Time-served Till Solace

Chapter 33

Narrator's pov:

Lorenzo's question made everyone look between him and Armando and Armando on the other hand, was having hard time processing the information.

"Is she really ......!!!!!!" Armando couldn't even complete his sentence.
"Sì, she is her daughter." Lorenzo completed his sentence.
"What is going on here can any of you two explain it." This time Genoveva spoke so Armando replied her
"Madre, do you remember when I married her where we went for honeymoon?"
Genoveva was quite after that. She didn't know what to ask or what is the right question to ask now.

"Okay, now that zio Armando cleared it too let me tell you all."
Lorenzo turned towards all the brother and then towards Alford and Genoveva.
"Hazel is you sister and your grand daughter."
Everyone was pin drop silent. You could here everyone's breathing in the room.
But again Armando spoke to clear something.
"I think you mean to say half sister. I think you forgot when I mentioned that she cheated on me."
"Zio Armando, let me ask you something. You said she cheated on you, right? Then why did she went to the same small village in America where you both spent your honeymoon rather than going back to that man she was cheating on you with?" His questions were making him speechless.

"You know when I found about whole this even I was confused but then I looked back into her past which is 17 years ago. You know what I found? She never cheated on you in first place. The person who kept sending you all those photos sent it a way that made it look like she was having an affair but the truth is Santonio was her half brother. When she found that she was afraid to tell you because you had some bad history with him. Till last moment she couldn't tell you because she knew that your doubts have been raised so much that you will never believe her. Not only you threw that woman out of this house but your child too. And that child is nonother than Hazel. Did you noticed in her previous file that she didn't have any last name?"

Lorenzo broke the bomb on the Barone's that their world turned upside down that moment. Genoveva was crying loudly all the brothers also had tears in their eyes. Alford was silent outside but inside their was whole tornado swaying and Armando was just broken by the news.

"What have I done..... what have I done....?" Armando kept chanting it. But he suddenly stopped and looked at his father and said "I think she knew before us.... she knew that's why she asked me..... God what have I done....."
All the brothers were shocked to see their father like this. They have never seen their father in such a state rather he is always calm and compose but today it seem like he have lost it. He's speaking to himself and keep walking back and forth in the room.
Alford got up and stood right in front of his son and demanded him to explain
"Yesterday she asked me why we don't have a girl in our family and like a fool I said we will never have one and we don't want one because she will become our weakness."
"Calm down, she must have asked to what she have seen. You need to get yourself together son. We all need to get ourselves together. I know this is a lot to take in but right now we need to act not ponder on the things that have been done." Alford was about to say something again but Lorenzo interrupted him.
"I'm sorry to interrupt you nonno but Zio Armando is right. She knows."
"What......!!!!!! How are you sure about that?" This time Santino questioned him.
"You remember a while ago I told you that I have upgraded my system and now I can access any data and document which is even done off the system means that's not even updated on legal servers. Well, this morning someone sent her a paternity test results I couldn't track down the person because they had some extra security clearance that I needed to clear to track them down. But I did got the pdf that was sent to her which clearly said that party A and B samples matches to 99.999%."

"This means she knew about us and her relationship from beginning and she wanted to clear her doubts." Achille stated.
"Yes... could be true..." Lorenzo replied.
"We need to go and find her... dad why did you sent her back yesterday? Now we wouldn't be going to her... my sister would be here with us...." Niccolo complained to his father but he was still shocked and couldn't utter a single word. But to save the situation Alford spoke.
"Edwaldo call her and ask where is she. Also don't let her know that we also know the truth. I want my child home by the end of this day without any single scratch. Am I clear to all of you?"
"Si..."

Edwaldo called her but she didn't answer this made him and everyone worried. He again called but she didn't responded again. He tried for third time and on the last ring she picked her phone.

"Hello....." said a raspy and deep voice.
"Hazel where are you and why you didn't answer my calls?" Edwaldo spoke fastly right after she picked up.
"I was sleeping.... and why you all brothers get angry with me one doesn't let me eat other doesn't let me go out and you don't let me sleep..... what is wrong with you all...?"
Some of them was confused to why she was saying this but Santino and Achille knew exactly what she was talking about. Alford saw their faces and decided to save the time and situation and took Edwaldo's phone and spoke.
"Cara, how are you?"
"I'm good nonno.... how are you?"
"I'm great now that I've heard your voice. Now when are you coming back? Should I send someone to pick you up?"
"Ummm.... sure nonno and sorry I was sleeping that's why I didn't picked my phone."
"No worries cara.... now get up and be ready I'll send one of the boys to pick you up."
"Ummm.... okay but can you not send those three angry bulls... please.... I don't want to waste my energy more."
"Hahaha.... don't worry..... how about I'll send one of my favorite grandchild that you haven't met yet?"
"Sure .... if he's not like those wild ones."
"I guarantee you, he's much better.... now pack your stuff and I'll see you in few hours.... okay?"
"Sì nonno... take care"

With that she hangs the phone but everyone in the room heard what she said because the phone was on speaker. Even though the boys were offended by what she said but they were happy that she is coming back. They all now meet their princess in few hours and they couldn't wait to see her again.