Family first ~ a sequel

Chapter 25

"Are you looking forward to the wedding?" Asked Julian filming Ellie.

"I think it would be cool, I like weddings, mum will look really beautiful in her dress, I get to enjoy it." She stated

"So your excited?" He asked

"Super excited!" Ellie smiled as Brooke opens the door to the truck.

"Since when did my boyfriend become a stalkerazzi?" Asked Brooke, as She climbed into the car, Julian movie the camera to her.

"It's this new digital camera." Julian explained "They're letting me demo it. Turns out I'm on the hot young directors to watch list."

"Oh. Well, you are kind of hot." Brooke tells him

"Thanks." Julian smiled

"So, how is grandma?" Asked Ellie

"Oddly enough, she seems to be adjusting to prison pretty well." Brooke replied "She might actually be enjoying herself. Me? I have to jettison the men's line, reorganize the magazine staff, close half of our stores, and put up with an unbelievable amount of humiliating press."

"Let's take a drive." Julian said putting the camera down, Ellie picking it up and fiddling around with it.

***

"Oh, Julian. What fairy tale did you bring me to?" Brooke asked as they stood on a balcony over looking a huge mansion.

"This is the Biltmore estate. I thought it would be a nice spot for our wedding." Julian tells her. "I want my girl to have her dream."

"Its beautiful." Ellie agreed "but It's a bit over the top don't you think?"

"It's beautiful." Brooke said "But is this okay? I mean, with everything going on, this wouldn't be selfish?"

"No. No, and know why?" Julian asked "Because years from now, when we look back on this moment, we not gonna remember the trouble with your company, or the bad press, or even your mum being in jail. We're just gonna remember how great our wedding was."

"You think so?" Asked Brooke

"Yeah. I know so." Julian said "And when we look back on it... I want to remember it like this...just...Perfect. You of all people deserve it."

***

"Hey. Haley says Quinn loved the flowers." Julian said as he and Ellie walked back into the house.

"What's wrong mum?" Asked Ellie noticing he sad face.

"I'm gonna lose my company." She breathed out.

"What do you mean? I thought Victoria fixed it." Julian said walking over to her

"She did. And you know how?" Brooke asked her voice breaking as she spoke. "By screwing our investors. We are surviving at the expense of all these people who put their hard-earned savings in our hands."

"Okay, well... There's got to be some other way out." Julian suggested

"I've gone over everything. There isn't. How can I set foot in my store, in our offices, knowing that I kept them by deceiving people?"

"Well Victoria's the one deceiving them." Ellie deadpanned, Brooke gave her a hard glare. "So your not keeping the company?" She added

"I can't." Brooke admitted, crying "It's over."

"You know, Brooke... At the end of the day, all you really own in this world is your integrity and once you give that up, you can't ever buy it back." Julian tells her

"I know." Brooke sighs

"Hey, come here. You're doing the right thing." Julian says giving her a hug "And I love you for that."