Roses And Thorns

Chapter 54

It's been three days now and the tabloids were filled with their photos, in both Italy and in Russia, Ian was on phone speaking fluent Russian to the other end of the phone while Karen stood listening capturing only few words of it. They couldn't even go out because the papparazi were outside her apartment, she's been getting calls from reporters and Ian has been taking care of all of them.
He hanged up angrily, "Damn it!".
"What...what's happening?".
He mussed his hair, "Nothing you have to worry about Karina, why don't you go to rest".
"I don't feel sick".
He gave her that look, she rolled her eyes,
"I need to know what's happening, please".
"We're all over the tabloids back in Russia".
Her face lost color, only God knew what was happening out there with the Italian tabloids, she nodded and went to her room there was only one person who can stop all this in Italy, her father.

She dressed up in full black, he hadn't tried to contact her since that day she fell sick suddenly, she tied her hair in a ponytail and put on some boots, took her shades and went to where Ian was talking to his men.
"Where the fuck do you think you're going?".
She looked at Koslov, "Take me to my father's house".
"You're not going there".
"I'm going and you're not going to stop me".
"Stop being stubborn and go back to that room Karina before I lose my patience!".
"I'm not going back to my bedroom!, Either he drives me back home or I drive myself!".
He cursed, "What do you think you're doing?"
"My father can stop this, not you or anyone, I'm tired okay, I saw what they wrote the other day, I'm not a whole Ian, I've made many mistakes in my life but I've only known two men in my life".
"I'll solve this".
She shook her head, this is Italy, her father had more power than him and that was no lie.
"My father knows people you don't Ian, he's angry with me, I know something isn't right here, I feel like he's behind this".
Ian looked at her, she looked finished, he went and held her face, "Karina..".
She wiped off her own tears, "I know my dad Ian, I know him better than anyone, let me go and talk to him".
He hugged her tight, "Promise me you'll be back".
She nodded, kissed his cheek and went to his car, they were taken to the Moretti's mansion, she got out of the car, her eyes puffy from crying, she looked at her father's men Koslov behind her together with another man who she didn't knew well, they went inside the house.
She went directly to the study, a guard opened the door, she saw her father sitting with Hernan discussing what heavens knew only.
He raised up his head and looked at her,
"I'm not going to let Russians inside my study, get them away before I do".
Karen looked at Koslov and then her father with tired eyes, "He's not going to do anything daddy".
Gabriel shook his head, "Leave!".
Hernan looked at them and went to Karen patted her shoulder then asked Koslov and the other man to get outside politely, Karen looked at her father.
"Sit!".

She sat and looked at the man she calls father,
"Daddy, please help me out".
"What do you want?, Trouble in paradise?".
She shook her head, "I... please dad, I know you can get the reporters off our backs, you always do".
He laughed, a deep humorless laughter,
"Why would I do that?, Is your little king unable?".
She shook her head, "This is your territory daddy, I know you can help me, I need your help dad I'm not what the tabloids say I am".
He scratched his jaw then pretended to be thinking for a minute, "I'm sorry but I can't", he stood up, Karen stood up as well, "Daddy!"
"I'm not going to help you with anything, this is your own battle".
"You're going to help me daddy because I am your daughter!".
He turned and looked at her, shocked,
"You're someone's girlfriend now, not my daughter anymore, leave my house".
"Daddy I know you're behind this!, I'm not leaving until you help me out, I'm your daughter daddy!, I have no other father than you and I love you!, I love you daddy, you can't abandon me now when I need you the most, you know you're why I'm here, because you've never given up on me no matter what I did", she said crying, "I love him daddy and I'll do everything I can to stay with him but that won't ever make me hate you, I still love you and forever will because you're my daddy always has been and forever will be".
"Karen..".
"I was so happy when I learnt that I had a daddy, back then when I was five, they'd made fun of me saying I don't have one.... you can't take me back to that time when I knew nothing nothing about you, I'm going to stay with Ian, I love him, I know you know and has always known".
"Stay here", he said and left her in the study, her mother entered, she looked at her, "Mom!".
"Karen baby".
Gabriel came back and went to where Karen was and handed her a box, she opened it and found her ring, the one Naz had given her, she looked at him.
"Dad...".
"I'll never accept that boy but I don't want the Russians after my back much worse my own daughter hating me, leave".
"Daddy..".
He shook his head and left, Karen looked at the ring then her mother and began crying again.