Poker Face ✔

Chapter 75

I walked around the mansion for over an hour by myself.

Everyone had basically moved out. All the aunts and Uncles still lived at the Ashton Mansion. Chris did too, along with Ethan and Katie.

"Rina" a voice greeted.

I looked up to find my father, a Forty-six years old that I barely knew anymore.

"Dad" my heart fluttered.

God, what me and this man had been through.

Ten yeara prior, I would give anything for this man. Even risk my life to gallivant around the world with a Larrunzario to get him out of trouble - I wonder what that says about me.

***

"So who is he?" Dad asked me ten minutes later when we were both sitting around the kitchen table.

"Gabriello Larrunzario," I announced slowly.

"And he doesn't know?" My dad questioned.

I shook my head. "He wasn't the type to drop everything for the kids"

"The type" he nodded, "they said I wasn't the type you know"

"Cause you weren't" I reminded him.

"I married Paige didn't I" Dad pointed out, "she told me that she was pregnant and I married her when I was eighteen...we both stopped jobs for a year to take care of you"

"But you didn't stick around....he wouldn't of stuck around" I looked down.

"What do you mean I didn't stick around?....she's the one who took off after three years....she was sleeping with my brother and made us all believe she was dead" dad reminded me.

"You were absent for most of my childhood" I rolled my eyes at him.

"Not by choice" he corrected me, "what is that what you think? I was in jail because I screwed up...I drank because of your mother...none of it was by choice"

"Right" I sighed.

Nothing had changed with my father. He was still the same delusional child he always was.

"I'll admit...I didn't know how to be a father but that was because I never had one.....Nate did all he could with Jess and me, and I guess he thought he failed..." he confessed, "the truth is, Nate always thought that he failed with his sons....that's why he tried so hard with you....you were always Nate's...well Nate and Kenny....since the day we're born you were attached to them"

"Kenny huh" I nodded.

Kenny was uncle Nate's identical twin brother who killed himself in front of me when I was little. He was basically my father. When he died uncle Nate pretended to be him and eventually my memories of Kenny faded.

"You were theirs," Dad told me honestly "so how about you give this kid a call"

"He's a Larrunzario dad" I sighed.

"And Paige is a Ricci" he pointed out "I married the enemy"

"And she left us and he manipulated us...." I reminded him.

"And stole from us" dad added. "He knew...Nate knew about you and your mother....what the two of you got up to...how she stole from the family....he pulled me into his office...Told me cause he thought I had a right to know"

During the 2010-2011 Saga, I made the mistake of getting close to Paige Ricci. As a result, she stole fifty percent of our earnings.

"Oh," I looked down.

"I'm glad you two had a chance to meet... Even if she did screw you over" he laughed, "I never met my parents...dad died...and my mum walked out...I'm glad you can say you knew her"

"Same" I half smiled before sighing, "...I know what I've gotta do"

***

It was the sound of Christmas Carols in Paris; Uncle Nate had been dead for four months at that point.

Oh, the city of Paris; how beautiful it was, especially around Christmas time.

"Aunt Kat" I greeted as pressing my iPhone X against my right ear.

"Kid, Sage and Jameson are still out in Malibu" she informed me.

"Right that's the because of the weather" I nodded.

"You want me to tell them to drive or..." aunt Kat started.

"If they drive that'd set them hours behind schedule...Besides, the weather should be back on track in about twelve hours" I assured her.

"They don't have twelve hours" she sighed "they need to head to Germany"

"I've already sent Miranda and Cotton in their place," I informed "tell Sage and Jameson to sit tight"

"Will do, Thanks" she ended the phone call.

Who knew, that I, Taylorina Ashton was cut out to run the family business.

I searched my surrounding carfully, as breathing in the cold air.

That's when I saw him; standing outside a café thirty feet in front of me. I slowly walked up behind the man jumped up to whisper in his ear.

"Long time no see" I whisped in his ear.

"No way" he smiled whilst turning to face me, in his dark jeans and a brown trench coat.

"Hey there stranger" I said hushed with a smile.

"No way" Gabe repeated with a smile as hugging me tightly. "What are you doing here? I thought you didn't do jobs anymore"

"I don't" I smiled "...I'm on vacation"

"Taylorina Ashton on vacation?" His raised a brow.

"Yeah" I smiled "what about you Gabe?"

"The Koleawiskis got me scouting the area" Gabe announced as pulling away from me.

Gabe had left his family three and half years ago earlier. The only difference between him and me, was that he never came back.

"God it's so good seeing you" he grinned as exhaling the foggy air, "it's been six...seven years"

"Yeah something like that" I smiled.

That night we made it back his hotel room; oh Gabe. Ten plus years we've been acquainted. He loved me - always had, always will.

We were together for three weeks in Paris. Three weeks with nothing to worry about.

"Come home with me" I whispered as we laid in his hotel bed, with my head resting on his bare chest.

"What?" He asked in a hushed tone.

"Come home with me" I repeated.

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Hi all,

Gabe and Taylor are reunited again woohoo. The next chapter will be the last, so get hyped.

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