"Where's dad?" I asked Scarlett as I hastily looked around the living room.
"Where do you think?" She sighed in response. "We've been asked to go to the study, even Grandpa is here."
This was bad, this was really bad.
It was taking all I had in me to not go hunt Elise down. The bitch has gone too far. It was one thing when we expected her to release the info on my family, the fact she got ahold of things on Isabelle's was going too far.
"Let's go then." Holding Isabelle's hand in mine, I led the way down the hall to the study.
"Can you believe the things they're saying about mom?" Scarlett asked in a quiet voice. "It can't be true, can it?"
Her eyes looked into mine, waiting for an answer. However, the answer she was seeking is one I didn't feel right giving. This is our parent's story to tell, not mine.
"Look Scar, mom and dad will fill you in I'm sure." I responded. "All I can say is with what I do know, you need to keep an open mind."
We reached the study before she could try to pry more out of me. As the three of us stepped inside, my parents and my grandfather looked up at us. I can tell they were already in serious conversation.
"Thank you for joining us." My father spoke. "Please, come sit down. We need to discuss our plan of action and I'm sure Scarlett has questions."
"You would be correct." Scarlett mumbled under her breath as she took a seat next to our grandfather.
Isabelle and I sat down, I knew she was a little confused. She wanted to know what else Elise had done but I just couldn't figure out how to tell her. I didn't know how she would take it and I wanted to make sure she had all the support she needed when I informed her the information that Elise came across.
"I guess we should brief Scar before we get into everything." Kaydence exhaled a low breath before looking my sister in the eyes. "Before your father and I met, I had to do some things I'm not proud of but they were necessary at the time."
She proceeded to explain everything about her relationship with my father. Scarlett remained expressionless as she took the information in, making it hard to gauge how she was handling it. She's a lot like my father in that way.
"So there it is." Kaydence shifted nervously as she finished the story. "Now you're fully caught up."
"So you're telling me that Justin's a piece of shit?" Scarlett looked between my father and grandfather. "Why do we still associate with him?"
My parents had left out the darker details, like what my father had done to Justin. I understand why though. It's best to let Scarlett keep her innocence as long as she can, she'll learn this stuff when the time comes.
"Because we found out part of the reasons for his actions." My grandfather explained. "He's bipolar but it was left untreated for too long. After treatment he proved himself worthy to be associated with us."
"I don't care." Scarlett angrily scowled. "He hurt my mom."
"Scarlett." My father's voice was stern, getting her full attention. "I made the decision to allow him around us."
"Why the hell would you do that?" Scarlett asked, it was like she couldn't believe the words coming out of his mouth.
"Because he proved himself in my eyes." My father's eyes grew intense. "You know I wouldn't let him back in if I didn't have a good reason."
"But-" Scarlett began but he cut her off.
"That's enough about Justin." His voice darkened. "Justin is no longer our enemy, we're here to meet about the one who's actually trying to take our family down because she can't give up the fact your brother doesn't want her."
"Satan." Scarlett rolled her eyes.
"Exactly." My father turned his attention over to me and Isabelle. "Have you told her yet?"
"No." I shook my head.
""What's going on?" Isabelle looked between the two of us, she knew I was leaving something out but I could tell she was getting more on edge about it.
I exhaled a low breath as I contemplated the best way to word it. The information Elise put out is information I know Isabelle most likely doesn't know. The odds of it upsetting her are extremely high and here I am the one who has to give it to her.
I clenched my fist tightly. I felt like Elise was forcing me to be the bad guy here and it pissed me off. This bitch is going to pay for this, I don't care what I have to do. I'll put her six-feet under if that's what it takes for her to leave us alone.
"Isabelle." I sighed, bringing my eyes to meet those gray orbs. "Elise found out some information about your family."
"What?" Confusion washed over her face. "What was there to find?"
"I don't know-" I started but she cut me off.
"Sterling just spit it out." She had grown impatient. "Tell me what it is she found, if it's about my family I have the right to know."
"Your father wasn't killed in the line of duty." I spit out. "He killed himself while he was deployed."
Her face seemed to lose all color as mixed emotions took over her eyes. I could tell she was hurt, angry and confused. It only confirmed that this was something she definitely didn't know about.
"W-what do you mean?" She stammered out.
I know this is going to break her. She always talked highly over her father, he was a hero to her. In her eyes she had tried viewing it as he died to help keep her freedom. Now she was about to find out that's not the case.
"He shot himself in his barracks." I explained further. "They had found a note and a letter from your mother. She had cheated on him. From the way it sounds, she let him know you both wouldn't be there when he returned home."
Isabelle's eyes broke away from mine. I could tell she was holding back some tears, the image of her parents when she was younger seemed to shatter right before her. She had always been under the impression that they had been so in love and that's why her mother lost it when he died.
Isabelle stood up and ran out of the study. I followed behind, refusing to leave her alone.