That was all that Gabriella needed. Her blood that had a moment ago been boiling had suddenly turned cold as she felt the frigidity of the iceberg before her.
Gabriella turned and opened the door. Her mother came in looking very distraught.
Elena Sotomayor walked into the room and noticed immediately the other woman in the room. She quickly deduced that said woman was the one that had given her daughter the news. Elena was not exactly sure what or how much her daughter knew so she would wait and listen before she would say anything.
"Mama…" Gabriella's hands began to tremble. She could not look at her mother suddenly and she wanted to hide from Blayne. What had just happened? Her whole life had just changed forever. It would never ever be the same again.
"What's wrong, Leila?" Elena asked softly. She used her pet name for her daughter lovingly. Gabriella looked up with pained, tear filled eyes.
"Mama….tell me. I want you to tell me," Gabriella begged.
Elena's eyes filled with tears as well. Gabriella shook her head and put her arms around her body as she turned and took a few steps away from her mother.
"Is it true Mama? Is it true?" Gabriella waited. When Elena looked up she knew.
"Leila…"
"Did Papa know?"
"No."
Gabriella walked over to the couch and sat down. Blayne asked herself how she ever thought that she could just make this happen and…she had not thought, she finally admitted to herself. She had made cold calculations. She had not factored in any of her own emotions, but in retrospect she should have. That perhaps was the problem. Blayne was coldly processing as Elena Sotomayor now faced her.
"You, you told my daughter this news?"
"I represent Arthur Aston-Carlyle. Yes, I told her. He sent me to bring her to him." Blayne figured she should just put it all out there and see where it all stood. Damage control was something she had always been good at.
"Bring her to him?" Elena said in indignation.
"My father is dying. He wants to see her before his demise." Blayne saw the shock of the news register in the older woman's face. Interesting, Blayne thought to herself.
Gabriella got up and faced Blayne in horror. "Your father?" Gabriella looked like she was going to be sick suddenly. "Mama…."
Elena went to her daughter immediately and helped her sit down again. Gabriella then fainted.
"Leila?" Elena looked like she was going to pass out as well.
"She's fainted. Please get a wet towel and some cold water for her to drink." Blayne took control of the situation. Elena looked down at her daughter who seemed to be between consciousness and unconsciousness.
"She's had a shock. Please get the water, Mrs. Sotomayor. I will stay with her," Blayne added as she sat next to Gabriella on the couch.
Elena got up on shaky legs and walked out of the room.
Blayne pulled the semi conscious Gabriella towards her. She caressed the face of the woman in her arms softly. Gabriella's eyes fluttered and opened. Their eyes once again locked.
"No…" cried Gabriella as she pulled away from Blayne. "You knew? And you….?" Gabriella seemed mortified with the implications of the news. If all this is true, Blayne is my half sister! She began to pale again. Oh my God! Oh my God!
"Are you better now?" Blayne asked her politely, totally ignoring the accusation. "Arthur married my mother when I was four years old."
Gabriella raised a shaky hand to her temple trying to catch her breath. At that moment Elena came into the room with the towel and the glass of water. Blayne got up and took them from her.
"Here, drink this." Blayne placed the tip of the glass at Gabriella's mouth. She then put the glass down and wiped her faced gently with the moist towel. "I know that this has been…a day full of surprises." Blayne noticed the slight cringe. "As I said, Arthur is dying and wants to meet you. That's all."
Elena beheld her daughter, unable to say anything. Gabriella looked at her mother with so many questions.
"Leila…" Elena said softly full of emotion as she sat on the chair across from her daughter.
"Arthur abandoned your mother. He left her with very little choices. He just found out he is dying and wants to meet you, his daughter." Blayne laid it all out for them. There was no point in playing with the truth. And by so doing and addressing it she would be able to perhaps assist Elena in explaining her actions to her daughter.
"He was a young man who arrogantly only thought of himself. He made a terrible mistake…and it cost him. He wants to meet you and I am here to take you to him," Blayne said softly.
Elena sat down, still silent. Gabriella looked towards her mother who seemed very distraught. "Mother?"
"I'm sorry, Leila. I'm so sorry," Elena said as she covered her face. "I never wanted you to know."
"Arthur told me how badly he behaved towards you. I'm sorry, Mrs. Sotomayor," Blayne said apologetically. "I left my mother in tears as well."
Gabriella now looked back towards Blayne. Gabriella got up suddenly. "No."
"No?" Blayne did not understand.
"I'm not going," Gabrielle said as she faced Blayne and dared her to challenge her. "No."
"You're upset. I will come back tomor…
"Didn't you hear what I said! No!" Gabrielle yelled.
Elena got up and went to her daughter's side.
"Get out!" Gabriella demanded.
Blayne stood up and challenged her with her eyes. Suddenly Blayne smiled. "I will come back. And you won't be able to say no to me… again." Blayne let the double untundra float between them. When she saw the shock of understanding register in Gabriella's eyes she knew she had won.
Blayne walked into her penthouse in Boston a few hours later and went straight into her office. She had a dinner meeting to get ready for. She had taken the shuttle from Princeton, New Jersey to Boston, Massachusetts. Blayne had a full schedule and had planned other meetings around her visit to Gabriella Matheson. She had factored in the possibility that there might be some reservations on Gabriella's part. What had completely thrown her for a loop was Gabriella herself; never in her wildest dreams could she have imagined what had happened between them. She still could not bring herself to believe it. Blayne then called her office and instructed her secretary to reschedule all her appointments for the next few days. She would fly back to Princeton first thing in the morning. Gabriella Matheson had suddenly become her number one priority.
The children were already asleep when Gabriella spoke to Joseph on the phone. Joseph was away on business and would be back in a few days. He had asked the usual questions; they just seemed to be polite strangers these days unless they were arguing. She had said nothing to him about what had happened that day. After all, she told herself, it was family business. At that moment she realized that her marriage was over. It had slowly but surely died.
Gabriella walked around the house in the dark dazed. She remembered how in the beginning she had put so much of herself into making it a home. What a disappointment her marriage had been. Even in the beginning she should have known.
From almost the first day of their marriage something slowly began to dissolve between them. It was like as if after the moment she gave herself to Joseph something inside her rejected him. It wasn't something that she could put her finger on but it was there and it grew and grew until she could hardly breathe.
In retrospect, she realized that she had bestowed qualities on Joseph that he had never possessed. She had always seen more than there had been. Gabriella had to admit feeling a great sadness. The truth was that she had been more in love with love than with Joseph.