
“Sure, I’ll go check,” said Angel.
“Thank you, dear. Oh, and please see to it that there are plenty of desserts.”
Angel acknowledged with a nod, and she soon made her way out of the ballroom. When she got to the kitchen, she found the mini tarts already set on serving trays, but there was a delay as the other desserts weren’t ready yet. Angel had to encourage the cooks to be a little faster, and soon enough, the desserts were dished out of the kitchen. Angel took a mini tart from one of the trays and leaned against the counter as she watched the servers carry the trays. Just as she finished her tart and made up her mind to leave, she thought she saw something move outside the kitchen window.
Angel quickly turned around to look through the window, as she was sure that she had seen something just now. But she was greeted by the sight of trees. She was certain that she had seen something just now. Maybe I’m just seeing things, Angel thought to herself. She turned around again, got another mini tart, and made her way out of the kitchen.
There were a few guests roaming around the corridors. As Angel was making her way back to the ballroom, she stopped in her tracks as she just bypassed the sitting room. She backtracked a little to see what was going on in there. There were a few guests in the room. Some had decided to sit on the chairs and chat, while others stood in different places of the room, some in pairs as they discussed quietly so as not to be heard. One pair stood out in particular. Leo was talking to his father at one end of the room. They stood next to the open doors that led to the open grounds of the mansion and the flower garden. Angel thought it better to move on, but it was too late. Mr. McDonell saw her at the entrance of the room and beckoned her to come.
“Ah, Angel, come,” Mr. McDonell called out to her. Leo turned his head and watched her approach. Angel didn’t like this. Now she wished she hadn’t stopped to see what was going on.
“Leo and I were having a chat just now about his relationship with Carly,” said Mr. McDonell as Angel stood beside him. “Isn’t it disappointing that Leo couldn’t tell me, his own father, that he had fallen for someone?”
“I understand what you mean,” said Angel. “Carly never told me about them either, and she’s my sister.”
“Kids these days.” Mr. McDonell gave a light chuckle. “I bet they didn’t want us to know, fearing that we might disapprove.”
“Well, you saw the way Mum reacted,” said Leo as he swirled the drink in his hand. He looked up at Angel. “I bet there are others in the family who feel the same.”
Mr. McDonell turned to look at Angel with an eyebrow raised. “Do you have a problem with their relationship, Angel?”
Angel turned to look at Mr. McDonell. “No, I don’t,” Angel answered. She almost growled at Leo as she looked at him. “I bet Leo has the wrong idea of the whole situation.”
“It didn’t feel like it when I posted that photo on social media,” said Leo as he tilted his head.
Angel gave off an unimpressed expression on her face as she lowered her eyelids a little. Mr. McDonell could feel the tension between them as the two of them shared a look.
“It seems the two of you have a lot to talk about,” said Mr. McDonell.
“We don’t have anything to talk about,” said Leo. “If it’s nothing but noise, I don’t want to hear it. I’m leaving.”
“No,” said Mr. McDonell as he held Leo’s shoulder to stop him from going. “The only one leaving here is me. You two should talk.” He pointed his finger at both Angel and Leo. “I am the one leaving. I better hear after tonight that the two of you have resolved things. Ciao.”
Before Angel and Leo could protest, Mr. McDonell walked out of the room. Angel and Leo looked at each other in disbelief and annoyance that Mr. McDonell had left them in such a situation.
“Do you really want to talk about this?” Angel asked as she folded her arms.
“Like I said, if it’s nothing but noise, I don’t want to hear it,” Leo answered. He soon took a swing of his drink and finished it all.
Angel scoffed. “I don’t like what’s going on between us, Leo. It won’t be fair in everyone’s eyes if they were to know we aren’t getting along. You’re dating my sister for goodness’ sake.”
“Then maybe you should have been clear with me from the beginning.” Leo placed his glass beside a tiny table by the door. “Are you willing to tell me what’s really going on? When we argued last time, you sounded like there’s a lot more than you’re telling me.”
Angel sighed heavily as she held a fist in one hand while the other held her phone. She really couldn’t take it anymore. She just had to tell him.
“Fine,” said Angel. “I prefer we talk somewhere more private.”
Leo sighed. “We can go outside. The flower garden, maybe?”
“Yeah, that’s fine.”
Leo gestured with his hand for Angel to walk through the open door right next to them. Angel walked out of the room first, and Leo followed her. No one in the room seemed to be paying any attention to them.
Angel led the way into the flower garden. Tiny garden lights lit up the place above them. They weren’t the only ones walking around the garden, as a few couples walked by here. Angel looked around for a place more private. She couldn’t believe she was finally willing to tell Leo about Carly. It got her heart beating, and she thought of calling the whole thing off. But it was already too late. They had passed the fountain in the flower garden, where they found a few people taking pictures of themselves by the fountain. Most of them were teenagers, simply enjoying themselves and laughing.
Leo followed Angel, and he couldn’t help but notice how the dress she wore fitted her so well. And under the lights, she almost looked like an angel. Even the way she walked got him mesmerized for a second. He realized that he was going further into the flower garden with her. His heart started to beat faster as he was reminded of that night on Halloween when the two of them were alone. They were going there for different reasons, but why was he excited all of a sudden?
Angel stopped in front of a maple tree. This is the furthest she had ever been in the flower garden. Beneath the tree was a stone bench. She turned around to look at Leo, who had stopped to look at her. For a moment, the two of them stood in silence as a cool breeze blew past them.
“Isn’t it funny that this place is where we held a very tough conversation about Carly the last time we were here?” Leo asked.
“Yes, it is,” said Angel as she went over to it on the bench. “I’m afraid once again what I am about to tell you is about her.”
Leo felt his insides turn cold as he looked at Angel. “Wait, are you worried that someone is going to reveal her past? Nothing about that has popped up anywhere. If anything, we’re in the clear. It seems luck is on our side.”
“It’s either dumb luck or somebody is pulling the strings here. I know it doesn’t concern you, but it concerns me. As a matter of fact, her past being known is one of the things I wanted to talk about. But there’s something you need to know that I’ve been dying to tell you.”
Leo gave out a deep sigh. His insides were getting colder by the minute, or was it because it was getting chilly? He couldn’t tell.
“What is it?” he asked.
Angel looked to the ground before looking back at him. Her heart beat fast. “Carly has…” She hesitated, trying to find the right words. “Carly has been lying to us. She’s been lying to us for so long about so many things that it’s hard to keep track of it all.”
Leo became curious as he slowly approached Angel. “What is it that she’s been lying about, Angel?”
“This isn’t easy for me to say, Leo.” Angel swallowed with great difficulty. “But she’s involved with very dangerous people. A drug cartel of the sort.”
“A drug cartel?” Leo couldn’t believe his ears as he shook his head. “Angel, what are you talking about?”
“Remember when Carly had left for Mexico for the student seminar? It turns out, there was more to it than just attending the seminar. She went to meet someone there… another drug lord who happened to have died in a house fire two months ago.”
Leo looked confused. “Where is all this coming from, Angel? Are you making this up?”
“I knew you wouldn’t believe me, but it’s the truth.” Angel stood up from the bench. Her knees were starting to shake, but she had no choice but to stand firm. “She has been working with a drug cartel and travelled to Mexico in order to take down another. Don’t you remember when the D.E.A. came to the office to investigate the Rubber Ducky USB, and they informed you that it happened to have belonged to a drug lord who died in a house fire? Well, it’s the same person Carly went over to Mexico to meet.”
Leo held up his hand to stop Angel from talking. “Hold on a second. Are you trying to tell me Carly lied about attending the seminar just to get to meet a drug lord?”
“The seminar was just a distraction. It really happened, but Carly had people to help make it look like she had been there the whole time. That’s what I presume anyway.”
“Yeah, because the D.E.A. cleared her, confirming that she was there. There’s no way she could’ve been elsewhere.”
“Well, how she managed to pull that can only be known by the people she’s working with.”
Leo rubbed his face as this felt unreal. “So, are you trying to tell me that she’s the woman the D.E.A. is looking for concerning the death of this Andre?”
“Yes.” Angel looked at Leo with a concerned look on her face.
“And that it’s possible that she was the one who planted that USB on Halloween?”
“I’m afraid so. If you put two and two together, it all makes sense.”
Leo shook his head. “You can’t simply be telling the truth, Angel. I know you’re lying.”
“I’m not lying to you, Leo. It’s the truth. While she was working with the cartel, she used a different name to draw Andre in. and I hate to say this, but she was cheating on you with him.”
“Angel, enough. Is this really the best excuse that you can give?”
Angel shook her head. “I knew you weren’t going to believe me. When I thought the D.E.A. would find something on her, but they hadn’t. Carly is working with powerful people, and if they knew I knew about this, I would be dead by now. That’s why reporting this to the authorities was pointless without enough proof.”
Leo clenched and unclenched his fists. “I still don’t believe you, Angel. You’re just making up lies to find a reason to set Carly and me apart.”
“Why would I do that? I would never try to set you two apart. How evil do you think I am?”
“I don’t know, Angel. I don’t like this game you’re playing because this is just messed up.”
Angel took a deep breath in and another breath out. “Fine, if you don’t believe me, I’ll show you something. She had another phone she was communicating with Andre and the leader of the organization she’s working for.” Angel unlocked her phone.
“Angel, stop,” said Leo. “I’ve had enough. I’m just going back to the party now. I swear, all of this is giving me a headache.”
Angel stood up from the bench and quickly took hold of Leo’s hand to stop him from leaving. “I would never lie to you about this, Leo. You don’t know how it feels to have Carly betray me all over again. This time she’s gone too far.”
“And how do you expect me to help with that problem when it isn’t even true?” Leo turned his body fully to look at Angel. “Admit it, Angel. You don’t like the fact that your sister so happens to be going out with me, especially with all the publicity going on. You don’t want your sister to be happy with me.”
“What?” Angel let go of Leo’s hand and backed away. “You think I’m doing this out of jealousy?”
“You tell me,” said Leo. “For the sake of peace, I’ll forget that we even had this conversation. I’ll see you inside.”
Leo quickly took his leave, leaving Angel all alone and stunned at his cold response. She cursed under her breath as she regretted telling him the truth. He didn’t believe her. Not even one bit. As her eyes started to swell with tears, there was no denying the stinging feeling in her chest. His words stung, and boy, did it hurt like hell.
Carly walked out of the ballroom in search of Leo. Mr. McDonell had walked in a few minutes ago, saying that he left Leo with Angel in the sitting room. After waiting for what felt like forever, she felt the need to search for him.
As she entered the sitting room, she found a few people in there, but no sign of Leo or Angel. She thought of going back the way she came until she saw the open doors leading outside. She got there and looked outside. Still, Leo and Angel were nowhere to be seen. A group of teenagers was walking out of the flower garden. When Carly asked them if they had seen Leo, a girl answered that she saw him in the flower garden. Carly started to make her way there.
When Leo reached the fountain, he couldn’t help but stop in his tracks. He sighed heavily as he became deeply troubled over what Angel had told him. He shook his head. There’s simply no way Carly could have done all of that, he thought. He had no idea why Angel was doing this, but this was so unlike her to lie about her sister. It surprised Leo that she could go to such an extent of accusing Carly of all of those crimes. It didn’t make sense.
He told himself to clear his head and go back to the party. Suddenly, he heard the rustle of leaves and heavy footsteps from the west side of the garden. He turned to see a man in a midnight blue suit come towards the fountain.
“Hi, there,” said the man as he came closer. “Leo McDonell, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” said Leo as he raised an eyebrow. “Sorry, do I know you? I don’t think I’ve seen you before.”
“Oh, no, you don’t.” The African American smiled handsomely. “I just happen to be a recent acquaintance of the McAlisters.”
“Okay. It’s nice to meet you. Your name?”
“You can call me Brian. It must be my lucky day to meet you in such circumstances.”
Leo wanted to ask what he meant, but he kept his mouth shut, waiting for Brian to continue.
“You see,” continued Brian. “There’s a message I want to put across to you, and it’s over your relationship with Carly.”
“Ah.” Leo raised his eyebrow. “You must be one of those people who don’t approve of our relationship.”
Brian chuckled. “I not only disapprove. I actually loathe it.”
Angel had started her way back to the house. She walked while sniffing and trying to wipe away the tears from her eyes. No one should notice that she had been crying. She needed to wash her face before going back to the house. She could simply go to the fountain and wash from there. As she approached the turn to the fountain behind the tall hedges, she heard Leo’s voice and the voice of another man. She stopped short to hear what they could be talking about.
“Loathe? That’s quite a strong word, don’t you think?” Leo asked.
“There’s a reason why I say that,” said Brian. “Simply because she’s not worth your time. If I were you, I would end things with her.”
“Excuse me, but on what grounds do I have to? I’m sorry, but I’m not going to listen to a man who I have just met on how to handle my relationship.”
“This is no simple pep talk.” Brian swiftly brought his hand behind his back, and Leo hadn’t even noticed. “It’s simply just a word of caution. I advise you to do it, or there will be consequences.”
“What consequences?” came Angel’s voice.
Angel stepped out from behind the hedges to look at the man threatening Leo. Upon seeing the man’s face, Angel’s eyes grew wide as she felt her whole world come to a standstill.
“Dad?” Angel stood in shock as she covered her mouth in surprise.
Leo became confused as he looked at Angel, who couldn’t believe what she was seeing. She looked like she had just seen a ghost. He turned to the man beside him. Did Angel just call this man her father? The man in the blue suit looked shocked, as he couldn’t understand how Angel found herself here.
Angel felt her heart start to beat so fast that it was the only thing she could hear. She dropped her hands as she tried to breathe, but she couldn’t. Leo quickly went over to her and held her shoulders.
“Angel? Angel?” He called out to her. “Are you okay?”
Angel breathed out slowly from her mouth as she tried to gather her surroundings. For a moment, she felt confused, but as soon as Leo shook her a little, she started to come through and was able to breathe again. She breathed out heavily as she looked at Leo. Her head was no longer hazy, but she could still feel her heart beat like crazy.
“I’m good, Leo,” said Angel. She breathed out calmly this time. “I’m good.”
Leo dropped his hands from her shoulders. He turned his head to see the man still standing there.
“Is this man really your father?” Leo asked. This felt so surreal. Who would’ve known that fate would bring father and daughter together like this in this very moment?
“Not anymore,” said Angel as she walked past Eric and approached the man in the suit.
“Angel… I—” Brian started to talk, but Angel interrupted him.
“Not another word,” said Angel as she breathed out each word, angrily.
There was silence in the flower garden. Angel’s voice had magically brought everything to a standstill. The cool breeze in the garden left the place feeling dense. Even the crickets and other nocturnal creatures didn’t make a sound. Leo could feel the atmosphere change just by Angel saying those words. She was furious.
“How dare you, after all these years, come here and threaten Leo?” Angel asked, her angry brown eyes boring deep into her father’s. Their eyes were quite similar. There was no denying that they were father and daughter. “What gives you the right to make a decision over your daughter’s happiness? A daughter you were never there for from the time she was born?”
Brian gulped as he looked at his daughter. There was no denying that his insides trembled at his daughter’s anger and her words. She’s fierce like her mother, he noted. Perhaps even more than he had expected.
“What a way to make an entrance, huh?” Angel asked as she folded her arms. “You don’t even let me know that you’re coming here, and you come in from the shadows just to make your threats. When Aunt Cathy told me you were back in town, I knew you would bring nothing but problems like you always have.”
“You have it all wrong, Angel,” said Brian.
“I heard you loud and clear just now. You have some nerve coming here thinking you would get your way with things. No, not this time. You have no right over us. You abandoned us when we needed you. When my mother needed a man to love and protect her. When Carly and I needed a father to look after us.” Tears started to well up in her eyes. “Where were you, huh?”
“Angel, calm down.”
“Don’t tell me to calm down!” Angel yelled. For a moment, it felt like the ground shook. “Just leave. You have no right to be here. With the little respect I have for you, leave before I call security.”
“Let’s talk about this, Angel,” said Brian, his voice starting to crack a little. “There’s a reason why I am here.”
“If the reason is that you’re only looking out for Carly, well, you are too late on that one.” She pointed her finger at him. “You were never my father, and you showing up like this just shows that you never will be.”
“Angel…” Brian sighed. “This isn’t fair. Give me a chance to explain. I’m not the same man I used to be.”
“Well, if you have changed, then you wouldn’t interfere in my sister’s affairs like they’re your own when you were never here.” Angel calmly closed her eyes. A tear fell from her right eye. Afterwards, she calmly opened them. “Just leave. I don’t want to hear from you ever again.”
“Angel…”
“Not another word. If you really cared, you would leave. I am begging you to do so, or else you will see the worst of me.”
Brian didn’t move at first as he looked into Angel’s eyes. Before he could say anything, he looked behind Angel, and his eyes suddenly grew wide with shock. Angel followed his eyes and turned to look behind her. Leo, who stood behind Angel, also did the same, and there was Carly standing on the south side of the flower garden looking on at the scene in front of her.
Carly trembled as she looked at the man before her. She had heard the entire conversation, and right now, she couldn’t believe it. Red Lion is her father, and she never knew. Carly thought she had just blown a fuse. He’s my father? She asked herself. She stood still as she continued to look at him. She’s the daughter of one of the most notorious criminals in the U.S.? So much was going on in her mind that she couldn’t think straight. Her body had suddenly stopped functioning as she continued to look at Red Lion.
“Carly,” said Angel as she realized that her sister was frozen in shock. She quickly turned towards her father. “I want you to leave right this minute. Now!”
“Angel, let me talk to her,” her father insisted.
“You’ve done enough. Can’t you see that she’s in shock? Leave right now, I beg of you!”
Before Brian could take a step forward, Angel held his shoulder. He turned to see the fire in Angel’s eyes. She might not hesitate to snap his neck if given the chance.
“Leave,” said Angel. She quickly turned around and approached Carly, who still remained rooted on the spot.
“Carly?” Angel called out to her as she stood in front of her sister. Carly remained still like a statue. “Listen to me. Everything will be alright, you hear me?”
All of a sudden, Carly’s eyes rolled back, and her body soon fell limp. Angel was quick enough to catch her before she fell to the ground. Leo quickly ran over to help. Carly had fallen unconscious.
“Carly?” Angel called out to her sister as she gently tapped her sister’s cheek. “She’s fainted.”
“Let me carry her,” said Leo as he took Carly’s limp body leaning heavily against Angel. He carried Carly in his arms and started to make his way out of the garden.
Before Angel could follow them, she stopped and turned to look behind her. Her father was nowhere to be seen.
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