10. Misunderstood

POV ALEXANDRA

It was half past six in the morning when I woke up, and I know I wasn't going to be sleepy, so I got up without disturbing my daughter, Jennifer, Megan, Diego, and my mother too much, and left the room.

My head hurt so much that I couldn't think about anything, but I had to get everything ready for my father's funeral, so I started making calls to get everything ready. At first, they didn't want to give me his body because they were investigating who had caused his death, but it wasn't necessary for them to tell me, because I already knew and I would take care of them later. I offered them some money and they said they would give it to us soon.

I sat on the sofa and closed my eyes to see if my head would stop aching the way it was hurting right now.

"You should take things easy, I remind you you're not well at all." Diego said somewhere near me "Of course I am." I noticed how he sat next to me, but I didn't open my eyes. "I know you're not ok. Do you want me to get you a pill or something?" I shok my head, because even though my head hurts more than anything, I didn't want to take anything either, I didn't need it and it's not I couldn't take it. If it did Megan and me any good being locked up in there, it was we endured the pain anyone else would probably take a pill or many with.

"Ale, I know right now you are dying from the headache you have. You don't have to play strong." He said putting his hand on my knee "I've been through worse things, believe me, this is nothing compared. Now if you excuse me, I have to go out." I said opening my eyes and getting up "And where do you plan to go at seven in the morning?" he asked following me "I don't have to explain what I'm doing, but I have things to solve" I picked up my phone and went to the door "I'll accompany you."

I turned around and crossed my arms, I wasn't going to let anyone come with me, that was more than clear to me "You stay here. Tell them dad's funeral is this afternoon." He stood looking at me without understanding anything "The Russians will be looking for you." I shook my head and opened the door "There won't be anyone looking for me, so leave me alone for once and do what I tell you."

I grabbed the keys and headed out the door. I ran for a while because I know Diego would follow me, and I really needed to be alone right now. When I made sure no one was following me, I started walking towards the park near the hotel. I had to clear my head before I faced today, because I know it's going to suck, and I had to hang in there, for my mom's sake, my daughter's sake, and Megan's.

POV HUGO

It was seven in the morning and as always, I went out for a run. That helped me stay in shape and think, weird as it sounds. I was running when suddenly I see how a woman collapses on the ground. I don't hesitate to run to help her, and as soon as I arrive, I see it's the girl from the airport. I walk over to her and put her head on my lap, while I take my water bottle and wet my shirt to wipe her forehead.

After a few minutes she wakes up and it doesn't take long for her to separate from me looking everywhere. She looked scared, but I have no idea why. "Calm down... nothing will happen to you." I said throwing my hands up in the air "Get away from me." She said with a slight tremor in her voice.

I got up from the floor keeping my hands in the air for her to calm down "Miss D'angelo... I promise nothing will happen to you." When her gaze hardens and his whole-body tenses up, it makes me think what I said to make her suddenly react like that "How do you know me?" she asked looking at me menacingly.

"We spoke the day you left for a trip at the airport, and later to tell you about your father's death." I got the feeling she sighed, but at least I could see she was less tense than a couple of seconds ago "The one from the DEA." I nodded and tried to get closer to her, but when I see her tense up, I don't move anymore. "I just want to help you, miss."

She shook her head and started to turn to leave, which makes me start to follow her "Miss, I think you'd be better off going to the hospital. You took a good blow to the head."

"I'm fine." She said, but when I see she loses her balance a bit, I accelerate and put my hands on her waist to stabilize her so she doesn't fall again "I insist, you should go see a doctor. I can accompany you myself."

She looked at me as if she intended to finish me off and quickly separated from me, "I don't need to go to a doctor, I just need to go to the hotel." She said starting to walk again "Then I'll accompany you." I said following her, but that only makes her gaze intensify and she stops short, turning in my direction.

"I can get there by myself, it's right here." She said, and seemed to be evaluating whether or not she could trust me, "Please miss, I just want to make sure you get to your hotel safely, nothing more." Apparently, she had a hard time trusting people, which made it more than clear to me that my theory something bad had happened to this girl was true "You don't need to worry about me, I'll be fine."

The girl started walking again and I followed her at a prudent distance to try to make her calmer "I'll go with you, even though she doesn't want to. I can't have you passed out, out there again. It will worry your family."

When we got to a hotel, she went inside and I didn't hesitate to follow her. This girl was awakening something I haven't felt in a long time and I don't know if it's a good thing or not, I just know I like it. "Are you seriously going to follow me?" she asked looking at me "As I told you miss, I want to make sure you get to your room safely."

"Can you stop with the miss thing? You get on my nerves, and it's not something the better option right now." She said, and the way she said it, I knew she meant it, "And how do you want me to call you?"

"Anything but miss, I hate it when my father's bodyguards say it to me." She said, which sounds like what Derek was saying about the bodyguards was true "So it's true?" I said without thinking, and seeing her face, I knew she didn't like the question "What?" She also asked "Do you have bodyguards with you."

"I guess your friend's loudmouth told you, that's why we were the weirdos in school, for having bodyguards." She said sighing, and even though she didn't let it be seen, I'm completely sure it bothered her "I don't think you're freaks for having bodyguards, I guess you had your reasons for having them." I said, because if one thing was completely certain, it's whatever happened to them, their father wanted them to feel safe wherever they went "That's not what your friend thinks." She said "Why do you say that?"

"Because from his face I know he thinks we are daddy's girls, but we can't be since he's dead..." At that moment, she began to cry. I usually hated to see people cry, but with her it hurt me to see her like this, I don't know what the fuck was happening to me, I just know before I could think about it, I was hugging the girl. To my surprise she didn't pull away like she did from all the times I tried to comfort her, but soon ends when I suddenly hear someone scream.

"GET AWAY FROM MY SISTER, STUPID!!!!" I turn my head a bit to see what was going on, but apparently Alexandra knew who it was, and it doesn't take long for her to separate and approach the girl to prevent her from coming for me. In no time, a boy appears through the elevator door and puts up with her sister.

" Do you want to calm down?" Alexandra said something like annoyed I got the feeling "That guy was attached to you, and you don't care?" I could see her anger from miles away. "He was helping me. That's why he's here." Alexandra tried to reassure the girl, but it didn't seem possible and the ironic laugh she lets out confirms she doesn't believe it "There's no guy to help and you know it, Ale. Do I have to remind you…?"

"You don't have to remind me of anything because I remember everything, now, come into the suite and we'll talk there." With that, the two girls entered the suite, and the boy stood at the elevator door looking at me, as if he was trying to figure out my intentions, I suppose he was the boyfriend of one of them, but in no time his temper softens. face and forms a small smile on it.

"I'm sorry about a couple of seconds ago, but we were worried about her." He said putting his hands in his pocket "I guess, that's why I came. I couldn't let her pass out on the way here." I said and it doesn't take long for the boy to tense up "Pass out?"

I nodded and put my hands in my pocket "Yeah, I was running in the park when I saw how she fell to the ground. I tried to convince her to go to the hospital for a checkup, but she refused." The man shocks his head in disapproval. He seemed worried about her, so I guess it was her boyfriend "Thanks for helping her. Did you see if anyone approached her?"

"No, we were alone in the park." I said and that seemed to relax him, which made me think what happened to make everyone care so much about her "Well, thanks for helping her, and don't worry, I'll make sure she doesn't have anything."

"She should go to a hospital, she took a good blow to the head. I couldn't convince her so I hope you can" the boy smiled and turned to me "Don't worry, I'm a doctor. Again, thanks for helping her, and I'm sorry for whatever she said to you."

I denied, because even though I had no idea what he was referring to, she hadn't said anything wrong to me "I'm going to make sure she's okay." He said turning around again "Thanks again for helping her." He said "It was a pleasure"

And with that, he walked back into the suite, closing the door, but before it closed, I could see her. I was hoping to see her again, soon, and it's that moment when I remember we were going to her father's funeral, but not to ask her questions, I didn't want to make her day worse than it was already, I had to make sure the Russians wouldn't be there, something told me they could and make a new disaster.

POV ALEXANDRA

I got scared when I noticed the hands on me in the park, and when I find out it's the DEA agent, it doesn't improve the situation, but he doesn't stop insisting on at least accompanying me to the hotel to make sure nothing happens to me, so he just follows me. Once in the elevator and after the little conversation, I start to cry and he doesn't take long to hug me. I think it's the first time I've felt safe in the arms of someone I don't know, but that doesn't mean I trust him, but the moment he hears my sister scream, he breaks away and stares at them.

"GET AWAY FROM MY SISTER, STUPID!!!!" The moment Megan notices I'm crying, she starts to approach the boy, and the boy isn't to blame for something, it's what's going through my sister's mind right now, so I stand in front of him to prevent her hitting him and she stares at me, surprised.

"Do you want to calm down?" I told her trying to reassure her, but I knew it would be practically impossible to do it at this moment, I could see the anger, but above all, the fear she had "That guy was attached to you, and you don't care?" She asked "He was helping me. That's why he's here with me."

She stares at me without understanding why I needed help, especially if we take into consideration, I'm not one of those people who likes to be helped by people I don't know at all, and she knows that "There's no guy to help and you know it, Ale. Do I have to remind you…?"

Even though I know she had the right to be angry, I didn't need ger to remind me of something I remembered by myself several times in a day "You don't have to remind me of anything because I remember everything, now go to the suite and there we'll talk." Reluctantly, my sister enters the suite, and the first thing she does is close the door and turn around to begin her hysteria. I know maybe I shouldn't have gone out without protection, but I really needed to clear my mind for a while, and despite everything that happened, I cleared it a bit.

"Are you stupid or what's wrong with you? How do you think of leaving this bloody place without bodyguards? Don't you realize the Russians must be looking for us for having Dimitri?" I denied and crossed my arms, because I knew how to defend myself. I didn't have to put up with her tantrums.

"The Russians aren't looking for anyone, they have a couple of days to worry about someone missing." I said leaving the gun in the drawer next to the keys "What the fuck are you talking about?" she asked annoyed and crossing her arms. "I'm talking about how stupid people have days when they don't speak to each other. They had a limit of four days, so by the time they realize Dimitri is missing, it will be too late to save him."

"And don't you think the first place they'll go looking is here? Do you really think Stefan isn't going to think we are behind the whole thing about his brother's disappearance?" I sighed to contain my anger. I knew it would be the first place they would come to, I wasn't that stupid, but now there was no one to reason with her.

"He won't know anything, I have a plan, so stop worrying and shut up for a while, because my head hurts enough not to hear a single word all day." I made my way to the couch and sat down, closing my eyes. "Okay, at least tell me that guy didn't lay a hand on you." I noticed how she sat down next to me and the small sigh she let out "The guy just helped me, Megan."

"And what are you supposed to need help with? Couldn't you have called any of us?" she asked ironically "The boy helped her because here your sister had fainted on the street." Diego said somewhere near us, but I didn't even open my eyes anymore "What?"

Because of Diego, Megan would get mad again, and I didn't want to hear whatever she had to say about it. "What you heard, now if you'll let me take a look at your sister, she took a big hit when she perished." Diego started examining me while Megan got up and started pacing "This can't go on like this Alexandra. Don't you think about your own daughter or what's wrong with you?"

And with those words she makes me angry. How can she say I don't care about my own daughter when all I'm doing is protecting her from those jerks? Before I can answer, I hear my mother's voice. "Megan, to the kitchen."

We both turned in her direction to see her with her arms folded and her face neutral. "But Mom…" she started to protest "I told you to go to the kitchen and make breakfast. Jennifer and Alison are hungry."

With that, Megan went to the kitchen saying things under her breath, while my mother sits next to me. "Are you ok?" she asked, sitting next to me and I nodded, because I was "You could be very stubborn, Ale" she said, shaking her head, but with a small smile on her face "Shouldn't you be angry like Megan is right now because I went out without protection?" I asked relaxing back into the sofa.

"I'm not angry Ale, but you have to agree with your sister. You shouldn't have gone out without protection." I didn't want her to worry right now because she had enough things on her mind, but I wasn't going to let anyone question me. I know how to defend myself in case the Russians show up "Mom..." " Let me finish Ale." She said seriously, which made me nod and wait for her to speak.

"What your sister said is true, but I also know you need your space to think. Your sister shouldn't have said anything about you not worrying about your daughter she said. I'm sure she must be regretting what she said." I was completely sure she was doing it, it's one of the only things she regretted doing or saying "I'm beginning to think that mom is right..."

I closed my eyes again with my thoughts starting to crowd my mind "Don't say that. Your daughter couldn't get a better mother than your beauty. She's happy with you, so don't say stupid because you're doing everything you need to make her okay."

"Listen to your friend. Don't listen to your sister's anger, you know how she is when she's angry." Said Analissa who ended up leaving her hand in mine and giving it a squeeze "I know, but..."

"But nothing, the boy is right. Now better why don't you tell me the details of your father's funeral. I must assume you were the one who organized everything." I nodded and opened my eyes to make sure she was okay while Diego continued cleaning the wound "It's this afternoon. In a while they should call me to give us his body."

She nodded and stood up without saying anything else, which makes me quickly get up behind her and grab her arm "Mom, are you going to be okay?" A sad smile appeared on her face. "I knew this would happen one day, it just caught me by surprise before, but I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?" I asked just to make sure "Sure, let your friend check your wound and then go have breakfast, your daughter has been asking for you." I nodded and sat down again for Diego to finish. She left the room, leaving me and Diego alone, who began to check my wound. Apparently, it had opened again, but there was nothing, so he cleaned it again.

"I must say if the boy was gay, I would jump at him without hesitation." He said what makes me open my eyes again looking at him, because I didn't understand where that was coming from now "No one said he wasn't. You still have a chance with him." A mischievous smile appeared on his face and I couldn't help but frown, because I wasn't understanding what bug had bitten him now. "Oh beauty, I have anything but a chance with him."

"Why you said so?" I asked without understanding anything "Didn't you see how he looks at you?" he said as if it was obvious, but the boy had looked at me normal the whole time, there was nothing that had come out of the strange "How is he supposed to look at me?"

"The guy has crush on you beauty, no one has a chance with him." I couldn't help but laugh, because that couldn't be less true "You're exaggerating." I said, half laughing, "I don't, but I saw you hugging him. What's going on between you two?"

My eyes doubled in size, because for a moment I went into hysteria mode, not exactly the bad one "There's nothing!!!!" I said quickly, and I hope I'm not blushing at this moment, because aside from noticing how my cheeks were getting hotter than normal, Diego would end up assuming what he said was true.

"Oh come on, am I seeing Alexandra D'angelo blush?" He bugged and I got up to get out of there as soon as possible "You're dreaming Diego, stop saying nonsense."

"You are blushing. Do you like the man?" he asked without ceasing to insist, but I was practically at the door of the living room that led to the kitchen "I'm going to the kitchen to see my daughter." I could hear him laughing behind me as he said he wasn't going to run away from the conversation, which was clearly what I was going to do.

What Diego was saying was stupid. I didn't know the boy at all to like him after spending a couple of minutes with him. That was impossible. It maybe he's nice and I don't mind having him around me at all, but that didn't mean I liked him, or at least I hoped so.