CHAPTER 4

             Silent, perfectly still, overwhelmed by the pain she had been struggling with for so long every day, Isabelle was looking in awe at the view that was unfolding before her clear blue eyes. She had learned to love this vast, infinite land, and the ocean that was kissing the sandy beach a few meters away from her. She and her father had come to live at the ‘Silver Spur Ranch’ after the accident in which her mother lost her life and send her father to the hospital. Isabelle closed her eyes and for the umpteenth time, the things that happened after that terrible night came back to haunt her.

             The day before Andrew left the hospital against Dr. Jones's recommendation, one of the detectives who had followed the Baldwin case told him that he and Isabelle would be able to return to their home since the case had been closed. The young girl looked at her father and when she saw Andrew burying his head in his hands, she approached him trying to comfort her father. But Andrew raised his voice and told Isabelle he didn't need the help of a brat, all he needed was his wife. The tone of his voice and the angry expression on his face, made Isabelle stare at him in total disbelief, and then she didn't say a word. Once Andrew was out of the hospital, on the way home, Isabelle asked her father a simple question. He answered in a harsh, almost aggressive tone. For a few moments, Isabelle had a glimpse of another person, a man she didn't know. In the days following their return to the house that had been the scene of Michelle’s death, Isabelle kept seeing the same violent Andrew that she saw in the car. He was violent more verbally than physically. His mood swings, his outbursts scared everyone in the house, not just his own daughter. One by one, all those who formed their house staff ran away. The only person who remained was Lucy, their housekeeper.

            Isabelle understood quickly that the only chance she had to escape her father's violence was to become a person she had never been before. She became a meek, silent girl, almost the shadow of her true self. Before all this, Andrew used to drink a little, just a glass after dinner, to relax a bit, but lately, he drank a lot and when he did, he became as evil as the devil himself. Isabelle thought he had started drinking because of the unbearable headaches caused by the fall, but the alcohol wasn't helping him, as his condition got worse by the minute.

           Michelle's funeral had shaken Andrew even more. Initially, at the cemetery, in front of everyone, he had behaved normally. He decided to leave the hospital against everyone's advice, so his head was still wrapped in bandages. But, even so, he was again the father she always loved. Yes, it was a painful moment for their little family, but lately, Andrew hadn’t had any kind of outburst. There were so many people present, including the Grayson family. Christopher Grayson approached the two of them to present his condolences. Isabelle had seen him several times both in her father's office or at their house. Christopher was one of Andrew's old and best business partners. He was accompanied by Marie, his wife, a beautiful, extremely sweet woman who had always treated Isabelle well whenever she happened to accompany her father in their huge villa called by the Graysons ‘Villa Mimosa’. There were also their two sons: Richard, Christopher's eldest son, that he had with his first wife, William or Billy, the youngest son that he had with Marie. He was about to finish college and start working next to his father.

       But there was someone else with them, a young man who was almost the same age as William, someone that Isabelle didn't know very well. She had only seen him briefly a couple of times when she accompanied her parents to the Grayson house. He stared at her for a moment and Isabelle, totally uncomfortable because of his attention, looked down at the grave in front of her. His piercing grey eyes were quite troubling. She thanked Mr. Grayson and his wife for their kind, comforting words.

"Andrew, my friend, I know it’s neither the time nor the right place to talk about certain things," Christopher added, looking back at his wife for a moment, "but Marie and I thought of putting ‘Silver Spur Ranch’ at your complete disposal. It is located in Montara, in San Mateo County. It's a great, beautiful place, close to Montara Beach. After all that happened in your house, perhaps changing the scenery would help a lot you and your sweet daughter.

          Isabelle looked up, staring first at her father and then at Mr. Grayson. She didn't want to leave the house where she was born, where all her memories were. Although her mother had died there a few days earlier, Isabelle couldn’t bear the idea of ​​losing her childhood home too.

“You are really a great friend, Chris! I was thinking of selling my house and going to live somewhere else. Your proposal couldn’t have come at a better time. I gladly accept!” she heard her father's voice. “I really need some peace and quiet. A change like this will do me good. Except that I don't have the slightest idea on how to run a ranch.”

“Don't worry, Andrew, the ranch is already run by James, the administrator; he's a good friend of mine and he already knows everything he needs to be done. Your daughter and you will be the permanent guests of this corner of paradise.”

"Perfect!" her father added and shook Christopher's hand.

           An almost subtle sigh left Isabelle’s lips and she closed her eyes because she didn’t want people around to see her disappointment. Without asking her anything, without hearing her opinion about it, Andrew had decided their entire future. Right then and there, Isabelle realized that Andrew Baldwin, the father she knew, had disappeared. That day, she not only lost her mother but her father too. She turned to Lucy, their housekeeper, and took refuge in her embrace full of affection.

"Isabelle, is this the way to behave in front of Christopher and his whole family? You were raised better than this!" Her father said and took her arm tearing her from the housekeeper's embrace. "You should thank Chris and his family for the precious help they are giving us!" He added between his teeth and pushed her towards them.

"Forgive me, Mr. Grayson, it wasn’t my intention to be so rude..." she replied with a dull smile on her lips. Isabelle looked her father in his eyes and she saw an unfamiliar expression, a mix of anger, malice, and... hate. “I thank you and your family for all your kind help.”

“I would like to do so much more, sweet girl, but I hope that this first step will help both of you pass this terrible moment. You'll see, ‘Silver Spur Ranch’ will grow on you.

             Chris Grayson shook again Andrew’s hand and the whole Grayson family left. The young man who was accompanying them turned and looked at her again but this time Isabelle kept his gaze. He was so... gorgeous... Her heart was beating so fast this time... He smiled at her and then he said something to William and they both started laughing. Marie scolded them softly and pushed both of them quickly towards the car. Isabelle felt like a fool and shook her head.

           All those who had attended the funeral get to their home for the refreshment, and fortunately, this didn’t last too long. After the last of the guests left, Andrew locked himself in the library. Lucy had tried to bring him a tray with something to eat but he had thrown it down the stairs and locked himself back in the room, continuing to drink all night.

          Isabelle helped Lucy clean the house and then, she stayed with her for a while in the kitchen, writing in her diary. Writing was the only way of coping with pain. Later, avoiding to look at the spot where her mother had fallen and died, she slowly climbed the stairs to her room and lay down on the bed of what would have been her refuge for a few more days. She fell asleep quickly, but an almost inhuman yell woke her up. It was her father, drunk and out of his mind, yelling at her. She quickly got out of bed and locked the door of her room. Isabelle sat down on the floor near the bed, hoping her father would let her be. She stood there in total silence.

"Isabelle, get out of this damn room immediately!" Andrew shouted, banging his fist on the door and turning the knob, trying to enter. “Damn you, get out now!”

            She covered her mouth because she didn’t want her father to hear her frightened cry. The anger in Andrew's voice and the way he was banging his fists against the door was enough to freeze the blood in an adult's veins, let alone a young girl like Isabelle. She looked around to find a safe place to hide. So, she slipped under the bed, praying with all her strength that somebody would put an end to this nightmare. After a few seconds, she heard Lucy's voice trying to calm her father down and after a while, all the noise disappeared. Isabelle no longer heard her father's voice or Lucy’s, but nonetheless, she decided to stay hidden under the bed.

          Isabelle began to cry... She had hoped her father would recover, but that fall had caused so much damage to his brain and had turned everyone's life into an endless nightmare. She closed her eyes and tried to stop her hands, her whole body from shaking. She fell asleep under the bed, on the cold and hard floor of her room. Who knows... maybe going to live at the Graysons' ranch would be the right answer to get out of this situation?