"We've got to go." Alec said.
El got down from the bed reluctantly but didn't argue with him.
They dressed up and rode towards the city.
"This isn't the way home." El said when she saw Alec taking a different route.
"We are directly going to Wilson's Mansion. We are already too late."
Meanwhile at Wilson's Mansion, Carolyn was restlessly waiting for Alec when she saw Daniel Ford arriving.
She welcomed him and engaged in small talks.
"Why didn't your family come along?" She asked.
The very next moment they heard the sound of a bike parking.
Alec and El walked in, both of them were drenched in rain on their way.
Carolyn was furious to see them in this state. She approached them,
"What is all this? You." She glared at El.
El didn't mind her, she was stunned with Daniel's presence there and didn't pay attention to what Carolyn was saying.
"Do you love water so much that you've to get drenched everytime you are here?.. now you are already coming.."
"Not now, mother." Alec stopped her.
"We'll join you shortly Mr. Ford." Alec said and dragged El to his room.
She quietly walked with him.
"Why is Daniel Ford here?" El asked.
"Mother invited the Ford's for lunch."
"But why?"
"Stop asking questions and get dressed quickly."
Meanwhile, Carolyn was repeatedly apologising for the way Alec came, however Daniel didn't mind it.
He liked the fact that his daughter was happy in her married life.
Alec and El quickly got dressed and joined them. While the whole Wilson family had a cordial expression plastered to their faces, El's face was blank and emotionless. Both Carolyn and Daniel observed it.
"I'm sorry for arriving late Mr. Ford. We got soaked in the rain.."
"Please don't mind explaining, you guys are still young and entitled to enjoy your life keeping the worldly affairs aside." Daniel said, trying to ease the situation.
Alec was impressed by his amicable nature.
"Why did you have to come on a bike? Aren't there enough cars at your place?" Carolyn questioned.
Her anger was evident on her face and her words.
Daniel's face soured at Carolyn's behaviour towards Michelle.
However he tried again to ease the situation, "My wife, Lyla, is also very fond of bike rides. It's completely fine for young people like you to have fun."
Despite Daniel's efforts El still didn't smile.
They had their lunch along with congenial discussion but El was giving cold shoulder to Daniel and it didn't go unnoticed from the rest of the people present.
"Could you pass me the steak?" Daniel asked her.
"Get it yourself." She was still angry that he had abandoned her and her anger surged every time she saw him.
It would overwhelm her so much that she wouldn't be mindful of other people around her.
Carolyn, Fred and Alec were utterly shocked at her reply.
"Didn't they teach you any manners in the orphanage you grew up in, it's Daniel Ford you are talking to. Know your place." Carolyn growled at her.
Michelle smirked at her words further enraging Carolyn.
While everyone else was shocked with El's reaction, Daniel was furious given the way Carolyn treated his daughter.
"How dare you talk like this to our guests, apologies right now."
"Whatever I said, it's between him and me. You are no one to talk in between." El seethed.
Unbeknownst to the Wilson family, It was indeed an angry daughter speaking to her father, while Carolyn was actually an outsider in this circumstance.
"You are growing more insolent since the day I met you, I was right Alec. You should be divorcing this woman right aw…"
"Oh Just Shut Up. Will you?" El said out loud.
Indeed she was fearless with Daniel around.
"How dare you speak like this?" Carolyn fumed.
El completely ignored her and continued to eat her lunch.
Daniel on the other hand was stunned at Carolyn's words.
"Is that true Mr. Wilson? Do you intend to divorce your wife?" He asked sternly.
"He must." Carolyn replied.
"Mom," Alec stopped her.
"No, Mr Ford. I don't intend anything as such." he replied in a soft and calm tone.
However El's recent behaviour stunned him, 'She had to blow up sometime, it isn't like my mother was very gentle towards her anyways.
Only that all of this shouldn't have happened in the presence of Mr. Ford.' Alec thought trying to make sense of El's outburst.
Little did he know that all of it would not have occurred if it wasn't for Daniel's presence. His presence irked Michelle and yet it also made her fearless.
They completed the rest of lunch in silence and then gathered at the seating area.
"Why isn't the rest of your family here?" Carolyn asked when they completed their lunch.
"They have left for Barnesville to take care of something."
"Oh. I met your daughter Isobelle yesterday. Such a well mannered pretty girl unlike someone here." She taunted El.
She was ignorant of the fact that Daniel got more and more enraged everytime she berated his daughter. He despised the dynamics they shared and was worried for El now.
"I heard she is single, I'm looking for a suitable match for my son Alec."
El rolled her eyes at her.
"I'm looking for someone belonging to elite family like yours. Unlike this nameless orphan."
El's nose flared as she clutched the fabric of the sofa with sheer rage.
"Who knows what kind of low life dissolute woman birthed her, she might as well be a bastard." El stood up, her rage knew no bounds and she wasn't as helpless as last time Carolyn spoke ill about her mother.
"How dare you speak about my mother like that Carolyn Wilson." She raged.
Everybody else around also stood up.
"Stop it El." Alec said firmly but she ignored him.
"You've messed with the wrong woman."
Carolyn got furious at her audacity and raised her hand
'SLAP'
she slapped her, making her step a few steps back and almost lost her balance if it wasn't for Daniel Ford supporting her.
Michelle clutched at Daniel's shirt and cried hard.
"She slapped me, dad"
she whimpered her words were hardly audible between her loud sobs but Daneil heard her.
It was the first time after four years Michelle was seeking her father's affection.
There was no way Daneil would stop himself from comforting his daughter because of the people around him.
He caressed her head to stop her cry.
"How dare you hit her, Mrs Wilson? she is only a child."
"She is not a.."
"Mother, please." Alec stopped Carolyn from further arguing.
Michelle still had her hand clenched to Daniel's shirt as she continued to whimper. Daniel's heart constricted looking at her sorry state.
"If this is how you treat your daughter in law, then she is better off without your family." Daniel reprimanded them.
His words stunned Alec, he felt guilty for what Carolyn said but there is no way he'd let El leave him.
Daniel's words made him very uncomfortable.
He saw El who was still weeping.
"El," he approached her slowly.
"Let him go." She shook her head and clutched Daniel's shirt harder.
"I haven't seen more of an insolent person like her." Carolyn taunted again, further enraging Daniel.
"Mother, please stop." Alec said.
Daniel glared at Carolyn with utter rage, she felt a chill run down her spine and decided to not speak anymore.
"Let go, El." Alec said again but El didn't Bulge.
The way recent events transpired, in Daniel's view his daughter wasn't happy with her marriage.
"She doesn't want to go to you." He cast a stern gaze at Alec.
"Clearly, she isn't Happy in her marriage. It's better for both of you to be separated, I'll have divorce papers sent to you." Daniel said firmly stunning both Alec and El.
"No." She said in a low voice, finally letting go of his shirt.
She felt like she was drained off all her energy, unable to deal with anymore of the emotional turmoil, she walked outside.