Is this destiny?

In the garden of Jarred's villa…

Emma and Mrs. Ronin sat on the bench which is overlooking a massive two-level fountain.

Emma stared at the water cascading from the upper level to the lower one while thinking from where to start.

"It seems that you have a lot on your mind.", Mrs. Ronin voiced her thoughts.

Emma looked at her mother and met her gaze.

"Is this about your wedding? Are you pregnant? Did something happen at the rehabilitation center? Or is Charlie mistreating you? Are you having second thoughts about marrying him?", Mrs. Ronin guessed.

Emma was slightly irritated. Why are most of her mom's questions implying that something is wrong on Emma's side? Does Mrs. Ronin think that nothing can go wrong with her?

Emma took a deep breath and said: "I know that dad is alive."

Emma saw that her mother is frozen in surprise and she added: "He is in Sicily. His name is Angelo De Luca and he is the head of the organization called Nero armi."

Mrs. Ronin opened her mouth and closed them. She frowned. "When did you find out?"

"When his right-hand man tried to seduce me."

Mrs. Ronin shook her head. "Angelo would not do that."

Emma's eyebrows moved slightly higher. She was surprised by the confidence in her mother's voice, and yet somehow she knew that her mother is familiar with Angelo.

In an instant, Emma was overwhelmed by dejection. She understood how her brothers are feeling, and why they don't want to know about their father, and why they are angry at their mother for keeping all that a secret. Because this is not a secret for their mother to keep.

Aren't they a family? How could she decide on her own to deceive them about their father? All four of them grew up with numerous school activities and events where parents were invited with none of their parents present because their mother is working, and their father is dead. And Emma remembers that every Father's Day in school her classmates created handmade cards and presents to their fathers with big smiles on their faces while she was making a present which ended up in a trash bin. Why? Because her mother decided to conceal the fact that their father is alive.

Would Emma reach out to her father if she knew that he is alive? Emma is not sure. But she knows that her mother cut off that option for her and for her brothers.

Emma stood up and looked at Mrs. Ronin while her complex expression reflected the whirlwind of her emotions. "I don't know if you remember but you never divorced dad, and since he is alive, you being in a relationship with Jarred is technically cheating. Does Jarred know about dad? Or are you keeping secrets from him as well?"

Mrs. Ronin lowered her gaze and bit her lower lip.

Emma didn't want to stay longer. It is obvious that her mother has no intention of explaining herself. The more Emma looked at her mother, the more she was angry. Disappointed. And she didn't want to feel that way. She said what she had to say and now she is going to leave.

"You are blaming me."

Mrs. Ronin's words made Emma stop in her tracks.

Mrs. Ronin sighed before adding: "One day, maybe you understand why I did what I did. Things change in time. Today you might be confident that your decision is the best one ever and the next day you regret it."

"Do you have regrets?", Emma asked.

"I don't regret keeping Angelo away from us. But I regret not telling you about him. You were young and telling you that he does not exist was a simple answer to 'where is my daddy?'. Before I knew it, you grew up and I couldn't find the right time to tell you the truth. And later, I could not find the courage to do so because I lied so many times already."

Mrs. Ronin saw that Emma's expression is stern. "I can see that you are upset. I hope that soon you accept this, and we can talk about it calmly."

Emma shook her head. "I am not the one you should be concerned about."

Mrs. Ronin frowned and observed Emma's expression keenly. "What do you mean?"

"I am here because I am the only one willing to talk about it."

Mrs. Ronin frowned when she understood the meaning behind Emma's words. "You are saying that Mike, Sean, and Ryan know about Angelo?"

Emma's nod made Mrs. Ronin's frown deeper.

"Do you love him?"

Emma's question surprised Mrs. Ronin.

"Angelo?", Mrs. Ronin asked. She was not sure if Emma is asking about Angelo or Jarred. When Emma nodded, she answered: "He is my first love. He fathered my four children. If I say that I have no feelings for him, I would be lying. But love? Maybe there is some of it. Traces, which are not allowing me to hate him."

"What about Jarred?"

"I came to Los Angeles with knowledge that all of you are happy. My four children found their path and are taken care of. I guess the timing was right. I relaxed and met Jarred who is charming, and he makes me laugh, and he makes me feel special, and I decided to go with the flow."

"You need to tell him about your husband.", Emma reminded her mother.

"I will find a way to dissolve that marriage."

"Mom… Dad still keeps your photos in the drawer of his desk. He didn't have a woman since the two of you parted. That should tell you that he still has you in his heart. Jarred needs to know about dad. Or you break up with Jarred. If you don't tell Jarred about dad and you stay in this relationship, you are putting Jarred in danger. Just how you put us in danger."

Mrs. Ronin pressed her lips into a line. "I am sorry Emma…"

"You are sorry? Sorry does not fix things! Do you know that only a few days ago I was in danger? I was lucky that Charlie was there, and Anna and Jeff. If they were not close to me, that man would probably succeed in tricking me and using me for his own agenda. And I was oblivious because YOU couldn't find the right time to tell me that my father is alive and that he is the leader of some Italian mafia!"

"If I knew that it would lead to this, I would tell you!"

Emma took a deep breath to calm down her emotions. "You can't fix the past. But you can prevent the disaster which is lurking in the future. Tell Jarred. And talk to your sons. Because they are disappointed and confused. Especially Mike."

"What about you?"

Emma eyed her mother. "What about me?"

"Are you disappointed? Confused? Angry?"

"I find it interesting that now, after twenty years of lies, you are asking me about my feelings. It would be much better if we had this conversation ten or fifteen years ago, but now…", Emma shook her head before asking: "What do you think? How do I feel?"

"I want to hear it from you."

"Why? Will it make you feel better? Because it will not do anything for me other than get me upset. Talking about it will not fix the past. And honestly… I don't care. I don't hate you, if that is what you are worried about. I have too many great things going on in my life and I will not allow negativity to spoil any of them."

Mrs. Ronin watched Emma walk away and her heart broke.

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