Beautiful Agony

7 | Nature paintings.

-LIAM'S POV-

"Does she not own any other clothes?" Ian spoke, prompting me to gift him with a second jab to the ribs as our sister basically ran out of the dining room.

Mom sighed, "Stop hitting your brother.".

It's weird that she's being all defensive of him like this. We're both grown men, I'm twenty six and he's twenty one. We fight all the time, but he knows I love him and I know the same of him. I think she's just being weird because he's the only person other than herself that isn't welcoming Dia in with open arms.

My brothers all think the sun shines out of my mothers arse but I've never been that close with her. She's my mother and I adore her of course but the feeling's just never been mutual. I've been told I look a lot like her but I've always been way closer with dad. Losing Dianna was incredibly difficult because of the fact. 

I was already thirteen, I remember the day she was born just like I remember all of her birthdays following that up until her fifth. And when we lost her, I lost my dad as well.

"He's being a Knob." I replied and Adrien nodded with me, Mason looking at Ian like he's one word away from jumping over this table and beating the crap out of him.

My father called respectfully for a maid, "Could you have all of this put away and stored for later and uh, ask the chef if he can make something for Dia to eat in her room, a pastry or something." He asked, his face void of emotions as he left the room for the sliding doors that lead outside.

He's going to the bar, he's going to have a drink.

"Good job, knob." I said, searching Ian's face for some sort of clue as to why he's being such a little bitch.

He got up from his seat in a similar fashion to our father, "She's been gone for how long doing god knows what, she's not gonna be the same girl you all remember her to be!" He yelled, "You don't know her, not really, none of you do. Look in the mirror and ask yourself why you're willing to trust a complete stranger and push the brother you were raised alongside out in the process." He said finally, leaving the room.

Adrien cleared his throat, "He's probably right, she probably is different. She has been gone. We owe it to her to try to get to know her, to show her how many people love her and have missed her for so long. She still needs to meet Abuelo and Grandma and everyone else in our family, they'll all be so happy when they hear that she's back. Happier than Ian is at least."

That, he's right about.

"Why isn't he happy? He's been helping you guys look for her for years." Elijah asked.

I sank further into my seat, "I think it's because Arturo got to her first. Ian thinks that she's some imposter that he's sent in to keep an eye on us whilst he hashes things out with the French."

I've come to realise that me, my father, Ian and Dia are the only people aware of the way Arturo was with her when we were in that meeting. Maybe that's the reason why Ian isn't accepting her. Arturo has a way with corrupting everything he touches.

"How long did they have her before they decided to finally tell us?" Mason asked.

"I don't know, I'm hoping that when the time comes Dia will tell us all we need to know. She was there for at least a few hours before we arrived in Italy though." I replied, grimacing. I hate that she was ever alone with them.

I hate that his men supposably found her at a brothel. Another thing that my brothers and mother are yet to find out about.

I said my goodbyes and took my leave up the stairs, taking off my suit jacket and tie on the way. I just wanna talk to her, I don't wanna be too formal and make her feel like I'm interrogating her or some shit. I've been told before that I'm rather intimidating, I'd like to avoid scaring her.