Hello! I hope you are all well and safe! This isn't the best chapter, but I promise the rest will be up to par! And even juicier! I just wanted to get into Franco's head a little bit here! Happy reading!

(I do not own this Novela!)

Chapter 41

As soon as Franco arrived at his house, he noticed his brothers and employees talking amongst themselves. Already bothered and flustered about the recent events, Franco decided to dodge both his brothers' questioning looks and tried to hurry inside his house to gather his thoughts, but was instantly pulled back by a very concerned Oscar.

"Hey!" called Oscar. "What's with you, huh? Where are you coming from all shook up? You don't want to talk to us, or what?"

"Nothing!" answered Franco, completely agitated. "Nothing is wrong, okay?"

"You sure?" asked Oscar, his hazel eyes scanning Franco's withered attire. "Look at your mouth! You look like shit!"

"Why the hell are you so dirty?" gruffed Juan, stalking over to Oscar's side to observe Franco closely. "And so beat up? Did you fight with someone?"

Franco gapped at both of them, too distraught to respond. All he could think about was Sarita, and the possible dangers she could be facing. Just picturing Gabriela holding that weapon, sent tremors throughout every core of his being.

"Don't tell me you fought with Sarita?" groaned Oscar. "Franco, come on, what happened?"

Franco grimaced at the mention of Sarita's name, his worry intensifying even more. He simply wanted to be left alone with his thoughts and anticipate Sarita's promise of meeting with him later. But somehow, that promise seemed to be faltering the more he thought about her deranged mother and that miserable vermin of Fernando Escandon.

He shouldn't have left her alone.

"I didn't fight with anyone!" he shouted, his guilt riling up inside him as he avoided Juan and Oscar's curious eyes. "Get off my ass!"

Once he made a step forward, Juan pushed him back.

"We're not leaving you alone!" Juan affirmed. "Until you tell us what happened."

Franco let forth an exasperated breath. There's one thing that annoyed him most about his brothers. Nothing could ever get past them, especially Juan.

"So tell us." continued Juan, eyeing him with great suspicion. "Who did you fight with and for what reason?"

"Just look at your mouth…" criticized Oscar, grabbing Franco's jaw, observing his busted lip.

Franco hastily snatched Oscar's hand away from his face and glared at both his brothers, completely damning them for being so intrusive and overprotective.

He glared at the both of them, knowing damn well that they will not leave him alone until they get answers.

Franco sighed, his heart hammering at what he finally had to confess to them. The palms of his hands began to collect sweat as they clutched tightly onto his matted hat and jacket.

"Fine…" he spat, feeling his stomach revolt in utter discomfort and anger. "I fought with Escandon."

Juan tensed, his nostrils flared dangerously and Oscar raised his brows in alarm.

"You fought him?" asked Juan. "Why?"

Franco averted his eyes from Juan's dark and hard scrutinizing gaze, his heart hammering profusely.

"Because…because…" stammered Franco, his nerves getting the best of him. "Because of him, Gabriela found Sarita and I together."

Oscar gaped at him while Juan frowned in confusion.

"What do you mean?" questioned a curious Oscar.

Franco shot him a dirty look, not willing to go into so many details of his and Sarita's amorous activity.

"Escandon had been intervening with my relationship with Sarita." confessed Franco, a lump forming in his throat. "He must've followed us and had informed Gabriela that Sarita and I were seeing each other."

"So…" pried Oscar. "What were you two doing, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Of course I mind!" shouted a flustered Franco, deeply peeved by Oscar's pestering questions.

Juan sighed and scratched his temple, shooting Oscar a stern glare.

"Okay…" muttered Juan, staring back at Franco again. "So…she found you both together?"

Franco nodded, his face growing hotter as he watched both his brother's putting the pieces together in their heads.

"Oh…" sighed Oscar, his face distorting back to a look of concern. "So why are you here? Shouldn't you be with her?"

Franco shrugged, his thoughts going back to Sarita.

"Sara begged me to leave her alone with her mother", Franco sadly answered. "She was afraid Gabriela would shoot me."

Juan and Oscar gawked at him in disbelief. Franco felt the hairs stand on the back of his neck, his worry for Sarita becoming more unbearable within each passing second.

"I shouldn't have left." he went on, guilt pelting through him like a ton of bricks. "I'm very worried about her. I shouldn't have left her."

Franco didn't say another word to them and finally made his way inside his house. He stalked morosely into his room, and plopped himself on the foot of his bed. A frustrated groan escaped his lips when he brought his head down to his hands, the sheer memory of Sarita standing there, looking so helpless and scared as he had never seen her before.

He should've stayed.

It didn't matter that he was being threatened by Gabriela, Sarita was his main priority.

He cared about her.

Hell, he loved her.

He should have fucking stayed, but Sarita being Sarita…so valiant and ruthlessly selfless begged him to leave. For once, Franco wished she didn't possess those qualities, especially this time. He'll never forget Gabriela's menacing threats as she pointed that damn shotgun at him. It pained him to know that deep down something was bound to go wrong.

He stumbled out of his thoughts and realized the filth he was covered in.

He walked to his bathroom and froze once he discovered his distraught reflection in the mirror. Oscar was right. He looked like shit.

His hair was completely matted, his clothes were stained with dirt and grass, and his bottom lip was cut.

He muttered a curse under his breath, his heart filling with such hatred towards that bastard, Fernando Escandon.

Because of that asshole, Gabriela finally knows about him and Sarita. Because of that asshole, Gabriela found them in a very compromising and private position. Lastly, because of that asshole, Sarita's safety could be at risk.

His jaw clenched as he prepared himself for a shower, the need to put that bastard straight out of his misery washing over him. He allowed the warm rays of water to pelt down his back as he stared down at the tiles of his shower.

A few hours went by, and just as Franco suspected…Sarita didn't meet with him as promised. Nor did she call. That's when Franco's suspicion grew. Something went wrong. He just knew it.

It wasn't like Sarita to back out on a promise.

It was then Franco remembered the promise he made to her. If she doesn't show, he will be looking for her with or without her mother's permission.

With his brothers' approval and support, the three of them began to make their way to the Elizondo ranch. Franco stayed silent the entire ride, his mind rattling with what could have possibly happened to Sarita.

As soon as they arrived, the three brothers were greeted by Dominga and asked her if it would be possible to speak with the three sisters.

Franco's eyes scanned the mansion, just hoping to catch a glimpse of Sarita. He noticed the front of the house open, and his heart pummeled to the pit of his stomach when he only saw Norma and Jimena walking over to him and his brothers.

Where is Sara?

Why didn't she come out with her sisters?

From the looks on the two women's faces, Franco noticed their uneasiness and he immediately sensed that something did indeed happen.

"Hey, darling." greeted Norma to Juan, pecking him on his lips when she approached him. "How are you?"

Franco diverted his gaze from them, and allowed his eyes back on the mansion, still hoping to catch any traces of his girlfriend. His eyes narrowed when he caught Gabriela standing by her window. He tore his attention from that deranged old woman back to his brothers and their loves.

"We can't imagine how you must feel with all this going on." Juan told Norma, who kept stealing nervous glances at Franco.

"Yes, we are a little upset." she answered, tucking a stray of her hair behind her ear. "I don't think this is the best time to receive visits."

"Well, I warned Sara that if she didn't see me this afternoon, I'd come looking for her." Franco affirmed, glaring back at Gabriela, who still lurked by her window. "So here I am. I don't trust Gabriela to let this go. Where is Sarita?"

Jimena stole a glance back at Norma and looked back at Franco. He noticed her wringing her hands nervously in front of her, giving Franco more of a horrible feeling.

"Sarita…" Jimena began to say, "Sarita is very upset about what happened and wants to stay alone and not talk about it…well, at least for now."

Franco nodded, not entirely convinced by Jimena's response.

"Are you sure she's okay?" he asked. "Apart from her being upset, is there anything else?"

"No." urged Norma. "She's perfectly fine, but she'd rather see you go."

"Norma, I don't think it'd be good for her if we just go." Oscar said. "Especially after the scrap between her and Franco. But you know what? This is the perfect opportunity to clarify this situation once and for all."

"I agree." Juan added, grabbing Norma's attention. "Norma, we have to talk to your mom and we are going to lay all the cards on the table for once."

"Darling–" Norma began to say but was cut off by Juan, when he gently grabbed her shoulders.

"Listen to me…" Juan went on. "Our marriage has to come to fruition. Oscar needs to go back to Jimena, and we have to sort things out between Franco and Sara. What will happen to them from now on?"

All the while Juan went on, Franco kept glaring at the mansion, his anger bubbling inside him as the Elizondo widow still spied on them.

"And I can't have peace knowing that Fernando Escandon is messing with our private matters." spat Franco.

That bastard was egging him on. Just saying that man's name was like a curse.

"Well…" drawled Oscar, looking behind him and his brows furrowed when he noticed Escandon's car parked right in front of the house. "If that gentleman is here, I'd like to have a little talk with him, and let him know that none of us is alone here and that Franco's problems are also ours."

Oscar began to take a few steps towards the mansion to abide by his words but was held back by both Jimena and Norma.

"There's no need for that!" reprimanded Norma. "Please try to reconsider! This isn't the time to be rash, you don't want that."

"Look…" sighed Jimena, stepping in front of Oscar. "Us more than anyone are interested in finding the best solution for this, but you have to understand that we have to solve our personal matters at home, okay?"

"Jimena is right." agreed Norma while the men stood perfectly calm as they could. "Besides, imagine how mom must be feeling right now after just finding out about Franco and Sarita. So please, this isn't the right moment to argue with her."

Franco scoffed. He couldn't care less about how Gabriela is feeling. His only concern was Sarita. He needed to know how she was doing and how she must be feeling after what had happened earlier.

"We must wait." added Jimena. "I think that's the wisest choice."

"Well, the waiting part is starting to numb my nuts." said Oscar, earning an endearing smile from Jimena.

"Oh, Oscar…" she cooed, caressing his face. "Don't worry, it's going to be sooner than you think."

Franco continued to glare at Gabriela while Jimena began to ease Oscar's impatience with her kisses.

"As soon as Fernando leaves for good…" uttered Norma, making Juan chuckle to himself.

"Sure," he muttered sarcastically. "Is there any hope of that happening?"

Norma looked sadly up at him while Jimena turned away from Oscar as Franco began to pace nervously where he stood.

"My mom is at a rough place right now." Norma told him. "She's going to have to choose…it's either Fernando or us. I think she'll have her answer within a few hours."

Franco stopped pacing and glared back at the widow still standing by her window, his heart hammering like rapid fire in his chest, noticing the malice and disdain unveiling in her stark green eyes. He continued to stare at her until she finally left her window. He turned his attention back to his brothers who were now saying their goodbyes to Norma and Jimena.

He watched remorsefully as Juan and Oscar embraced their loves, an ache enveloping his hammering heart, wishing he could embrace his own love.

Juan and Oscar were making their way back to their car as Franco stood there, taking one final glimpse of the Elizondo mansion, in hopes of seeing any final sign of the woman he loved.

Distraught by his shattered hopes, Franco slowly followed his brothers.

Throughout the ride back home, Franco couldn't help but let out his frustrations as he drove. He was glad to know that his brothers too were unconvinced about Norma and Jimena's indifferences.

Franco had a strong feeling they were hiding something. Especially any news about Sara.

"I'm holding back just because Norma and Jimena were upset, but to tell you the truth…" said Oscar, "I would've pushed for more and got this whole shit settled!"

"You can say that again." Franco agreed. "To keep holding us back, I don't know how good it is for us."

He paused, his eyes fixed on the road as he drove, but his mind focused on Sarita's wellbeing.

"I don't feel good not knowing how Sarita is doing." he added, tightening his grip on the steering wheel.

"I know, but we can't act rash either." Juan interjected, his tone calm but strict. "This could all go to hell. We have to think about the chaos brewing within a family when they find out that one of the girls is having a love affair. Remember what happened to Libia?"

Franco nearly lost his balance, causing the car to nearly swerve off the road.

"That's completely different!" Franco argued. "I'm being straight up about what I do with Sara. Not like that bastard of her father, who cheated on our own sister."

Franco fumed under his breath at Juan's words, knowing very well that he wouldn't commit such an atrocity as that vile old man had done to their little sister. That may have been her father, but he could never picture himself hurting Sarita in that way. His intentions with her are pure, much purer than her father's intent with his late sister.

Juan was clearly mistaken.

"All right!" shouted Oscar, just as annoyed as Franco. "At least they're getting rid of Fernando for good. In the context of this whole mess, if our baby chicks can convince the angry hen to let that scoundrel go for good, we'd be gaining considerable ground."

Juan agreed with Oscar while Franco tried in vain to heed his every word, deeply knowing for a fact that Gabriela is too fond of Fernando Escandon to ever let him go for good.

That thought alone bothered Franco as he continued driving. With that man still lurking at every corner in the Elizondo estate, Sarita and her sisters could be in even greater danger.

That vindictive bastard needs to go.

He needs to go! Fernando ruins everything! I was so mad at him! Franco and Sarita could've gone for round two...after they wake up (I guess that's another idea for a fanfic! Who knows?) My heart does go out to Sarita, the poor girl was so distraught. It's just not fair. Having lost her virginity only to be punished so severely. How unbearable. She couldn't catch a break. I also wondered... did Franco ever see those scars? Getting whipped with a horse lash is very painful. Never experienced that myself, but I've read written documentaries on enslaved African Americans... those wounds take a WHILE to heal! So... in the next few chapters, I'd thought I'd go in depth with that. Anyways... let's get to it! Chapter 42 coming soon!