Alec was nowhere to be seen when I left the apartment, Emil trailing a few steps behind me. Despite refusing his service, he still insisted on coming along to the mansion with me. At this point, I think Emil is just easing his guilt about what happened.

We used Dustyn's car to get to the mansion.

The place has been furnished and cleaned. There are also a guard waiting by the gate and a maid to maintain the cleanliness of the place. Both were surprised to see us pulling up the driveway, bags in our hands. The woman scrambled to her feet, agitated to show her skills to her employer.

"Miss Mara. We weren't told you'll be here." She said as she got hold of the bags from me. She follows behind us as we enter the house.

"Looks different from party." I said as I sat on the couch, crossing my leg. "Doesn't it Dy?"

Dustyn nods his head. Standing by the stairs where he placed the bags in his hands. "It does but it looks a lot more like it did back when May designed it."

I nodded my head, agreeing with his words. It seems more of a house than a museum, now. I guess, I can stop calling it 'mansion', since it has been reverted back to what it really was. A house. A home. My home. And that gives me more comfort than I could ask for.

"Miss Mara, where shall I put my things down?" Emil asked as he stood by the door awkwardly. I never thought I'd see him looking as such since he always appeared to be calm and collected.

"Right..." I said, thinking of where he could stay. I looked at the maid. "Could you show him to a room, umm...?"

"Tianna." She said. "Would the room beside our quarters suffice?" She asked.

I nodded my head. "Give him access to the security cameras and everything he may need. He's a bodyguard that Alec hired; he might want to know the names of everyone who goes in and out of the mansion."

"Of course, miss." she said diligently as she guides Emil through the kitchen and probably to the left side of the house, where their quarters are.

I turned my attention to Dustyn who was typing away on his phone. I didn't have to ask who he was talking to; I already know it was Alec. He probably doesn't care but Dustyn still wants to keep him updated for whatever reason. "You can also tell him he can show up here when he's ready to tell me everything.

Dustyn sighed loudly, putting his phone down. "Tamara, you need to ease up on Alec. This is hard on him as it is on you. You can't push the man to tell you everything."

I rolled my eyes, my annoyance still high at Alec's secrets. "None of you understands how it feels to be the only person who doesn't know anything. Both of you loves keeping things from me until I have to practically force them out of you."

Dustyn would never get it. He is as bad as Alec is. He's someone who would keep a secret until he was forced to speak out about it either due from circumstances or from pressure. He doesn't know the thoughts that go in my mind whenever I learned of the secret. He doesn't know that I berate myself for not being observant enough to know that Alec has been keeping something this big. He doesn't know that I spend hours thinking of how to make Alec comfortable enough to let me know what's on his mind.

Alec is my brother. It doesn't matter who his father is. I don't care. All I want is for Alec to stop keeping these things to himself. Bottling up his emotions would do him more harm than good. And I don't want to see Alec suffering if I could help it in anyway.

"You should go." I said coldly.

"I can stay." Dustyn said. I could feel his eyes on me but I refuse to even spare him another glance.

I shake my head. "Go. I want you to go, please."

"I wish you would see it on our point of view, shortcake. Everything is to protect you," Dustyn said as he picked up his keys and left without saying another word to me.

"Vice versa." I whispered as I listen to his car leave.

Alec had the mansion renovated. All of the old furniture that Dad and Amelia had was thrown away. He gave the mansion a fresh new look but the one room Alec didn't touch was Mom's old office at the end of the second floor, towards the back of the house. Even when Amelia moved and destroyed everything else that Mom left, it was this one room that even Dad did not want her to touch.

Inside were the dusty things of Mom that Alec was able to keep. He stashed all of it in this room and had Dad agree that no one was supposed to touch it. Almost all of her works are here; even the room itself was how Mom left it, at least according to Dustyn.

I spent the whole day yesterday cleaning this room with the help of Emil and Dustyn. We cleaned everything. From the bookshelves to the frames to the lenses of her camera that was displayed in a large oak shelf. Every corner of the room has been cleaned. The only thing left are her things and boxes of files that no one has yet to open.

It was a short trip down memory lane for me when I found a photo album filled with my baby pictures that featured my family and Dustyn's. It seemed that Mom and Jaclyn are close in these pictures as they both held me and posed for a picture on my 6th month old picture.

There was also a box filled with papers written in Spanish, making it completely uncharted territory for me. A box full of newspaper articles about her achievements. Then there was a box of Mom's journals with pictures slipping off of every journal I pulled up. I decided to keep the box for later discovery and moved on to her table.

The one drawer I opened was filled with documents that tell me so much more about Alec's life and the fact that he was, in fact, adopted by Mom even before Dad was in the picture. There was even a document signed by Dad, agreeing that everything would go to Alec and me if anything happens to either of them. There was also a birth certificate, the original birth certificate of Alec which stated who his real parents are. But I wasn't brave enough to read that.

"Did you find anything?" Dustyn's voice made me look to the door. "Emil let me in when you didn't answer your phone."

I smiled at him. "Sorry. I was caught up on snooping on Mom's things."

It only took a day for the both of us to make up. It wasn't much of an argument on our part. We disagreed with each other's opinion because we were at different ends of the stick. I wouldn't really expect him to understand my point of view when he never experienced anything that I have experienced.

Plus, he's been forcing information about Alec to me on a daily basis since I left the apartment. I can't really ignore his presence as much as I wanted to do so. He's too persistent for his own good.

"I brought donuts and stories." Dustyn said as he took a seat on the couch in the room that was filled with papers.

I rolled my eyes and sighed. "I don't want to hear another thing about Alec."

Dustyn laughed but still goes on to tell me what Alec has been up to. I spent the whole morning listening to Dustyn ramble everything that has been happening to Alec since I've moved back home.

Alec and I showed up when he was released by his doctors. I could tell just by looking at them that their hostility has somewhat lessen but was still very much present. They barely exchange a sentence other than to say 'Good Morning'. Even looking at each other was out of the question as they both looked at different directions. The atmosphere in the room is far from comfortable, to put it mildly.

"Any news on Amelia?" Dad asked after he was changing out of his hospital robe and into some of the clothes that I had brought for him.

"Still worried about your little bitch?" Alec asked sarcastically as he snickered. He was leaning against the wall that was closest to the window.

I rolled my eyes at Alec's childish behaviour but ignored him nonetheless as I continued to pack up the remaining food that I have brought over for Dad while he was still staying here. I made sure that nothing would be left behind; driving back would be out of the question. "Emil, can you go and pay the remaining balance. Also, ask them if there is any medicine that Dad needs, buy those too."

"Right away, Miss." Emil left the room after I gave him my wallet.

I turned my attention to Dad who has seen far better days. He's lost a lot of weight, there are bags under his eyes, and his hair is all over the place having overgrown past the length he had always kept it at. His clothes are baggy, barely even able to fit him anymore. Even his pants are loose and are only hanging to his hips with the help of a belt. "We need to get you clothes before we go home, Dad."

He looked at his clothes and nodded his head. "Are you residing back at the house?"

I nodded my head. "Yes, I figured there wouldn't be much of a problem with that considering Alec has already refurnished the house."

"You mean, I had it drenched in disinfectant and a lot of class of get rid of the stink Amelia left." He said, snickering to himself. He acted as if it was the most amusing thing he has said all day. All he's been doing since he arrived is throw unnecessary remarks towards Dad. He had, however, ignored me for most of it other than giving me a kiss on the cheek when I arrived with Emil.

To be honest, I was somewhat relieved when he did that. It somewhat had let me know that Alec didn't hate me for moving back to the house. That for him, it was the best thing he could've hoped for that I would do. Alec is a fairly easy to read person when he lets me. Today, however, I could tell that he's just trying to piss off Dad so he would let up on some information that Alec wants to get a hold off.

Information that I might have obtained myself when I snooped through Mom's things.

"I couldn't tell you about the deal I had strike with the police. I wanted to make sure that no harm would come your way. Neither of you should be harmed during that time." Dad reasoned out.

I already know the next words that would leave Alec's mouth and didn't surprise me.

"Tamara got hurt, or did that slip your mind already?" He asked, giving Dad the stink eye as he looked him up and down.

"I didn't! I tried my best to keep her safe. I did everything right except for that day and there is not one moment that I regret that!" Dad screamed at Alec as both of them angrily posed in front of each other.

Alec snickered. "You should. It was your entire fault. Everything would have been avoided have you given me any hint I would've stayed put!"

Dad glared at Alec. "I'm not some useless old man that could not even protect his kids. I did everything as your mother had asked me to! You think I really like Amelia? She was the one suspect in your mother's death. I just needed to get evidence out of her!"

"And it took you what? Eight? Nine years? And still no evidence!"

Out of nowhere, Dad delivered a punch to Alec's cheek. It was unexpected and both of us are shocked to see Dad do such a thing. Even he was shocked at his actions as he stared wide eyed at Alec who was holding his cheek in pain.

"Dad..." I whispered in shock, my hand covering my mouth as I watch the two of them.

"I-I'm sorry." Dad said as he looked down in shame.

It was obvious that he didn't mean any of it. That he was just as shocked as us when he punched Alec out of nowhere. It is safe to say that he lost his cool during their argument and could not control his anger no more.

"Everything you need is in my old golf bag. I stashed it under your Mom's desk in the mansion." He said, not meeting any of us in the eye. He's ashamed and I couldn't but feel sad for Dad.

He did something dangerous just to catch the person responsible for Mom's death and both of his kids had turned against him. He must've felt lonely all these years, knowing that both of us are slowly leaving him behind as the presence of Amelia in our lives became unacceptable. He only wanted to give Mom the justice she deserves, yet we left him behind.

Emil entered the room, breaking up the atmosphere in the room. He must've noticed, because he immediately slipped his way in front of, actively protecting me from whatever may happen next. "Sir, we should go." Emil said his voice low and persuading.

Dad nodded his head without another argument and was the first one to leave the room with the bag I had packed on his hand. Emil followed after him after giving me a small nod.

"Let's get you patched up." I told Alec as I helped him up on his feet.

At this point, I don't know how I'll be able to help Alec and Dad in patching their relationship knowing that Alec no longer has any obligation to be Dad's son. I don't know what I should do next or how we'll survive this storm.