Chapter 2: A Very Dangerous Homecoming

Elena’s POV

I arrived in Valencia yesterday and the first thing I had to do this morning was come to my garden but what is before me right now is beyond heartbreaking. My Valencia garden is dying.

This is where my love for plants started. I planted some of these with my dad when I was seven and over the years my dad always sent me pictures of how they had been thriving. Sometimes he even teased that the plants here were doing better than the ones I had in my greenhouse in Pinecrest. What I am looking at now is the exact opposite.

My plants have been abandoned, and that is surprising because I have a gardener on payroll.

But I wish it was only the dying jasmine that was making my chest tighten. I wish it was how my favourite plant, the Heliconia, had dropped its head into the soil that was making me uneasy, but it wasn't just that.

Ingrid's last conversation.

The betrothal, the contract, the entirety of it all, made bile curl down my belly.

About five years ago, a few months before I turned seventeen. My dad had brought me down to Spain. I had been so happy thinking I was coming back home and calling to tell Ingrid. But we didn't come here to Valencia. When we got to Spain, my father took me to an unfamiliar mansion, and in that house a man welcomed us, he was way older than my papa. They both smiled and talked, then papa asked me to sign two papers. I asked him why and he said it was a marriage contract. I was confused. Was I marrying this old man? My dad must have sensed my fear because he immediately told me I was marrying the man's nephew, a mafia boss, and he wasn't around. Still confused, I signed on the spaces for my name. I didn't dare read the other contents of the paper. I just wanted to go home. But instead of coming here to Valencia we returned back to Pinecrest. Dad  kept his copy in his safe. I know where it is, I know the  combination. But I have never gone to read it. I want to live a little with this fantasy of normalcy, even if it was a lie.

But now Ingrid brought it up.

 Now I'm in Spain. What if this man comes for me? What if my freedom is over? I had always dreamt of being in a mind-blowing romance with a dominant man, being claimed but this is different. What if he is just cruel, love is not a requirement in these kinds of arrangements.

A sharp spike of fear jolts through my heart.

God, please, at least let me celebrate with my family. Let me spend time with my mom and sister before I face any of these. Please, please.

A cough jerks me from my deep thoughts. I turn to see who decided a cough was the best way to announce their presence instead of the good old ‘hello’.

It's Camila, one of my father's oldest workers. She nurtured me as a child. 

"Good morning, Camila."

"Good morning, Miss Elena."

"I wanted to give you this."

She places a rainbow bracelet in my hand.

I couldn't believe it. It was the bracelet my dad gifted my mom but she threw it in the trash and I picked it up. It was my favourite bracelet but I must have left it back. All these years and its trinkets still dazzled, I wear it on my right wrist.

"I found it when I was cleaning your room. I thought you would want it," she says.

"Oh, Camila. Thank you so much."

"You are welcome," she turns to leave.

"Wait, Camila, please…Why is my garden like this?" I wave my hand to point out the catastrophic combination of weeds and dying plants standing in front of us. "Where is the gardener? I have not seen him since I arrived yesterday."

Camila sighs.

"After your papa passed," she pauses, "your mama fired him."

"Wait, what?" I query.

She nods.

"No, Camila. My mom never told me she fired anyone. In fact she requested more hands on the estate and I approved the money for their wages."

"Yes, she employed a few workers, but she fired Raphael, the gardener. Only Raphael she fired. And when we tried to keep the garden, to water …to weed it, your mama was very angry. I know your papa loved this garden, he made sure it was kept.”

My heart is pounding. No. Camila must be making this up. It's not possible.

"Your mama and your sister Beatriz don’t love this garden,...Beatriz struck that plant over there with a stick."

I move slowly in the direction she is pointing. Just as I feared, my Heliconia has its head bent into the soil in a way that weather doesn't usually bend plants. It definitely could not have been done by wind.

But it wasn't possible. Camila must have seen wrong. I stare at her looking for any sign she is kidding but her expression remains stern.

Still, it doesn't mean Beatriz would do such a thing. We both grew up on this estate. Beatriz knows how much I love that plant. She could never.

"Thank you, Camila," I say in a voice calmer than I feel. I move past her to the main building.

There are voices coming from my mom's room as I approach. I pause by the door.

A mixture of amused chattering. Three people, two of which I recognise.

My mom, my half-sister Beatriz, and there is another person, a girl.

I lean in, my ears against the door.

"Bold of her to think she can just come from God knows where and you will start following her across all of Valencia like some tour guide," the girl says.

"You should have seen how she was listing places we should visit. She even did research. Just an entitled piece of shit like her father. If I didn't have a plan already in motion I   would have slapped her straight across the face," Beatriz says.

They were discussing someone. I don't know who this strange girl is, she  must be Beatriz's friend, but why does it sound like they are talking about me? No, Beatriz is my sister. She won’t discuss me like this .Maybe they are talking about another of their friends. 

“ Oh Beatriz, this document looks exactly like the original. There will be no doubt when you take it to them," The girl says gleefully.

“That was all mama, she was able to get Alejandro’s copy through his assistant," Beatriz says."Of course mama uses the best, switching our names wasn’t difficult"

"You need to get her to go there ," my mom says. “That’s  the only loose end left.”

 What are they talking about I wish I could make sense of their discussion from here.Besides, what was I doing, eavesdropping? 

"Señora, don’t  worry ,trust Beatriz to do her magic and convince her, Everything is ready. It’ll be handled  perfectly as planned" the girl reassures.

"We will get her there. She doesn't have a choice." Beatriz says. 

I'm getting uncomfortable. I can’t quite understand their confusing discussion, I’ll just go in and talk about the plant and garden that brought me here in the first place.

 I knock on the door.

"Who is there?"

"It's me, Elena."

I hear some sudden shuffling, as if arranging things. I stand there wondering what was going on, then decide probably nothing.

"Come in," my mother finally says.

I step in and it's just like I remember it, my mother's room. I suddenly put a face to the voice. The girl, she is a blonde,  late twenties

"Are you here for something or did you come to stare at your sister's cousin?" my mom asks angrily.

Cousin? How?

"She is from my dad's side," Beatriz corrects.

I didn't know Beatriz had contact from her father's side. In fact I didn't even know Beatriz wasn't my father's child until she told me herself when we were teens.

"Nice to meet you," the lady utters. "I'm Ines."

"Nice to meet you, Ines."

"I will take my leave," Ines says, already standing.

"I hope you are not leaving because of me," I say politely.

"No. Besides, I'm here until we leave for Marbella." She gestures as if she is referring to me.

"We?" I ask.

"You and I."

I stare at Ines, who is obviously joking. Marbella was a different part of Spain. Why would I want to go there? But I don't say a word. I simply wait until she leaves. As she closes the door I turn to my mom. She wears the look she has on her face each time she sees me, a look I would only expect to see if I was standing before her dipped in poop.

But I should get used to it. I guess this was her resting face, although she is always smiling with other people.

"Good morning, Mom, I… I saw the garden… It’s… it's in a terrible state." It’s always better to get straight to the point with my mom.

She arches a brow inquiringly but says nothing.

Right. Okay.

"The garden," I start again  carefully. "It's been abandoned. When I asked the staff about it, they said it was on your orders."

"Yes," she replies sharply. "I gave the order."

I blink.

 "I don't understand… What of the gardener?"

"I let him go."

"You..." I stop. Regroup. "Why?"

"We needed other workers. I made the necessary changes."

Okay, this is not what I expected. She let my gardener go. She must have a reason. I take a breath. "Mom, we increased our workers. I corresponded with the accountants, I approved it, somewhere in that expansion you had to let my gardener go? Why, Mom?"

She laughs, her gaze traveling over me.

"Look at you. Claiming authority over staff just because you were placed in charge by your dad."

A lump suddenly forms in my throat.

"You haven't earned the right to boss me around, dear daughter. You haven't even worked a day in your life except tending to your plants and hobbies. Your aunt is out there trying to hold together everything your father built. And I won't even take orders from her when it comes to managing this estate.”

Oh no, I have made her angry.

"Mom… please"

"You know what?" she cuts in. "I don't have time for this Elena. I have a trip to make."

She walks out.

I stand there.

I turn around to Beatriz, who is staring at me smiling. 

"What do I do?" I ask. I know I sound pathetic, but I don't care.

She blinks. "What?"

"To make her like me."

Her expression shifts.

"Can you hear yourself?" She taps on the bed. "Come, sit. Mom is just worked up from preparing for her trip, nothing more."

"What trip? Where is she going?"

"I don't know. But I'm leaving for Italy in three days, so I have planned for you to go on vacation in Marbella."

Okay, I didn't hear that right. Even if I did, it's probably a joke. But Ines just said the same thing.

It's not possible. Beatriz knows why I had come home. She was part of the people who gave me courage to come. We talked on the phone sometimes, planning the places we would visit together.

"Let me know the guard you will be taking on the trip so I can correspond with Ines." Beatriz continues.

"I no longer use the services of guards," I cut in. After my dad passed I convinced Aunt Lucinda to let me live like a normal human being. Without guards.

Beatriz’s eyes widens, as a small smile curves on her lips.

". You are so joking, right?" she says,

"Nope… I’m not joking. I don't see why I should have a guard. I told Aunt Lucinda and she let me. But that's beside the point. You are the one joking, right?"

"About what?"

"About you traveling in three days."

"No, I'm travelling."

I grab her by the shoulder and her smile widens.

"Beatriz, we... we have plans!!!."

"I know. I'm sorry and that's why I... I know this isn't what we planned but I have to make this trip…trust me, I have made plans for you… you will be with my cousin, Ines will..."

"I don't want Ines," I snap.

"Just calm down, Elena."

I wipe the tears from my eyes. I hadn't even realised I was crying.

"Since you and Mom are going on trips I guess I will just go back then."

"What?"

"I can't go to Marbella with Ines. I can't and I don't want to. I will return to Pinecrest."

"I will strangle you myself, Elena," I hear my mom mutter behind me.

I turn to see her eyes blazing with anger. She turns and heads to her closet and I see the suitcases. This was a done deal. She really is going. They are all leaving right after I came, even when I told them before coming.

"Mom," I call out.

 "Where are you going? I mean, I didn't know you were traveling. When I called to tell you I was coming, no one mentioned anything. Now you are both traveling and I am expected to go to Marbella. You made plans for me without telling me. I am supposed to go on a trip with someone I don't even..."

"We do not all have the luxury of controlling your father's money,” Her voice is low. “ Unlike you, some of us receive impromptu invitations and we go."

She steps closer.

"And I don't know where you got the idea that I answer to you."

"Mom, I never said..."

"Then why are you questioning everything I do?" she cuts in. "Your father is not here anymore. So it's your turn to question me?"

"I came to celebrate my birthday with you," I say, my voice choking.

"There is nothing so important about your birthday, Elena, that we all have to put our lives on hold for."

The words land like a slap.

"Talking about how we made plans for you without informing you. Do you have any idea what it took your sister to arrange this trip for you? Last minute? She organized a trip for you to Marbella. She made sure her cousin Ines came so you wouldn't be alone. You are just an ungrateful girl."

She pauses.

"You will go to your room and start packing. When Ines is set to leave you will go with her to Marbella. It's not like you have anything to do in the US. You will leave with Ines just as your sister planned. Do I make myself clear?"

Silence.

“Do I make myself clear?”  She repeats deadpan.

"Yes, Mom," I reply in a sob.