Wonder child arrested!
Adaline Bolton has been arrested! With just twenty, this woman has wowed the world with her amazing skills and intellect. She graduated from Oxford Med school at only the age of fourteen! While other kids her age were dreaming of marrying a prince, this girl was starting her internship at St. Mary's Hospital in London, where she is working up until recently. With her extremely well developed skills she quickly wowed her colleagues as well as the head of surgery. Bolton specialised later in neurosurgery, cardiology and in plastic surgery. She performed outstanding procedures on her own, being the youngest doctor in U.K.'s history!
She rarely held interviews and if she did it was only work related. Not once did she speak out about her famous parents or her other four siblings. And now she's been reportedly arrested for drug abuse. Such a shame and downfall for this extraordinary young lady.
The medical superstar Adaline Bolton is reportedly behind bars!
The first daughter of Troy and Gabriella Bolton has been arrested for drug abuse. Now, whether or not she operated on drugs is not known yet. Nevertheless, this is a huge shocker for her fans all over the world, who celebrated her like royalty! Bolton not only worked in London, but she also performed outstanding surgeries in Switzerland and the States. She even spent a few weeks in Tahiti to operate pro bono. Her techniques are revolutionary and her studies world-changing.
Adaline's parents have been snapped enjoying a few days off at the Great Barrier Reef and the Fiji islands. They enjoyed their time at a local salsa club where they danced the nights away.
I feel the anxiety and adrenaline rushing through my veins as I wait for the front door to finally open. She's coming home. She's finally coming home. I had to stay here while Troy was in court at Della's hearing this morning. I talked to Dr. Wyatt and a zillion other doctors about her condition. I also talked to Wlad and his team to make a freaking plan on how to deal with the press that has it's nose already in it. The headlines are a nightmare, making going out of the house nearly impossible. The triplets are on holidays. Our family members agreed to take them to France for the rest of their two week Eastern break. Anywhere but here. London is the worst place for them to be right now. It broke my heart when I drove them to the private airport this morning. But they understand and we'll FaceTime every day with them.
"Mom, you're breaking my hands." Ana complains and I let go of her hands. She shakes her wrists to loosen them up.
"I'm sorry."
"She's okay. Dad said she's getting out. That's a good sign. A really good sign."
I look at Ana, "I'm not sure. You're the one with a medical and juridical education."
She smiles, "And with that, I am telling you it's a good sign."
"But that surely won't stop them from bringing charges."
The smile fades, "No. I think they will charge her for aggravated battery and drug abuse plus a few more. It's a long crime list she committed." she gulps, "But she could be lucky and just get a treatment, a suspension for half a year to a year and a heavy fine. Without going to jail. It's the best that could happen to her."
"And the worst?"
Ana shakes her head, "Let's not talk about it."
"Ana," I wrap my arms around my daughter, "what would we do without her?"
"She'll be fine, Mom. She only spent a night there. I'm sure nothing happened."
"And that's hopefully all." I let go of her as the front door opens. I rush through the living room and into the foyer. I see my daughter dressed in her dark blue scrubs while Troy is wearing a black Hermes suit with a white shirt and silver tie. I wrap my arms around her and hold her tight. "You're home..."
"Mom, I can't breathe." she complains and I let go.
I brush through her hair and notice the swelling on her lip and the hematoma on her left eye. "What happened?"
"Her big mouth happened. She couldn't keep it shut in there and now wears the consequences on her face." Troy hisses at me.
I gulp, she spent only one night in prison. I don't want to think of how she could look like after a few weeks, let alone years. A shiver rushes through my body.
"I kept my hands to myself because I didn't want to make my case worse. But I would have loved to break his neck." Della hisses at me.
"You should cool that. Come on!" Ana's voice reaches my ears and I turn around. I catch her waving with her hands.
"What did the judge say?" I ask Troy as Della walks over to Ana.
"The proceeding starts in a week. They are charging her for aggravated battery, drug abuse and attempted medical malpractice."
I gulp, "That's really bad."
"Costello's already working on it. Della's going to get an MRT tomorrow morning done. One without the drugs and one with them. Blood tests will be done as well. Dr. Wyatt and Dr. Thorne will be her medical assessors in front of court. Ana and one of us has to testify in front of court as well."
I nod, "I'll do that. I have more practice with it than you do."
"Gabi-"
"No, you could explode and then all the work was for nothing."
He clenches his teeth, although he knows I am right. "Okay, fine. Costello will prepare you for that. What has happened on the press side of things?"
"We're covering the magazines, we're in newspapers and people on tv talk about us. It's a nightmare. I sent the triplets to France as we agreed on."
He nods before embracing me, "Good. They need to be away from this mess."
"How long is this proceeding going to last?"
"Costello said we could get lucky and it'll be two to three hearings. It could take months if we are not so lucky. Either way, Della is not allowed to work and is on house detention until the verdict."
My eyes are trained on the beautiful face of my oldest daughter. Her flawless skin is marked by a fucking stranger. A bag of frozen peas is covering the left half of her face to ease the swelling of her left black eye. She's been cooling it for quite a while now, but it doesn't seem to help. She looks flogged, but still graceful. She's so much like her father it's crazy.
"Could you stop staring at me like I am an alien?!" Della hisses at me before looking at her younger sister and her father. We're in the living room, all sitting on the grey couch. The sun is shinning through the glass facade as it's a beautiful spring day, but it feels like winter for me.
"I will stare at you however fucking long I want." Troy hisses back through his clenched teeth.
Adaline places the bag of frozen peas on the coffee table and tucks in her legs, "Look, I know my situation seems to be quite bad, but I'm telling you, I'll be fine."
Troy fakes a laugh, "And with what expertise are you saying that?"
She rolls her eyes at him before looking back at me, "I am fine, Mom. Really, I am."
I bite my lip and see my shaking hand moving to her face. I brush through her curly chestnut coloured hair and fondle her cheek. "It's not over yet, honey."
"Yes, in fact this is just the start." Troy's voice sounds still mad. He's been mad ever since that call in Fiji.
"God, Dad, can't you just give us a fucking moment? A moment to breathe?!"
"A moment to breathe?!" he echoes with a faked laugh, "I'm sorry, but when the hell am I suppose to give you that moment, Adaline?! When the paparazzi are not pressing their lenses into your face?! When the media are not making up some crazy rumours?! When the fucking wonder child-" he closes his mouth and clenches his teeth so hardly that I fear he breaks his jaw. "I didn't had a moment to breathe since you were born!"
"I think we should all calm down." Ana suggests, her hands wrapped around a cup of camomile tea. She's sitting in an armchair across us.
"Easy for you to say that. You're like Buddha." Adaline rolls her eyes, "Perfect Ana would never-"
"Hey!" I hiss at her.
"I'm just trying to help." Ana doesn't seem affected at all.
"Help? Like you helped me when you called Dad although I explicitly told you not to?! I asked you to call Krimov and no one else! Him and not our father!" Adaline hisses at her. "But you, you have to stick your nose into my fucking business and-"
"Your fucking business?! It effects us all! We are a family for Christ's sake! If one of us gets into trouble then we all get into trouble!" Ana starts arguing. "We live our life in the fucking spotlight, Adaline. I mean given Mom's and Dad's business it's only organic. We grew up with paparazzi yelling our names as soon as we stepped out of the house. We grew up with the media having an insane interest in our intellectual development! They call us wonder children for a reason! We grew up with all of that and I cannot believe you're completely ignoring this right now! Just because you decided to fucking hide in O.R.s doesn't mean your life is any less in the spotlight than ours." She places the cup on the table and the tea swaps on the table. "I am not perfect by any means. I have as many, if not more, flaws as you. But I am trying to make the best out of the situation. And calling Dad was one of those decisions. Because he can handle any situation." She whispered the last sentence. "So suck it up, Adaline. Get used to our starring. And cool that bloody black eye." She picks up her tea and takes a sip of it.
My eyes move over to my husband. He's as surprised as me.
"Mom," I don't open my eyes as I hear my oldest daughter's voice. I am sitting cross legged on my pink Lululemon yoga mat, trying to meditate the shit out of my mind.
She doesn't move. I can feel her navy orbs staring at me, piercing through my skin and keeping me from being as calm as I want to be. I swear, she has that from her father. It drives me insane!
"I don't want to talk about it right now." I say, hoping to dismiss her that way.
But she doesn't move. She keeps staring at me.
I growl before opening my eyes, "Yes?" I finally give in.
Her chestnut coloured curls are framing her stunning face. She has my small nose and high cheekbones and Troy's navy coloured orbs and eye shape. She also has full lips, which neither of us has but I'm guessing these are the genes she got passed along from Troy's mother since Diana has full lips that she gifted Lucas as well. "Do you want a cup of coffee?" She asks me in a sweet voice.
I nod and smile back. She has learned that strategy from her father. Whenever he pisses me off he offers me a cup of tea or coffee as an apology - either that or a rough fuck, I am fine with both. I rise from my mat and walk barefoot through the gym as I follow my daughter into the kitchen. I pass the closed door of my husband's study, knowing he's busy in there with Costello and Wladimir. Those two have been regular guests in our home ever since Della screwed up. I feel the cool white marble floors as we reach the white kitchen with marble countertops. To my surprise Ana is already sitting at the kitchen island, sipping on a cup of camomile tea. She should be in Oxford, but she's choosing to stay here instead, keeping an eye on Della although she doesn't have to. Her hands are wrapped around her iPhone and she's typing really quickly.
"Is Jake already missing you this much?" I ask her in a teasing tone.
Her blonde hair swings up and I see her forest green eyes. She blushes, "Not more than I miss him, I hope."
"When's he coming home?" Della asks as she got out two cups from the cupboard above the coffee machine.
"He already landed a few hours ago on British ground."
"I'm surprised you haven't left yet." Della points out before pressing a button on the coffee machine. Grinding sounds fill the kitchen before the liquid gold starts filling our cups.
"How can I? I'd rather have an eye on you here."
"That's my job."
"Exactly. I'm fine with Mr. and Mrs. Control freak here." Della shows me a playful grin and I shake my head in response, although her words couldn't be more true.
Ana takes another sip of her tea and looks back at the screen as her iPhone vibrates on the marble surface. "He wants to come over, see if he can help."
"I thought he wasn't that kind of lawyer." Della mocks her.
"I think he meant emotional support." I say to Della before looking at Ana, "Of course he can come, sweetie."
She smiles in response before answering him by another text.
Della joins us at the kitchen island, placing my cup in front of me as she sits next to me. "You know, I think you should just already move in with him. After you graduated from that boring law school."
"I won't." Ana says, looking at her oldest sister. "And Oxford law school is anything but boring."
"If you say so."
"You just want the Kensington house all to yourself. But we have a deal with Mom and Dad. Boltons don't break deals."
She sighs, "I wasn't-"
"She won't be living there now anyway." I cut off their discussion before taking a sip of my black coffee.
"What?" Della asks me shocked.
"If you think your father and me will allow you to live there any day longer, then you are dead wrong, Adaline." She opens her mouth to respond but I raise my finger to shut her up. "I don't care that you're twenty years old, I don't care that you have a job and make your own living. You are going to sit behind bars for many many years, if we don't get a deal on the table. In a week, the trail is going to start and you will lose if we get that far."
"I won't lose."
"Yes, you will. Because you are too special for anyone to understand you but your very own family. They label you as a wonder child, a miracle in the medical world. You won prizes an eight year old shouldn't because not even a sixty year old doctor had won such prizes. Your hands have an insurance of over 200 million pounds." I shake my head, "People think you will heal AIDS, Parkinson or Alzheimers. People think great things of you, too great to not to judge you by the things you did. Your name is all over the news along with your career as well as your famous parents. The jury will see that, whether willingly or not. They will be influenced by it and I guarantee you it's not a positive influence. You will loose this trail if we go to court with this."
Adaline gulps but doesn't say another word.
My head swings over to Ana, who looks just as concerned as Della and me. "And now on to you and Jake."
Ana straightens her shoulders, "What is with Jake and me?"
"He hasn't told you he loves you, yet?"
She gulps, "Why are you so concerned?"
"Because I want to know your safe."
"He's keeping me safe."
"Not if he's not man enough to voice his god damn obvious feelings for you."
Ana shoots a look at Della, "Why are you grinning?!"
I look over my shoulder and see an idiotic grin on Della's face.
"I can't talk to you about it when she's grinning like that."
"I wasn't grinning because of you. It was because of Mom's word choice. She gave it to you straight like she was talking to a business partner."
Ana shakes her head at the explanation before looking at me, "Mom."
I sigh, "Della,"
"I'm leaving, but if you think I won't find out then you're dead wrong, Ana. In this house, there are no secrets. Never forget that." Della says before leaving the kitchen.
I watch her walking through the round arch that leads into the dinning room before she disappears out of my sight. "Talk." I demand of my green eyed daughter as soon as Della's gone.
Ana shrugs, "There's not much too tell."
She can't be serious. First she makes a scene about not wanting her older sister here when she talks about it and now she's shrugging it off?! "Talk, Anastasia." I hiss at her.
"Alright, fine. Yes, I told him I love him." She takes a sip of her tea.
"And then?"
"And then nothing."
"What do you mean nothing? He didn't say it back?"
She sighs, "He didn't have to."
"Well, yeah he did have to." I point out before taking a sip of my black coffee, "When someone says they love you, you say it back if you feel the same way."
"I know how he feels about me. I knew it from the beginning."
"Yet he hasn't said it to your face." I will kill that motherfucker for gambling with my daughter's heart like this!
"I didn't say that."
"But you just said-"
"He had already told me he loved me."
I frown, "What?" I don't understand the world anymore.
"He said it a couple weeks after we met. Two weeks and a day, to be concrete." She starts explaining to my open mouth, "He told me he loved me, would marry me, have kids with me... the whole package. It scared the shit out of me and he must have seen it, too, because after that he stopped with it until... until I was ready to say it back, I guess."
Jake was patient with her. He treated her like she was a timid fawn, and maybe she was... still is in some ways. After all she has been through a lot in her life, especially during those years before we brought her home. She experienced things so cruel that I question the existence of God, when she lived in hell for so long. But Jake... Jake's the most patient man I know. Waiting over a year for her to voice her feelings out loud... not many men would do that, but only the right one would. "Sweetie,"
"He went full force on me, talking about a future I didn't want to see. He talked about the damn pretty white fence around the property close to you guys, because he knows how much I love my family and a freaking cute Australian Shepherd running through the backyard - in blue merle and white without copper points or white markings on the face, collar, legs, chest and underbelly. I was surprised he didn't have a name yet, but he only said that this was up to me... He talked about two kids, because one wasn't enough. He talked about marriage like it was normal to talk about it after two weeks of knowing each other. He talked about a whole life together, he was so sure..." she shivers, "It scared the shit out of me, Mom."
I gulp, if he talked this way after two weeks of being with her, I can only imagine how sure he must have sounded when he talked to Troy, her father, about it. "And what about now?"
"What about now?"
"Do you see the future now? A future with him?"
"I never said I didn't see it. I just didn't want to."
"What do you mean?"
She sighs, "I saw that freaking same future with him the second our gazes met in Marrakesh. One gaze of him, one split second and I was swept off my heels, Mom. There won't be another man in my live, I know that. I won't love anyone else. Only him."
I take other sip of my coffee, because I have to do something to not well up in tears. "Then why did you wait so long to tell him how you feel?"
"Because I don't want to loose my head in this relationship. These emotions are so intense, I feel so attached to him that it scares me. I feel his presence before I see him, my body reacts to his before my mind can catch up. It's like he is a part of me, this essential part of me - and without it, without him, I don't exist." She gulps, "This isn't normal. This isn't how it's suppose to feel like, is it?"
My heart skips a beat as I realise she's feeling the same about Jake as I am feeling about Troy. I place my hand on hers. "It's not normal and I'm not sure if it's healthy. But I've been feeling the same way about your father since the day we met."
"Does it get better?"
I shake my head, "It gets stronger. At times, you will question yourself how you got there. You will lose yourself in him. But he will lose himself in you as well. He will do anything to make you happy and you'll do the same in return. He will protect you, support you and love you on levels you can't even begin to dream about! Don't try to fight it, don't break it off with him because you're scared of this intensity. Don't run away, because in the end you will run back into his arms. Don't repeat my mistakes." I bite on my lower lip, "Give in to these feelings fully and you will enjoy a high like no other." I brush through her wavy blonde hair. I wish I had met my husband at only twenty. I wish I had those extra years with him. It would've spared me a lot of shit.
Suddenly, she wraps her arms around me. "I love you, Mom."
I hold her tight. "I love you, too."
She looks at me with her forest green eyes sparkling like fireworks. "Thank you."
"Any time. Any day. I am here for you." I'll always be.
"But don't get excited over a marriage any time soon, because I am not ready for it." She reads my mind.
I chuckle, "If he waited a year for you to tell him you love him, I think he can wait a little longer before proposing to you."
I smile as I see Ana and Jake giggling and whispering to each other under the patio in the backyard. Ana's wearing a linen blouse with rolled up sleeves and a pair of light washed skinny jeans. Her forest green eyes are hidden behind a pair of black cat eye sunglasses by Dior. Jake dressed his muscular body in a white Oxford shirt and beige slacks. The tailored clothes fit his muscular body perfectly. They look so carefree, so in love. He knows how lift her mood. That man turns into a teddy bear around her.
"Ugh, they are so boring!"
I wince at Della's voice before turning around. "They're in love."
"They are like you guys." She points out and I twist my upper body to look back at them. I love them together. They will last - I know it. "They haven't even touched their iced coffees. All they did was stare at each other."
Ana smiles at Jake, showing off her pearly teeth. He lifts their laced hands before kissing her knuckles. Della is right. They are like us. I turn around. "How was your talk with Costello?"
She shrugs, "She basically told me to keep my mouth shut during the trail."
"Probably not the worst idea. What are the odds of you getting a deal?"
She shrugs, "I'd say they're pretty good."
"I only care what Costello says."
"She says we probably are going to get a deal. She just hopes it's going to be soon."
I'd rather end this nightmare sooner than later as well.
I lay awake in the bed, my eyes staring at the ceiling. Adaline's going to kill me one day! First she broke into secret agencies all over the world for fun, then she participated in illegal car races all over England and now she's operating while on drugs. Can this get any worse?
It can. She could end up in prison. She could be locked up behind bars.
I let out a sigh, she's in deep shit. Very deep shit. I mean I did bad things in my life and I know she inherited my lust for adventure and limit-testing, but this... this is so bad. This is worse than my imagination.
"I'll make sure she doesn't end up behind bars." My husband's deep voice fills the silent room.
I turn my head to the side, my gaze meeting his. "You cannot promise me that."
He reaches out for my hand and pulls it toward his lips. "I can."
"Troy,"
"We are incredibly wealthy not just by money, but by connections. If we get a deal on the table, and I promise you there will be one, I'll make sure Della bites into that fucking sour apple and takes it."
"A jury won't believe her. Despite the tests she's going to do, despite all our statements... no one will believe her. They will think she's spoiled and arrogant. They will hear her last name and think of us and the crazy rumours surrounding us. They will think of the latest headline instead of the human in front of them. They will judge her before she even says a word. There will be a verdict as soon as she steps into that courtroom."
"I know."
"We can't let that happen. We have to find a way for them to offer us a deal. We need a deal no matter how bad it is."
"We will have a deal." He whispers to me.
I lift myself in the bed, now even in less mood to sleep. "I never thought our success could backfire on us like this. If I knew this happened, then I would have stopped working a long time ago. I would have sold my company and done something I am not as good as. Maybe baking for the rest of my life." I say and shrug. I'd do anything to protect my children.
"I know..." he sits next to me. "I know."
"What if Nate is going to make as much trouble as Della when he's older? What if he's even worse?!" I ask him. "Or Rory or Jo or maybe Ana starts-" I stop talking as I feel his hand on mine.
"No one is going to make any more trouble. Della will be their fearful example."
"I hate that she did it. I hate that she can't be normal for a minute-"
"That's because she's not. She's highly intelligent."
"So is Ana. But she doesn't sneak around, drives off with an illegal speed and takes drugs!" Ana likes to steal our jet and fly to Greece to meet her boyfriend.
"Gabriella, you can't-"
I close my eyes and let out a sigh, "She's not perfect as well. I know that and I shouldn't compare them to one another but at times like these I just can't help it."
I pour hot coffee into my mug as I hear footsteps coming downstairs. I look up and see my sleepy daughter in white silk pyjamas. Her chestnut coloured locks are a mess but her black eye has started to fade.
"You look better." I notice dryly as I take a sip of my coffee.
She growls, "Can I get one as well?"
Ana shakes her head, "No. You have to be sober for the blood tests."
The bright blue eyes of my daughter look at her sister, "You're awake?"
"Obviously."
"It's six o'clock."
"I know."
"Can you make me a cup of that as well?" She nods towards the cup of tea in Ana's hands.
"That's lemon ginger. And you are not allowed to have anything until your blood has been taken." Ana's sweet voice sounds bitter. "You know that, Dr. Bolton."
Della gulps, "Look, I apologise for yesterday..." Della bites her lip but looks directly into Ana's forest green eyes. "For..." she shrugs, "you know the words I said when you tried to... help me in your way, I guess."
"Good."
I frown, "That's all?" My oldest daughter rarely apologises to anyone, so every time she does it's like a unicorn is gliding down a rainbow - totally surreal. She inherited that from her father.
Adaline rolls her navy eyes at me, "Do you expect us to hug and be in tears? Or braid our hairs while listening to Britney Spiders?"
I open my mouth to answer but close it again. "No." I whisper.
"Exactly."
"Spears." Ana corrects her older sister.
"What?"
"It's Britney Spears not Britney Spiders." Ana says with an amused smile on her lips. "You've met her. She used to work with Mom in her private studio."
I chuckle as well.
Della rolls her eyes, "Whatever. Where's Dad?"
"Gym." Ana and me answer out of one mouth.
"Should have known. So, I guess he's still pissed then."
Ana chuckles, "You could say so."
"You should shower." I say to Della. "And put some make up on." I don't want the press to see her black eye. It would only worsen our situation.
She nods. I watch her body tensing as I hear her father's heavy footsteps approaching. I turn around, seeing his gaze on our oldest daughter and not me for the first time when he enters a room. He's drenched in sweat and has a towel laying on his shoulders. His dark blue eyes wander through the room before going back to Della. "You look like shit." He says, looking at Della.
"Thanks Dad." She rolls her eyes.
"You should shower, fix your hair and do something about that eye before you step out of the house." He walks past us and up the stairs. "Your appointment is at seven."
"Good morning to you, too!" Della cries after him.
"It would be one if my daughter wasn't going to get into jail!" he waves with his hand before disappearing out of our sight.
"Yep, definitely still pissed." Ana says with a chuckle before taking a sip of her tea.
I watch Troy walking out of the master bathroom with a white towel wrapped around his hips. I stop in the doorway of our master bedroom, my eyes cherishing the view that's my husband for twenty years. Twenty years! I can't believe how fast time has flown by, yet when I look at my two oldest daughters I see how much they've grown. It feels like yesterday when Della had her first day at Falkner House. It feels like yesterday when we brought Ana home. It feels like yesterday...
Suddenly, Troy sees me gazing at him. He stops in his movements, his turquoise coloured orbs staring right at me. "Are you enjoying the view, Mrs. Bolton?"
I've been enjoying this view for twenty two years, yet I can't get enough of it. "Always." I say with the same smirk on my lips. Instead of entering our dressing room, he walks over to me. I wait for him to say something but instead he kisses me. Really kisses me - with power and passion, hunger and love. My body hums to life just from his lips. He kisses me with everything he has. Ever since we left Fiji we haven't kissed that way. I missed it. Badly.
"What was that for?" I ask him after breaking apart from those luscious lips.
"I love you." He whispers, placing his forehead against mine. "I long for you... I need you more than you need me."
"Because otherwise you would have ripped Della apart?" I counter with a smirk on my lips.
He chuckles, his laughter fills my heart with the most beautiful feeling. "Yes and because of your ability to make me laugh no matter what."
"Oh, you know, it's not like you wouldn't do the same for me."
He kisses me softly in response. "I'd do anything for you, my angel."
"Me, too." I promise him, brushing through his wet chestnut hair. "I'll go to the hospital with Della and Ana."
He nods, "And I'll talk things through with Krimov."
I let my thumb run over his lips, "It's not our fault." I whisper.
"I know. But it still feels like it."
"What do the scans say?" I ask Ana and Della as they come out of the examination room. I've been waiting in the beige coloured hallway for hours, staring at every single painting there is - which are twenty two. I've never been more anxious. Della's ability to rise my stress levels are shocking me more and more. Just when I thought I've reached my limit, my daughter shows me she can top it by giving me another fucking heart attack.
"Exactly what I said before." Della says to me, dressed in a simple white shirt and jeans. She covered her black eye with concealer and even put on mascara. What most women would call a minimal, or no make up at all, Della calls full-glam. Frankly, she doesn't need any make up. She's stunning without any, but whenever she does wear makeup... it blows my mind because she looks like a supermodel rather than a surgical superhero. "There's no difference between the images."
I frown, "And the blood tests?"
"Proof that she took the drugs." Ana says. She looks the total opposite of her older sister in that emerald tight business dress and black Louboutins. Her long blonde hair is wrapped in a chignon and her earlobes are sparkling with diamond earrings. She looks stunning in that hallway at the Lindo Wing of St. Mary's. She looks like she belongs in her father's office rather than here.
"I also had to perform the same surgery with and without drugs on lynches." Della yawns.
"Are you tired? Do the drugs make you tired?" I ask her back confused. She didn't mention any fatigue the last time she told us about it.
My oldest daughter shakes her head, "I'm bored, not tired. I hate doing nothing."
"You didn't do nothing." I point out.
"But it feels like it."
"Dr. Wyatt and Thorne are down the hallway. Last door on the right." Ana says to her older sister. Della nods before walking past me.
"The last psychological evaluation?" I ask Ana.
"Yes. After that we're done here."
"How long is this going to take?"
"An hour. We should go get a coffee." Ana suggests before linking arms with me.
"And her liver is fine?" I cannot believe she's showing no signs of withdrawal. The last time Della took drugs was three days ago. If she was an addict, she'd be screaming for them now, right?
"Mom, she is alright. She's not an addict. Her liver is not damaged. Her kidneys are fine. Her lab work was alright."
"Alright? Only alright?"
"She's been taking them for a year. You can't expect her to have great results. But they are not alarming."
"Not alarming?" I ask back in shock. Just a second ago the lab work was alright.
"Where's Dad?" She's changing the subject.
"Working with his PR team."
"How many paparazzi are out there?"
"Fifteen." I sigh as we walk down the hallway.
"I don't think the verdict is going to be guilty. She has all the proof on her side. She will have to go to a treatment centre but perhaps she can choose our's in Swansea. What's going to affect her more however is the suspension from work."
"She won't like that but she has to face the consequences."
"But to be fair, I don't think she will ever do drugs again."
"I fucking hope so."
"I need a huge breakfast." Della growls as we enter our home. Without acknowledging the bouquet of pink peonies that are standing on the round marble table she goes straight to the built in wardrobe under the left marbled staircase.
"It's lunch time." Ana points out.
"Yeah, I could do lunch as well."
I close the big black wooden doors and watch my girls getting out of their shoes. While Ana is wearing heels like me, Della opted for converse sneakers in white. Ana is wearing a tight emerald dress while Della's in jeans and a white shirt. Ana's make-up is light with a bit blush and a cat eye to emphasise the green of her eyes. Her blonde hair is wrapped into a chignon. She's wearing diamond earrings in her earlobes. Della has only covered her black eye with concealer. She isn't wearing any more makeup. She's also wearing her hair in a high ponytail without earrings. They couldn't look more different.
"Mom, why are you staring at us like that?" Della asks me frowning.
"Like what?" I walk over to our wardrobe and get out of my blue Manolos.
"Della, she loves us." Ana points out as she slips out of her Louboutins.
"I know that. She's been telling me that since I was born." Della rolls her eyes at her. "I want food." With that she turns around and storms off to the kitchen. My daughter turns into a monster whenever she gets hungry.
I look at Ana and smile at her. "I think we should have some pizza from last night." I say hugging her with one arm before walking to the kitchen. We made cauliflower pizza with a veggie topping yesterday.
"Oh, I love pizza!" Della cries out, making us all laugh.
Suddenly the door to my husband's study opens. I stop in my way with Ana and we turn around. My best friend walks out with his employees, his best men for the job. They talk in a whisper, switching between languages like it's the most normal thing in the world. Carlos asks Alexej in Spanish what they should eat for lunch and Alexej answers him in fluent Russian. The two men behind them are Chang, a Chinese man, and Laurent, the French man got hired by Krimov just a few months ago. And even they talk in their native languages, perfectly understanding each other. It's a criterium to be hired at Wlad's firm. Despite being a brilliant former agent you have to speak at least six languages. Only then, the communication is flawless - whatever language they are speaking.
Wladimir chuckles as he comes out with my husband behind him. Clearly, those two are more than just a former boss with his employee. Krimov is not only my closest friend - since all of my other best friends have gotten married to one another - but my husband's as well. They go drinking together once a month, play golf together and even have poker nights at his house once a week. If that's not male bonding then I don't know what is.
Krimov's male team all smile at me before walking into the foyer. Krimov stops abruptly, his grey eyes turn dark for a second as he looks at us. He must be mad at Della, she's like a daughter to him. His eyes light up as he notices Ana and me.
"You guys are in a good mood." I say with a smile on my lips. The meeting must have gone well. Maybe they figured out how to keep the press away from us - or at least, as much as possible.
"Shit." Della curses behind me.
I turn around, "Are we out of pizza?"
Her navy blue orbs look at me instead of Wlad. "No." She says before gulping. "In fact we have enough for Krimov's team as well."
"I'll have to pass." Krimov answers.
"Wlad," I sigh, we haven't seen and talked to each other in a couple of weeks.
"There's still a lot to do. We have a few hours before the charges get public." He licks his lips. "We better go. I'll call once we find something." He says to Troy and hugs him.
I frown and hug my friend as well. What is he suppose to find?
He hugs Ana, but not Della. He just glances at her before turning around and leaving our home with his team.
"Do I want to know?" I ask Troy as the doors slam shut.
My husband shakes his head, "I asked him to dig out dirt of the judge and the jury once it is chosen."
"You-"
"Come on, lets eat the pizzas." Ana interrupts her older sister. I watch them walking into the kitchen, disappearing from my sight.
"You're not seriously considering blackmailing them?" I hiss through my teeth.
"I'm keeping all options open. In case we don't get a deal-"
"Then we will go to trail. But not do something illegal. That got us into this shit the first place."
"Her."
"What?"
"She's in deep shit, not we."
"We are a family. Whenever one of us is in deep shit we all are." I hiss at him. It's just like Ana said. We're a union. All seven of us.
"But Della's going to be the one behind bars." He points out.
I brush through my hair and get out of the bed. Troy is fast asleep but I just can't sleep. Della's hearing starts tomorrow and it feels like it's going to be today. I bite my lip before walking out of the master bedroom. I walk down the hallway, passing several framed photos of my family. I stop at Della's room. She's in more trouble than she realises. Carefully, I open the door to check on her. She's a brilliant woman but far too stubborn. I frown as I don't see her laying in the bed. I switch on the light and see that her whole room looks untouched. "Della?" I ask before walking in. My eyes scan the room and I walk into her bathroom next door. But that's empty as well.
Where the fuck is my daughter?!
A new chapter everyone!
And I have great news: I'm currently working on a Spin-off, to explain the background story of one of Bolton children. I won't tell you about who right now and the story won't be published until much later (until I reveal the big secret, which should be in about 22 to 25 chapters). But I am giving you guys hints in the upcoming chapters. Perhaps you can guess who it's about? I'll reveal the title in a few chapters.
Thanks for the lovely reviews on the last chapter, please review this one as well!