Tied to a Castillo I 18+

part two

*the italics isn't the past for this chapter. it's still the present this time but I wanted to show the separation of that section in the chapter.

Natalie Knows, and so will Sam...

Natalie walked out of the restaurant with a full stomach and a laugh flowing out of her as she and her mother walked out of the restaurant with their arms linked. Dinner was good, and Natalie had to give it the maximum amount of stars because everything was perfect, from the drinks to the service to the food.

She was enjoying this moment, and so was Serena.

However, their joy faded along the trail to their cars.

Natalie noticed that a man was leaning on the hood of a vehicle that could be his own. He was smoking a cigarette, and while she could say that he came out for a few puffs, she couldn't shake off the stare he sent her way.

He was eyeing them, watching them as if he were waiting for them.

Natalie stared with suspicion as her mother got a good look at the man who had her daughter's attention. Serena felt her stomach drop like she was on a rollercoaster, the food suddenly wanting to make its way up.

She felt her words get caught in her throat, staring with soft, fluttering eyes. Serena was used to Ivan having his 'friend' follow her around as some sort of intimidation, but while she was out with her daughter, it was not a time to do so.

"Come on, sweetie," Serena says while holding onto her daughter's arm tighter, "let's get you home," now deciding to walk her daughter to her car, which was just one space behind her car.

Natalie detects her mother's unsettling worry and asks, "Ma, you alright?" walking backwards as her mother guides her to her car.

"Yeah, honey. I'm fine," she says with a smile as she circles the front of the vehicle to approach Natalie's driver's side.

Natalie felt like her mother was rushing her off all of a sudden, and that's because she was. She wanted to get Natalie out of here before Ivan's friend said something to scare Natalie or worse.

Serena wasn't going to allow Ivan to loop her daughter into his game, forbidding any arm to be done to her baby girl, as she would prefer to take on the suffering.

"Ma, you don't seem fine," Natalie said as her mother pushed lightly on her shoulders to get her to sit down in the driver's seat.

"I am," she cracks with a small laugh, "I just remembered that I had to wrap up a few things with my assistant on this case."

Natalie watched with knitted brows as her mother buckled her in her seat like a child, "Ma, I can buckle my own seatbelt," she giggled, looking at her mother.

"I know," she said, moving her head away from the car. She caressed Natalie's cheek and said, "I want to make sure you get home to your son in one piece. People drive recklessly at these hours and refuse to put on their headlights."

Her mother was normally concerned, but this felt odd.

"You know that guy?" Natalie asks, taking a glance at him as he shifts his gaze from them to what is ahead of him.

Serena shook her head and lied, "don't know him from a can of paint. Probably just out here for a smoke break or waiting for someone."

Natalie didn't want to accept this and wanted to question her further, but her mother quickly slammed the door, "Ma!" she called out.

"Call me when you get home," she blew her a kiss and waved, "I love you."

Natalie grew stuck and watched her mother step back from the car.