I wait for Avni as she is interrogated by the FBI and I feel anxious as I think about Ruby's texts. Even if no one has figured out about Avni being the daughter of the mafia they are looking for it still makes me anxious because Erica knows. If Erica is anything she is loyal and dedicated to her job.

I tap my foot as I let out a breath. Avni's parents are out waiting for their daughter to come out. Aaron and Nora have gone to the appointment they have but Aaron told me he'll be here shortly. Avni just got in the car leaving the questions unanswered by her family and I followed her.

I am not stepping out of here until she is with me. I don't want to reveal anything to her family if she doesn't want that. I'll let her do the talking to the family once she is back.

"Just- I don't know... make the buzz go away!"

I look up at Rose as she walks inside with her bodyguard behind. I stand up as she looks at me and disconnects the call.

Jason was arrested two hours after he left our home and I am glad he is arrested. The headlines have commenced coming around and it's really sick that they are using Jason's name with Avni and Rose. It has spiced things up more for Rose as Avni once released photos of Jason with Rose in the cafe. Rumors are wondering if Rose is also with Jason in this and there's so much going on with her.

"Hey." She says and I nod. "Avni is in there?"

"Yeah. It's been an hour now." I say.

She sighs then shakes her head as she takes off her sunglasses and wipes a tear under her eye.

"This is fucking insane. None of this is true." She says to me and it sounds almost as if she is trying to convince herself by this.

With one look at her eyes, anyone can figure out she's been crying all the way here and the sadness in her eyes makes me feel bad for her.

"Avni doesn't believe this, right?" She asks me desperately. "She's known him for long- he would never do that. He- he is innocent!"

I glance at the officers as they make their way toward us and I know Rose will be in one of the rooms soon. I wish I could do something for her but she decided to want Jason in her life so she has to deal with it. I am not the person to convince her and give her hope that everything is going to be alright but I can tell her the easy way to deal with this. I don't like her for the way she's been treating Avni from the beginning but I just genuinely feel bad for her as a human.

"Rose, don't deny anything. You need to accept the truth and move on with your life." I tell her. "Accepting is the way."

She nods before she puts on her sunglasses and I hear a sob escape from her throat as the officers approach her and then they lead her to the room. Erica follows shortly and she nods at me as she gets into the room with Rose.

I suddenly wish Erica was the one interrogating Avni and I sit there for another hour thinking about how would our day be if it wasn't for Jason and about how I would like to propose to Avni and then I worry what if Avni is in trouble or what if this day turns out to be worst.

My phone keeps vibrating with texts and I ignore them all not knowing how to answer any of their questions. I don't know what Avni wants me to tell them. Lee calls me and then Alice drops me texts asking if Avni is okay and then Avni's father leaves me a voicemail.

I wonder what makes Avni think they won't accept her for whoever she is when they all love her so much.

"Knock, knock."

I look up and Avni smiles at me. I grin at her as I stand up and pull her into my arms.

"You were supposed to ask Who's there." She chuckles as I pull back to look at her.

"Fuck what I am supposed to do." I look down at her lips and I tighten my arm around her.

"I should do what I want to do." I look into her eyes. "Allow me."

She smiles before she mumbles, "One."

I crash my lips against hers and she gasps slowly as she holds my arm. I suck on her lip as I remind myself that I cannot just pin her against this wall and get carried away because we are in a public place and there's probably a camera scrutinizing us.

I press a long kiss on her lips before I pull back. Avni tries to catch her breath and she looks at me amused.

"Okay." She lets out a breath and licks her lips. "I am horny as fuck now."

"Your family is out waiting for you." I remind her.

She frowns. "You didn't send them away?"

"No. They are here for you." I say gently.

"You know what? Let's escape somewhere. I don't want to answer anyone now." She says.

"No. You are meeting them and at least letting them know you are okay." I say. "They are worried, Avni."

"I wish they weren't." She says. "But... I am also glad they are."

I give her a small smile before I kiss her cheek. I look around before I ask her in a low voice. "Everything is okay?"

"Yeah. This is all about Jason and nothing is about me or my so-called mother." She says in a low voice. "It seems like Jason is in charge of everything and not her. Maybe that's what she does- puts other people in charge so she is left safe even when her people are arrested."

I nod slowly wondering if that's what it really is. For a moment I wish I could talk to her biological mother and clear things up so she could leave us out of this mess.

I hold her hand as we make our way out and I think about how I failed at the only thing Neela Maa asked me to do. She asked me to not let Avni meet her biological mother but I feel like I have gotten Avni into a terrific mess by going out and talking with Jason.

Problems seem to start from there- Jason.

And I am beginning to fear that I made a mistake by meeting him.

Avni hugs her parents when we get out and she tells them that she's fine.

"So, what's the matter with Jason?" Aaron asks her after she hugs him.

"He just got himself into some mess and he's dealing with it." She says to him. "How about you stop interrogating me? I am so done with it."

"I was just worried." Aaron glances at Nora then he looks at me. "I am hoping you are making sure she's keeping herself safe and... out of trouble."

"Yeah." I nod as I put my arm around Avni.

"You are coming home with us now." Mr. Young says to Avni.

"Yes, I am." She smiles at him then she looks at me. "Are you coming?"

"No. I need to get to the office." I say to her then I take a step closer to her. "Call me when you are leaving and I'll pick you up, okay?"

"Yeah." She nods.

I look at her for a moment before I turn around and leave.

When I get to the office I have a meeting to attain and I stay focused on everything that is been discussed. Later my Secretary informs me I'll have a meeting with Mr. Grover tomorrow instead of next week and that he is looking forward to meeting me.

DD comes to my office and he asks what is the matter with Jason, Avni, and Rose. I fill him in on the part where Jason is the criminal. I don't mention anything about Daisy Reed.

All the while I have this heaviness in my chest and I try to recall why it is there I am reminded I am afraid of the consequences of involving Jason in our lives. I know Jason was part of Avni's life even before I was in the picture but he never approached Avni after their breakup, I called him in.

But if I didn't call him in Avni wouldn't know about her past entirely, about why Rose did whatever she did, and about how her father- her father- Grover.

I am meeting Mr. Grover tomorrow.

He has to be Avni's father. Of course, he wants to meet me after all this mess.

"I'll take your presence here as Avni is safe and fine," Ruby says as she gets in the elevator with me.

"She is." I look at her. "Did you ask Erica-"

"To miss the information that Avni is the daughter of Daisy Reed?" She interrupts. "Yeah, I did."

"Why?"

"This time it's certainly not because I love you." She rolls her eyes.

The elevator opens and she steps out ignoring me. I let out a breath as I take long strides and I keep my distance from her not wanting people to gossip about us and I catch up to her as she gets to the parking lot.

"Ruby, thank you," I say and she turns to look at me. "For everything."

"You are welcome." She says. "Anything else?"

"Ruby, I am sorry." I sigh. "I know I shouldn't have left you waiting for me but I didn't know how to-"

"Get rid of me." She lets out and she nods slowly.

I look away from her when I see tears in her eyes.

"You know what?" She asks and I turn to look at her. "Thank you! I am better off without you and you are better with someone else. Someone who makes you seem that commitment is easy."

"I agree," I say. "I am better with Avni."

"Do me a favor then," Ruby says. "Forget what happened between us. I don't want you to look at me and recollect how you abandoned me. I hate that look in your eyes. If you are really apologetic for what you did then I will let it go but..." She pauses as she looks up at me. "... if you are saying this so I could convince Erica to keep Avni's secret then know that it's not happening."

"No-"

"No explanations." She shakes her head. "Whatever I am doing for Avni isn't because I love you, it's because I think she doesn't deserve to be used by everyone. Rose and Jason have done enough damage and so has Daisy Reed and I used her to save my father's clubs and one of my hidden vengeance but I don't want Erica to use her as a means to catch Daisy Reed. It's not you, Neil, it's the kindness in me."

"I know you, Ruby, and thank you for being kind to my wife but you are taking it all wrong. I'm not here because I want to ask anything for Avni. I'm talking to you because we need to talk about what happened." I say desperately. "I know how this looks to you- I didn't just go out and marry her after I told you I'm not ready for commitment."

"You do realize how it looks to me." She crosses her arms on her chest. "So, why did you marry her?"

"There was a reason," I say slowly. "I am hoping you'll understand and I want to share with you because you don't deserve to feel that I rejected you or think that I lied to you about not wanting commitment."

She looks at me for a moment. "So do you want to tell me what the reason is?"

"Yes, I do. I know we can't get back to what we were but I don't want this tension between us." I say to her honestly.

We look at each other for a moment and the silence grows awkward.

"Maybe we should have coffee anytime soon," I say hoping she doesn't reject me now.

"Okay. I am looking forward to what you have to say, Neil."

☄☄☄

"I feel so loved." I giggle as I finish the dessert and Dad smiles at me.

"So, there's something I want to talk to you about." He says as he sits down next to me on the couch.

"I don't want to talk about Jason again." I frown.

"Neither do I." He says. "Let's talk about us."

I feel tense a little and I glance at Neela Maa as she joins us.

"What... do you mean?" I ask.

"Things are better off when you talk about it, my child." He says as he caresses my hair. "Do you have something to say to your dad?"

I gulp slowly as I shake my head then I lower my gaze.

"Okay, then I have something to say to my daughter." He says as he gives me a warm smile.

"Dad-"

"I know you know the truth and it has hurt me you didn't want me to realize that you learned the truth a few years ago." He says and I feel my heart drop in my stomach.

He is not going to stop loving and caring for me, I know.

I still feel tense and I look at Neela Maa wondering if she told him and she shakes her head at me.

"Your mother didn't say anything to me- I just figured it out," Dad says and I gulp slowly. "I have watched you with Alice and your differences made me worried for you because Alice would always come to me and cry confessing all she wanted was to have a good relationship with you."

I can feel my eyes fill up and I lower my gaze feeling horrible.

"I have watched you distance yourself from family. I have communicated with you and questioned you if there is any problem but- you never shared a thing." He proceeds and he sounds disappointed. "It didn't occur to me it was your birth certificate that made the change until a few months ago. And just so you know it didn't occur to me because I didn't let that certificate define our relationship, my child."

"I am not letting it define us." I shake my head. "I- I think I just feared."

"That I would love you less?" He asks and I nod as I wipe the tears off my cheek.

"And that is why you should talk... communicate to know the truth rather than speculating it and existing in fear." He says to me gently. "I understand you and what you must have felt and I forgive you for that all I ask in return is to let go out of the doubts."

"I am sure your mother told you already but I still want to tell you- you are our daughter. We raised you and we loved you as your siblings."

I nod slowly as I sniff and wipe my tears off my cheeks again before I look at Neela Maa and she smiles at me.

"I guess, she needed that from you more than me." She says. "Avni, know that we have always seen you as ours."

"She's right," Dad says as he holds my hands. "Parents choose to bring children into their lives. We chose to bring Aaron, Lee, and Alice and we also chose you. You became a part of our family because we wanted you to be."

"You have done some much good to this family. Your mother came back to me with you- and I always think you are my good luck." He smiles as if remembering the old times. "I remember holding you into my arms and you were so cute with those beautiful inquisitive eyes." He looks up at me. "You are my first daughter and I was so happy to have you."

I bite my lower lip and the tears continue to roll down my cheeks but I can feel the warmth and happiness in my heart while I feel the guilt burn in my gut.

"You were the first sister to Aaron and Lee and they were so happy when you came home. Aaron became protective instantly. Lee was almost two years old and he would poke you and make you cry then he would give his toys and hug you."

We all laugh slowly before I see the tears in my Dad's eyes and he shakes his head as he chuckles slowly.

"Alice needs a sister and you have to be there for her, please remember that." He says to me.

I look away from him unable to meet his gaze I feel... ashamed. I envied Alice so much for no reason. She doesn't deserve it at all and I have no idea how to set things right with her.

"Remember what I always told you, we are not connected by blood but we are connected by our hearts and that connection is way stronger than the rest." Neela Maa sits down next to me and I can glimpse the tears in her eyes. "Trust your heart."

"I will. I am sorry." I say and I burst out crying and then they both reach out and hug me.

It feels so nice to have them hold me and tell me that they love me. I feel so safe and good and happy and I think about how to set things right with everyone. I have done enough damage. I should stop.

"I can have everyone here and tell them the truth and you'll see everyone still loves you the same," Dad says as he pulls back to look at me.

"No, no." I shake my head. "I am not ready for that, Dad. I promise I'll make it right but I don't want them to know."

He looks at Neela Maa then he nods slowly.

I stand up when the doorbell rings and I clean my face as I walk over to the door. I feel myself tense when I see Alice at the door because I need to be good to her starting now but all I want to do is get in the car go home and cry for some time and think again and again about Dad's words.

"Hey," Alice says in a low voice.