A/N – Thanks for your comments! leasmom – lol…I would never, but I've seen people do some ridiculously stupid things that I would never entertain doing lol. Sometimes, people just don't think.
Chapter 55
Liz eyed a determined-looking Jason as he entered the room. "What's up?
"Johnny may have an investment opportunity for us in Tuscany."
That got the boys' attention.
Jason put the pictures and information on the coffee table.
"A winery?" Liz asked.
"Yeah. There's a lot of property. It also has olive trees and in town, a storefront, and a warehouse. You could bake there and the warehouse it just a block away."
"Wow," she said as she perused the pictures.
The boys sat on the floor next to the table and sifted through it.
"If you do this, you'd let me be involved?" Jake asked.
"It would be a family business, so yes. All of you are welcome to work there. It's not available until the spring, so the timing would be good. Johnny and Francis want in on it too and I could talk to Drew. Apparently, it's profitable, but with some changes, it could yield even more."
Jake smiled. "Wow. We'd have a big learning curve, but it would be cool."
Aidan's jaw dropped. "Did you see the kitchen in there?"
Jason chuckled. It's a large villa. "I knew you'd like that."
"I love it."
The house has a warmth to it and Liz can tell that even though it's huge, she'll love it. "It's beautiful."
"There are several outbuildings and small cottages, so you'd have a dedicated art studio too."
She loves how he always encourages her art. "That's would be nice."
"We have time and other options, but this looks like a great fit."
"It would keep everyone together," Cam said.
"Would you be interested in working there?" Jason asked.
Cam smiled. "Yeah. I love working for Maximus, but it would be nice to be around my family."
Jason returned the smile. "Maybe we can take a trip in October and I can talk to the man who owns it. They don't have children, so they are ready to retire. I'm sure I can convince him to sell to us." Jason has more money than he knows what do with it and this seems like a good investment since it's already profitable. Johnny had done his homework.
Everyone nodded.
Liz threw her arms around him.
"I hope they aren't going to kiss again," Cam said.
Liz giggled. "Go to your room."
"Hey!"
"Can you see yourself doing this?" Liz asked Jason.
"I think so. I have a lot of experience running the coffee business. It will help."
"Well, I think we should visit and check out the place and meet them."
"I'll make it happen."
There's a knock on the door and then Danny appears and is followed by his dad and the baby. Drew puts her down and she heads straight for the boys.
"What's going on?"
They excitedly tell him about the opportunity.
"Would you be interested?"
Drew nodded. "It sounds like a good challenge."
"There's a house on the property you can live in."
"That's even better." He perused the pictures. "It's gorgeous. How are you going to split everything?"
"I'm not sure."
"The property is probably expensive, so you should have a bigger cut."
"Honestly, I plan on being more active in the beginning and then letting you guys take it over. I want to travel a bit with Elizabeth. Johnny and Francis also want to invest, but they will still oversee our security."
She smiled.
"That's doable. You and Jake could run the warehouse. Cam could do the books. Liz could run the storefront with help and then I could oversee the farming staff and the property," Drew said.
"That could work."
"I guess I'm going to focus on business courses for school," Jake said.
"What about me?" Aidan said.
"You're going to a culinary school and then get your own Food Network show," Liz said.
Aidan grinned. "I could go to school in New York to be close to their studios."
Liz pouted.
"Mom…"
"We have years to figure that out. Who knows, we could open a restaurant later if you're interested. Also, you can help me in the story over the summer so you can make some extra cash."
"We're going to visit the farm in October," Jason said.
"We'll see how I'm doing by then," Drew said.
It is easy to forget that he is about to have surgery and it could change everything.
"Sounds like a plan.
Liz followed Drew outside. "I know people forget that you are a twin, but it will be your birthday coming up too."
"I think the party should be just for Jason."
"But it's your day too."
"Can we wait and do something after I get back? I just—I'm not in the mood. I don't know how to explain it."
"You have a lot on your mind, I get it. That's fine, but you're still getting some presents."
"You don't have too."
"I know." She is going to see to it that Drew gets a big welcome home celebration.
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Lucky had about an hour session with Jake's doctor to go over what happened after he came back to life due to Helena's machinations. It was hard recalling all of it, but he had to admit, he isn't the same man. The brainwashing had profoundly changed him and part of him wonders if that was done on purpose. He had put Elizabeth through a lot, and he is sorry for it. The only thing he can do now is try to be there for his son and pray that Jake will get better. Only time will tell.
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Jason flipped through some information Johnny had printed out about the vineyard as he waited for Jake to finish his therapy session. There is so much potential but it's overwhelming because it's out of his comfort zone. When he was first introduced to the business side of Corinthos Inc., he had felt intimidated because he had no reference, but he learned, and he has no doubt that they can figure this out.
A crash came from the room and he was up on his feet in seconds and ran for the door. After throwing it open, he saw the doctor standing behind a chair and a broken vase on the floor. The man held up his hand and then Jason's gaze fixed on his son who is in the middle of a flashback.
Jake's gaze locks with his dad and he starts to shake. "Why are you here? You left me!"
Jason cringed inside as he moved forward. "I'm not leaving you again, Jake."
"Those are just words! She told me I should hate you for leaving me. She said I wasn't good enough to fight for. I hate you!" He grabbed his head and dropped to the floor. "Make it stop! I don't want to feel this anymore. Please… If you love me, you'll make her go away. You'll make her stop!"
He is almost hyperventilating and finally, the doctor moved forward. "Jake, you are safe. Say your safe word."
Jake starts to cry as Jason watches feeling helpless. After a long moment, he said, "Imogene."
"Good job, Jake. You can do this."
His eyes are squeezed shut. "Did he leave? Does he hate me?"
"I could never hate you. I love you and I'm not going anywhere. I'll say it over and over and tell you believe me deep down," Jason said as a tear trailed down his cheek.
"I'm sorry."
"You have nothing to be sorry for. Even if you hadn't been brainwashed, you'd have a right to hate me, Jake. I did walk away. I wish I could go back and change that, but I can't."
A sob left Jake's lips. "Dad, I'm sorry. I love you."
Jason sat next to him and pulled him against his chest. "It's okay, Jake. I'm right here. Do you want your mom?"
Jake nodded and the doctor made a brief call. When he was finished, he observed them and is pleased that Jake is calming.
"Is he getting better?" Jason asked.
The doctor nodded. "Yes. He must let this out to move forward. I know it hurts, but what he is saying he has buried to force those emotions away. It's not how he feels now. That's partly what causes the pain. He doesn't want to go back there."
Jason kissed the top of Jake's head and started to ramble. "You were such a beautiful little boy. Your eyes made me remember how stunning my grandmother was and your smile was so sweet. God, my heart ached for you. I wish I wasn't such a coward. You're going to be okay, Jake. You're so smart and you have your mother's heart. We will do anything for you. I have a lot of love and spoiling to catch up on."
Jake gripped the back of his shirt, needing to hear every word.
Liz stepped into the doorway. She had broken every law getting there. Seeing tears on Jason's face told her things had gotten worse.
"She said that she was the only one who wanted me; that you wanted another family with someone else and that mom was glad she had less responsibility. I tried not to believe her. I tried not to hate you, but she was relentless, and sometimes, I did."
"I understand."
"I don't. How can someone be so hateful?"
"I don't know, but she's gone, and you have us. We're not leaving you. I know it hurts remembering, but it's freeing your soul. You'll see."
Liz moved next to Jason and then kissed his forehead as she rubbed Jake's back. "Mommy's here. I love you so much."
He turned and dove against her, still gripping his father's shirt as his mother lovingly embraced him.
"I want to use hypnosis," Doctor Messina said.
"Will it help?"
"Yes. There are techniques I can use which will help him confront what she did. I'm afraid something happened that is partially triggering his anxiety. If he can face that, he'll be able to move forward."
"When do you want to do it?" Liz asked.
"I would like to start in a few days if Jake agrees."
Jake sat up and wiped his face. "I need this to stop, so I want to know what I'm blocking."
"I'll have my receptionist schedule it."
The family rose and then headed out hoping that the treatment won't make things worse.
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Liz sat down in a café on the other side of town. This is either going to be one of the worst decisions she has made in years, or it will do some good. Right now, she's not sure either way, but after seeing the damage Helena is doing to her son, she refuses to let another child suffer for their parent's sins.
The bell on the door rang and a younger woman moved into the room and then smiled and joined her. They hugged and then sat across from each other.
"Hi. I was surprised to hear from you."
"I debated for a while, but I decided to take a chance."
Emiliana nodded. "You heard about the engagement?"
"Yes."
Emiliana sighed heavily. "I feel stuck. My mom is it. I lost my brother and father and I'm scared to disappoint her."
"I get it, but you can't live your life to please your mother."
"It's what is expected of me."
"I lived most of my life doing what I thought others expected or needed and I can tell you, all it brought was heartache, loneliness, and a boatload of bad decisions. At some point, I had to start fighting back and that meant that some people weren't in my life anymore. I haven't spoken to my parents since my teen years. They basically abandoned me. I get that she is the only one you have left, but what your mother is asking of you is wrong. I know for a fact that she has enough money to secure your future, so we can take that off the table. What is the other reason she is forcing this?"
Emiliana took a sip of her water. "She has no faith me; that I'll be able to take care of myself in a fashion she agrees with and she doesn't want the responsibility. I love marketing and advertising and I'm good at it. She just refuses to see it and when I pushed back, she told me that my father died trying to fight for me and I owe it to him to see this through."
"So, she used guilt." Liz studied her for a moment. She had seen the conviction in her eyes when she was talking about her work and it gave Liz hope. "And you let her?"
"What was I supposed to do?"
"You should have fought for what you want. Maybe she was even hoping that you would."
"So, me giving in showed weakness and she pounced on that? She drives me crazy."
Liz chuckled. "Parents can sometimes do that. What is the guy like?"
Emiliana rolled her eyes. "He's an arrogant, conceited, know it all. I was over him in a few seconds. Not many can hold a candle to Cam."
Liz smiled. "My boy is a winner. Emiliana, Cam is a bit hardened because of my choices and the fact that I let people bully me. I didn't always fight, so your reactions are giving him red flags. I think he will fight to be with you if you can show the same fire you just showed me when you were talking about your work. You also can't treat him like you do your family. He doesn't expect you to bow to him or be subservient. He wants a partner."
A tear ran down Emiliana's face. God, she had messed things up when she had given up years ago. Her family had sucked the fight out of her and because of that, she may lose the man she truly loves forever.
"What do you want?"
"Cam—a life of my own. I want to be successful and happy. I'm so tired. I'm not sleeping well, and the stress is exhausting."
"You have the power to make it stop. It's your choice. Either you keep going like this and end up in a marriage that makes you miserable, or you find your voice. Have you ever considered therapy?"
"No."
"I think you should. It helps get your thoughts out and can help guide you."
"I'm willing to do anything at this point."
Liz touched her hands. "My life was so painful for so long. I don't want to see you suffer that fate. You should consider fighting for yourself and your future, but I can't tell you what to do. You must dig deep and figure it out and face the hard truths. You owe that to yourself." She stood and then handed Emiliana a piece of paper. "Call me if you need me, okay?"
"Thank you." She wiped her face and then they embraced again before Liz left.
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Liz slipped next to Jason who had gone to bed early. "Are you okay?"
"No, but I'm trying to focus on him."
"You know, I had an issue with Cam because of my choices and he was letting them influence how he interacted with Emiliana. It hurt, but it didn't break me. I understand and know he needs to work through everything just like I do. Sometimes, you don't even realize how you're feeling or what you've buried until something happens to make you face it. Because I got out of my head and listened and was there for him, it turned out to be a good talk instead of a bad one. It's okay to be upset about our choices, but in the end, Jake just needs us to stay strong and be present. Believe him when he says he loves you. He's going to need us after the next session. I'm scared to death."
"The doctor and Jake want us there."
"Then we will be."
She is surprised when his face contorts. "Let it out, Jason. There were many times I came to my room and cried and then I pulled it together and did the best I could. There is no shame in that." She held him.
"When does it end?" He just wishes the pain would go away and leave the family in peace.
The whisper almost felt like a knife. "I don't know, but let's choose to enjoy the good and laughter instead of wallowing in the pain. We have so much to be thankful for. We got him back. It was a miracle, and Cam and Aidan are doing well despite what a hot mess we were. That gives me hope."
He kissed her fiercely, wondering how he could have walked away from such a beautiful person. They panted as they retreated.
"What was that for?"
"Just because you're you."
She slightly smiled. "Thank you."
"Anytime."
