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"It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest I go to than I have ever known"

~A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens

                  Charlotte

After having lunch with my two and talking about random stuff, my driver took us to the mall and we did a little shopping.

It was now getting dark so we decided to have or dinner before my driver dropped them off to their apartments them took me home.

"Thank you." I told him after he helped me out of the car. "And have one of the maids take the bags to my room."

"Alright." he nodded.

I walked off to the entrance of the house and typed in a code into the electronic lock my father had installed a while ago and it opened.

"Finally you decide to show up." An all too familiar baritone voice spoke.

"Matty!" I screamed running to hug the guy I had seen in a long time.

"I missed you too love." He chuckled hugging me tighter as I closed my eyes leaning into his embrace.

"Ehem" someone obviously a man cleared his throat, my eyes snapped open and landed on a tall muscular figure leaning against the doorway with his arms crossed against his chest, his almost translucent icy blue orbs staring into my green ones.

It was him Anthony, the Anthony Aurelio Santoro also nicknamed as Mr. arrogant yet sexy asshole by my friends and my childhood crush Elio.

I gulped and pulled away from Matteo feeling nervous all of a sudden but that wasn't a surprise at all, I have always felt nervous to be around Anthony. And flashes of the last time we had met flashed in my head.

*Flashback to 4 years ago*

"What's going on here?"  My mother asked in utter shock at the sight of her husband and myself engaged in a heated argument.

"It's your husband, he won't let me attend Carmen's party!" I yelled glaring at my father who was glaring back with the same energy.

"She's not going to any lousy party under my roof!" He yelled.

"I'm going, I don't care in the least what you want, I’ll do what I want to, you don’t own me!" 

"You both need to calm down." Miranda tried to calm their hot tempers down. "We can't talk things through if both of you are upset and yelling."

"There's nothing to talk about I'm going to the party whether he likes it or not!" I crossed my arms over her chest.

"I swear I'll spank your ass if you defy me!" My father warned but I knew too well he wouldn't, I was the only daughter he had and worse off the only female carrying the Quan name, there was no way he was going to hit the girl he adored.  

"We both know you can't." I taunted angering him further. 

"Oh I will, don't think just because I love you I won't spank your ass." He seethed. 

"OK both of you that's it calm down!" This time it was Miranda yelling. "I've had a long stressful day and neither of you will make it worse!"

Both my father and I kept quiet and stared at the short slender woman standing in front of them. They were so preoccupied with arguing we didn't realize she was obviously tired.

"I've told you to just quit that job already." Jason scoffed at the thought of his wife’s working too hard when he already more than enough money.

"No, I'm not quitting!" she snapped.  My mother worked as a surgeon at one of the biggest hospitals in the city and her job was stressful but she loved it despite the challenges and always declined her husband's offer for her to become a stay at house wife. 

"Then stop complaining about it!" He retorted.

"I'm not going to argue with you right now Jason Quan." she glared.

"Me either, my hands are already full with your daughter." He shifted his glare from his wife to me.

"You are so obnoxious and controlling Mr. Quan." I spat bitterly at my father. "No in fact, you are a sexist and that's disgusting!"

"I'm not a sexist!" 

"Yes you are, you think just because mum is female and married to your filthy rich self, she doesn't need to work anymore!" I pocked his chest. "You think just because I'm a girl I can't attend any parties of functions and that's not fair considering you let Landon and Peyton do whatever the hell they want."

"Charlotte that's not true." 

"It is and you know it, we are all the same age and it's not fair that you treat me like a prisoner in my own fathers house all because I'm female!" 

"Charlotte-" Jason tried to calm her down but she wasn't having it especially when her brothers accompanied by Matteo and her two cousins William and Devon walked through the door. 

"See, you let them go out without even thinking twice but if it's me then it’s too dangerous!" I pointed at the boys who were shocked at the scene unfolding before them.

"I just want to protect you-"

"Fuck your protection!" I snapped, I always hated how all the men in this family treated me like as though I was a rare fragile egg about to crack. "I'm tired of being shielded from everything, I'm tired of being fucking treated like a child, I'm 17 for fucks sake, it’s not my fault I'm a female!"

"Charlo-" Peyton started but I snapped at him too. I was already angry at my father, I didn’t want to get angry at him as well.

"You shut the hell up and stay out of this, it doesn't concern you!" 

"Char calm down." Matteo tried.

"Stop telling me to calm fucking down!" I yelled balling my arms into tight fists. 

"Ok pumpkin I'm sorry." My father spoke cautiously not wanting to set me off.

I was a ticking time bomb whenever upset and everyone knew that. My therapist had advised them not to engage into any verbal exchanges with me especially when I was already showing signals of being upset.  

"No you're not!" I snapped eying the antique marble vase sitting on a stand only a few inches away from me. I hated how they treated me like a sociopath, I had anger issues yes but that was no reason for them to talk to me like a crazy person. 

"I am, calm down and we can talk about this in a civil manner." 

Those words were supposed to calm me down but they did the opposite. I was furious now.

"So what, now I'm barbaric!"  I yelled. "I'll show you!" Not thinking through my actions I grabbed the vase and aimed it at my father but before I could throw it someone held onto my wrist, stopping me. Feeling even more angered I spun around to unleash the pent up anger on whoever dared to touch me but my mouth went dry when my eyes met with Anthony’s own.

"Are you insane!" Landon yelled at me.

"Let go of me!" I snapped at Anthony finding my voice again.

"OK." He took the vase out of my hands before letting go. 

"She's fucking crazy!" Peyton spat. 

"Leave her alone." Anthony dismissed all of them while carefully looking at me. 

"Honey are you Ok?" My mother asked her husband who was frozen just staring at me, he couldn't wrap his head around the fact that I, his 17 year old daughter was ready to throw a breakable vase at him or how he would probably be laying on the floor bleeding if Anthony hadn't stopped me. “Go to your room." 

"I didn't do anything." I protested. 

"I said go to your fucking room this instant!" She yelled causing me to flinch. I knew her mother only ever cussed when she was extremely furious but I didn't understand why everyone was pissed at her when it was her husband who had provoked me.

"I hate all of you!" I yelled running off to my room and locking myself in. 

I couldn't help but cry at the thought that my family hated me. Soon enough the tears turned into anger and she started tearing the room apart. I hated that I had anger issues and the things I was capable of, I didn’t want to be like that anymore but it was just so hard to change that side of me.

"Stop it." Anthony grabbed my wrists.

"Let go of me!" I snapped, tears rolling down my cheeks.

"Charly stop it, you'll hurt yourself." He pulled me into his embrace.

"Then let me, you don't even care!" The memories of how he treated me like nothing flashed in my head angering me.

"I do care." he whispered. 

"You do?" I sighed looking up at him with glossy eyes.

"Yes I do and I want you to calm down Ok." He cooed knowing exactly how to calm me down. "Can you do that for me?"

"Yeah." I nodded taking deep breathes. 

"Good girl." He wiped my tears away with the pad of his thumb with his lips tugged into a small yet visible smile.

*End of flashback*

"Hi." was all I could say manage to say, embarrassed at the memory of our last encounter.