Hi everyone, just wanted to thank you all so so much for reading and to all those who took the time to leave me a review :) appreciate the support and can't thank you all enough.

Here's the next chapter for you all, just please don't kill me once you've read it...

Sunday 30th September 2007.

...continued.

The moment his lips pressed against hers, Clarisse pulled back and looked up into his eyes for a moment before he lowered his head to kiss her again. Raising her hand, she slapped him across his face where time then seemed to stand still for her as Christophe grabbed her by the top of her arms and pulled her closer to him, his lips crushing down on hers as he did.

Putting her hands on his chest, she managed to muster enough strength to push his towering frame back, "how dare you," she exclaimed and slapped him across his other cheek, harder than the first time. "I'm married and I am happy and if you think that you coming here and telling me that you still love me is going to get me where I think you want to get me then you are very much mistaken," she said and looked up at him while shaking her hand as it tingled from slapping him.

"I thought that's what you wanted," Christophe answered as he stood with his hand up on his cheek, "we haven't seen, or spoken to one another for years then out of the blue you write to me, inviting me to your granddaughters wedding."

"Yes, because you are Mia and Pierre's family, not because I wanted you, Christophe." Clarisse exclaimed as she shook her head, "whatever feelings I had for you are long gone. Yes, I may have been madly in love with you enough to think about leaving my family behind to be with you in America all those years ago, but I'm madly in love with someone else now and have been for sometime."

"Clarisse, please calm down," he said as he put his hands down on her sides, "let's talk about this a moment?"

"No, Christophe, I take my vows very seriously, something you obviously don't!" She exclaimed while pushing his arms away from her sides before going to move away from him.

"Clarisse, wait," he exclaimed while grabbing her arm and watched as she spun back around to him while trying to remain as calm as she possibly could.

"No! You need to go back to America with your wife and your sister and leave me alone," she said and yanked her arm free from his grasp before walking over to the door as Christophe smirked, watching her.

Once she was out the door, Clarisse stopped to take a deep breath while turning to slump back against the wall. Placing her hand against her abdomen, she tried to comprehend what had just happened. Finally pulling herself together a moment later, she began making her way down the corridor when Charlotte appeared.

"Hello," Charlotte smiled as she walked towards her, "did Joseph find you?"

"No, I haven't seen him," Clarisse said with a shake of her head, "is he back from the airport already?"

"Yes, I told him that you were in the library waiting for him," Charlotte said and watched as Clarisse looked away a moment before looking back up at her, a look of panic on her face. "Is everything okay?"

"Excuse me, Charlotte, I'm sorry," Clarisse said, her heart pounding in her chest as she hastened down the corridor and out into the foyer, where Gino stood checking his phone.

Looking up, Gino frowned as he watched Clarisse hurrying over to the front doors. "Is everything okay?" He asked, making her jump as she spun around to him. "Clarisse, relax, its only me," he exclaimed.

"Sorry, Gino," she said and put her hand up onto her forehead as she closed her eyes.

"What's wrong?" He asked and watched as she looked back over at him while lowering her hand.

"Nothing," she said and shook her head, "you haven't happened to have seen Joseph, have you?"

"Yes, I did a few moments ago," he nodded, "you just missed him."

"He's gone," Clarisse exclaimed and watched as Gino nodded.

"Yes, he said he had some errands to do, asked if I could take you and Elly back to the house when you were ready to go." Gino said and watched as Clarisse folded her arms and placed one of her hands on her chest.

"How did he seem to you, was he okay?" She asked.

"Now that you mention it, he did seem to be a bit agitated," he said and watched as she turned back to the door.

"Oh great," she answered and shook her head.

"Why, what's happened?" Gino asked and watched as she turned back to him before they both looked over at Charlotte and Shades coming into the foyer. Looking back at Clarisse, he watched as she walked over and stood in front of him.

"Can you take me to the house, I have to see if he's there," Clarisse said as she put her hand down on Gino's arm, "please, it's important?"

"Okay," he said after a moment and nodded before turning to Charlotte and Shades, "Charlotte can you please let Elly know that I'll be back for her shortly?"

"Of course," Charlotte nodded and watched Clarisse as she walked over and stood in front of Shades.

"Thank you," Gino smiled and looked at Clarisse.

"Shades, can you please be sure that Christophe leaves the property for me? Escort him off the grounds if you have too?" Clarisse asked quietly and watched as he nodded, "thank you."

"I'll see to it right away," Shades said and looked at Charlotte as Clarisse walked over to the door with Gino. "What's going on?" He whispered to Charlotte.

"I don't know," she whispered back with a shrug before they both looked back at Clarisse and Gino walking out the door.

"Thank you for this, Gino," Clarisse said as they made their way down the palace steps.

"Don't mention it, you know that I'd do anything for you," he said, getting his car keys from his pocket, "I just wish you would tell me what's going on," he said and watched as she stopped by his car and looked back at him.

Pulling up beside Joseph's car on the drive a short time later, Gino turned off the engine and watched Clarisse climb from the car, make her way up to the house and open the door, where she stopped. He wanted to get out, make sure she was alright but knew she had to face Joseph alone, so he stayed in the car.

Standing in the front doorway a moment, Clarisse watched her husband as he leant to one side and placed his overnight bag on the floor beside him before looking back at her. "I take it from you having your bag, you saw what happened in the library?" she asked.

"I saw enough, yes," he answered with a nod.

"Okay," said slowly and closed the front door before turning back to him, "can we talk about this?"

"I don't think I have anything to say on the matter," Joseph answered.

"Please, Joseph?" She asked and watched as he relented a moment later and walked into the living room. Taking a deep breath she followed him and took a seat on the sofa as Joseph took a seat in one of the armchairs. "I know what it looks like,"

"You kissed him," he said, interrupting her.

"No, no I didn't kiss him," Clarisse exclaimed.

"I saw you Clarisse, I saw it with my own two eyes so don't sit there denying it," Joseph exclaimed and stood to his feet.

"I didn't kiss him Joseph, he kissed me, there's a difference," Clarisse exclaimed and watched as he turned back to her. "If you had stuck around long enough you would have seen me pull away and slap him across his face, but you obviously didn't..."

"No, I didn't hang around because seeing that man tell you when he saw you yesterday that he realised he still loved you, seeing that man put his hand up and cup your cheek and seeing that man lower his head to kiss you, my wife, was too damn much for me and I had to walk away. If I hadn't off, I would have ended up killing him." He said as he stared across at her, "but seeing all that, you know what I realised?"

"What?" She asked while looking up at him.

"I realised that maybe, just maybe you still have feelings for him and regretted not going to America to be with him all those years ago," he exclaimed and watched as she stood to her feet.

"I beg your pardon?" She exclaimed.

"Think about it, you sat there all those months ago with Mia and wrote out that letter to him, and his invitation to the wedding, knowing that you two were once serious about one another and not once did you tell me about the two of you," he said, "I had to find out from him last night, just like how I found out about you and Jaures, from the man himself."

"I didn't know I had to tell you about a past love," Clarisse snapped.

"Do you have any idea how much it hurt when Christophe told me that you were his one that got away? After everything we have been through?" Joseph said and shook his head, "then hearing him tell you today when you walked away from them out on the drive last night, he realised his feelings for you never went away... but you never told me you had been out there with them, you told me you saw your sister and her family off when you finally came up to our suite, but not Christophe."

"So what if I didn't tell you that I saw them on the drive," she said, letting out a frustrated sigh and put her hands up to cover her face a moment before looking back up at him. "You need to stop being jealous, Joseph."

"That's just it, I don't know if I can," he answered, "I don't even know if I can trust you right now."

"Maybe we should just call it a day then, as I can't be with a man who doesn't trust me," she said and looked across at him, "I went through it with Rupert and I refuse to go through it with you too."

Looking up from his phone, Gino watched as Joseph emerged from the house with his overnight bag and got in his car, driving off the drive a moment later. Letting out a sigh, Gino looked up at the house to see Clarisse standing in the front doorway with her arms folded before stepping back and closing the door behind her. He had no idea what had happened between them in the house, but knew from Joseph leaving it wasn't good.

That Evening.

Pouring himself a shot of scotch, Joseph picked up the glass and moved to place it on the coffee table in his hotel suite before sitting on the sofa. Resting his elbows on his knees, he put his hands together and stared down at the drink a long moment. It had been a horrible day of heartbreak and one he didn't expect to be ending in a hotel suite, but here he was, doing just that.

Hearing voices as he approached the library door, Joseph decided to stop and listen a moment before making his presence known. "I have a confession to make," he heard Christophe say.

"Oh, and what might that be?" Clarisse had replied.

"Mercia and my sister aren't really suffering from a hangover... We had a falling out last night."

"How come?"

"She caught me staring at you as you walked away from us last night out on the drive, claimed she saw something in my eyes that gave away my feelings for you." It was the tone of his voice that made him step into the doorway, he wanted so much to yell at him but the moment he saw them, the moment he saw how close Christophe was standing to his wife he froze. It was like he was watching a movie play out in front of him, it didn't seem real.

"Christophe, I.. " she said as she turned to him and watched as he shook his head.

"No, please let me continue," he said, interrupting her and looked into her eyes, "the truth is, Clarisse, when I saw you again yesterday after all these years I realised I never stopped loving you, I had just simply buried my feelings away."

"Christophe," Clarisse said and shook her head.

"Clarisse, I still love you," he whispered and lowered his head to kiss her while putting his hand up to cup her face.

Hearing that man tell his wife that he still loved her shocked him back to reality, but seeing him raise his hand to cup Clarisse's cheek broke him. Averting his gaze away, he knew he should be stopping what was happening right in front of him but he couldn't. He didn't have the energy to stop it, not if his own wife didn't then why should he.

So instead he simply turned and walked away.

Picking up his shot of scotch, he raised the glass to his lips and downed the contents in one before slamming the glass back down on the coffee table while putting the back of his other hand up, pressing it against his mouth as the liquid warmed his throat.

Standing to his feet a moment later, Joseph moved to stand in the balcony doorway and looked out at the view while absentmindedly slipping his hands in his pockets when a knock came to the door. Turning, he looked over at the door before slowly making his way over and opened it to find Gino stood there looking back at him.

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay," Gino said as he watched Joseph walk back across the room to stand back in the balcony doorway.

"I'm fine," he said and turned slightly to look back at him as Gino came in and closed the door behind him, "is Clarisse okay?"

"She's heartbroken, Joseph," Gino said and watched as Joseph turned to look back out at the view. "Why don't you stop this now and come back with me?"

"No, I think it's best if I stay here," Joseph answered coldly.

"Do you really think that she would do this to you? Do you really think she would kiss him like you believe she has?" Gino said, "he kissed her Joseph, and you are a damn fool if you believe otherwise."

"It wasn't just the kiss, Gino, it was what was said," Joseph answered and turned to look back at him. "All I can hear is him telling her that he still loves her, and all I can see is him cupping her face right before he lowered his head to kiss her, the love of my life."

"You know you're breaking her heart, Joseph,"

"And what about my heart," Joseph snapped, interrupting him, "seeing her with Christophe, seeing them together has broke me." He said and put his hand up onto his chest, rubbing it back and forth as he turned back to the balcony, "I don't know what to believe anymore, so it's better if I just stay here."

"Well you can't stay here forever, sometime you are gonna have to go home and by then it may be to late," Gino said.

"I don't plan on staying here forever, I'm going to stay a few nights then I'm going to get a flight to Italy," Joseph said and turned back to his friend.

"So that's it, is it? You're just going to walk away?" Gino asked and shook his head.

"I have no fight left in me Gino, that kiss was the last straw," Joseph answered and walked over to pick up the scotch bottle before walking over to the coffee table. "Will you stay and have a drink with me?"

"No," Gino answered and watched as Joseph bent over to pour some scotch into his glass, "and you shouldn't be drinking either."

"I don't actually care at the moment," Joseph said and placed the bottle down on the coffee table and picked up his glass. "Just think, if I walk away there will be no more getting jealous of any man that goes near her."

"Oh come on Joseph, you don't mean that,"

"I do," Joseph nodded, "she can have any man she wants now, she could even get back with Christophe if she wants. I just don't care anymore," he said and downed his second scotch before picking up the bottle from the coffee table.

"Joseph," Gino said and watched as he began pouring himself another drink, "I really think you shouldn't be drinking."

"I don't care what you think, I don't care what she thinks, or anyone else for that matter," Joseph exclaimed and put the bottle back down on the coffee table. "I spent most of my life dedicated to her, loving her... for her to just throw it back in my face, so no more caring. I'm done." He said and downed his third shot of scotch before looking down at the glass in his hand, "it's time to move on with my life, albeit a single man, but it's time."

"It doesn't have to be that way, Joseph," Gino said and watched as he looked up at him.

"I think you should go," Joseph said and placed his glass back down on the coffee table before turning to his friend. "I want to be alone."

"Do you really think I'm going to leave you like this?" Gino said and shook his head. "No way."

"JUST GO, DAMMIT!" Joseph shouted in anger and put his hand up onto his chest.

"Joseph?" Gino exclaimed and hurried forward as Joseph fell to his knees.

Later.

Looking up, Gino watched as the nurse entered the family room and smiled. "Mr Elizondo is asking for you."

"He is?" Gino exclaimed as he stood to his feet, "is he okay?"

"He wants to tell you," smiled the nurse and held the door open for him as he walked over to her.

"Okay," Gino said and followed the nurse to Joseph's room. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," the nurse smiled at him before walking away.

Stepping closer to the door, Gino took a deep breath and pushed it open to find Joseph lying in bed, looking towards the window. "Hey," he said and watched as his friend turned his head to look over at him. "The nurse said you were asking for me?"

"Yes, please come in," Joseph said and pushed himself up into a sitting position as Gino entered the room.

"How are you feeling?" Gino asked as he closed the door and walked over to his bed.

"Good, I was lucky it wasn't a heart attack this time," Joseph said.

"Oh well that's great news," Gino said, elated.

"They want to keep me in though as a precaution, after what happened the last time," Joseph said and watched as Gino sat in the chair beside his bed.

"That's understandable," Gino nodded and watched as Joseph looked towards the foot of the bed.

"Yeah," Joseph nodded and looked back at his friend, "listen, you haven't told Clarisse or Elly that I'm in hospital yet, have you?"

"Not yet, I wanted to find out what was going on first," Gino answered.

"Good," Joseph said, "because I don't want them to know, not yet anyway."

"Oh Joseph, are you sure that's a good idea? I mean, Clarisse still cares about you a great deal, we all do and I know it will hurt her if she finds out some other way that you were in the hospital," Gino said, trying to reason with him.

"I'm sure," Joseph nodded and looked back at the foot of the bed a moment before looking back at Gino, "I don't want her finding out."

Reluctantly, Gino nodded, "alright, I won't say anything."