Isabella's POV:

We were cleaned up and we were ready.

Now I had to face all of it in one conversation

I had to relive each trauma and I had to face it head on because I couldn't hide it any longer

I have to do this.

So as me and summer stood nervously outside the dining room door , I turned to summer and I smiled

"You and me through it all." I whispered, it was an old thing from when we were younger

**Flashback**

"It hurts , they wouldn't stop kicking me!" I cried out on to summers shoulder

Did I really deserve this?

I was only 11 years old.

"Look I know it hurts and I hate that this is our life but we have eachother" 11 year old summer mumbled with tears rolling down her face too

She was all I had.

"You promise?" I muttered looking at her with pain

"You and me through it all" she mumbled to me as we interlinked our hands

A small smile spread across my face

"You and me"

**End of flashback**

Summers reply didn't shock me at all

"You and me" she said as she took my hand and we slowly walked in , ready to face what was about to come

They all turned to us , already deep in to discussion

"I'll answer anything but you have to promise not to hurt anyone , not to get angry or do anything stupid, understand?" I asked them taking a seat besides Leonardo and Ace

They were going to go mad.

"Understood" they all answered hesitately

I waited for the first question taking a deep breath in.

"Tell us everything about when Stacey entered your life and I mean everything." Victor leaned forwards noticing the others were nervous to ask anything

"She started working for us when I was 8 , she instantly made an impression on me. She treated me like her own and eventually over time I came to trust her and she was the only person in the house I could go to , she used to sneak me some snacks when my parents would starve me now I know all that was so that I would trust her. " I explained what I could remember and they all watched with expression of curiousity and worry

Summer kept her eyes on me closely as I didn't look at any of the others.

I was too scared

"What about your parents?" Killian asked with a gulp

Me too Killian

"The abuse has happened ever since I can remember, my mother mainly was. Verbally abusive but my father took it to some very harsh extent , he'd stab me , burn me , starve me , kick me, beat me with the b-belt and so many other things that I can't bear to say. I never understood why but I just knew they hated me obviously now I know why" my voice began to break as I spoke more and more about my past

I thought about everything that had happened and how much it had effected me

A tear escaped my eye at the thought

"He what!?" Ace grabbed my wrist so I'd look at him

"Izzy why didn't you say anything!?" Jakob asked looking at me shocked to his core

I looked around for all their reactions

Killian has tears in his eyes.

My father looked mortified.

Leonardo didn't speak he just looked furious.

Victor just looked worried.

I stared at my bracelet and back up at them , waiting for them to continue because I knew what came next and this was the worst of them all

"Tell us everything, everything about carter and you." Leonardo didn't even ask he demanded it , he knew this is what effected me most

He knew that's why I never trusted him.

Summer stared at me letting me know I didn't have to answer.

I owed myself this

That's what I kept telling myself

"I was barely 15 , reading in the back garden, peacefully minding my own business when the book was s-snatched from my hands. I looked up and I saw a boy a few years older than me , it was c-carter , he was 19 years old. He stood there looking like he wanted nothing more than to ruin my life-" I began to sob recalling each detail like it has happened yesterday

Summer who sat across from me put her hand on the table encouraging me to take her hand

"You do not have to carry on iz" she told me with tears in her eyes because she had heard this story before

I owed myself this.

"I have to" I cried looking down at our interlinked hands

My father wouldn't take his eyes off me

Tears in his eyes now

"My parents were furious, they said a-a girl shouldn't look s-smart , reading a book because boys don't like that. They dragged me inside , sat me on a table beside him and the moment I sat down his hand was on my t-thigh. I'd never felt more disgusting before that, I tried to get up and run off but he pulled me back down harshly and told me to do as told.." I cried out remembering it all , his tone and his harsh grip.

I knew from the start he was evil

Summer squeezed my hand again as I took a deep breath , feeling Leonardo's look of anger on me.

"I sat the entire dinner with his hand on my thigh, slowly getting higher. I was so scared and that n-night when he was leaving my parents asked m-me 'd-do you like him? He's your boyfriend after all' I remember that sick look in my mother's eyes as she told me that night , I ran to summers that night, it was the first time I'd ran away and as I attempted to reach summer's place falling apart , a car pulled up and there he stood, c-carter." I started again feeling Ace take my other hand as I told the in-depth story

I can't do this.

I had to though

My sobs got harsher as the memory played in my head

"He shoved me in the car and he got on top of me , he held me down and he kissed me , I'd never kissed a boy before he had stolen my first kiss and now it sounds stupid but as that 15 year old girl I was distraught as he whispered 'your mine now , I've waited for 2 years to feel you and now y-your mine to touch , to torture.' his tone made me sick and he drove me back home ,and he watched as my father beat me like he never had be-before-" my voice got weaker as I shook with terror

I hated it.

I hated being this weak

A pure memories made me cry and sob.

"No." Killian whispered looking at me with eyes full of pain and anger

"Two years I spend as his puppet , he came back everyday , he touched me , hit me and tormented me everyday for two fucking years straight and I-i just let it happen because I was just a kid! I was so scared of him and slowly I wanted nothing more than to rid the feeling of him all over me. His words rang in my head 'his' that's all I could think , I knew they planned to have me married to him but when the night came that they told me I was engaged i-" I spoke with a voice of mourn and hatred , anger caused through me as I remembered what he did.

Summer knew what was coming.

I took my hand off her and Ace placing my head in my hands

Sobbing my heart out.

I looked up again and took a deep breath before continuing

"I panicked , I knew If I let that happen it was over for me , I would officially be that man's little wife to hurt , to touch and worst of all I knew he'd try get me in bed with him the moment we married but what I didn't expect that night going to bed with tears in my eyes was my new fiancé to be stood in my room-" my voice broke as my sobs got harsher

"I'm sorry." I cried out hating how weak I was being

Leonardo grabbed my hand and made me look right at him

"Izzy.." he muttered like he was sensing something bad coming

I pushed him away

"That night I-i didn't think I'd walk in and be instantly thrown against the bed and as he stripped his clothes , I tried to run and get out of there but I was nothing against this man so he started to strip me too" I couldn't look at any of them so I pause and I bit my lip

"He tried to rape me that night.." I finished off and Leonardo threw his chair , standing up

Alot of throwing and sobs.

"Tell them the rest Izzy!" Summer shrieked trying to get them calm

"I had a knife on me because I always did as carter was there so as he tried to do it I took this knife and I held it to my throat. I told him if he doesn't leave my life now I'd kill myself because I didn't care anymore." I explained once more looking up at Leonardo who was now standing

I stood up with him.

Leonardo seemed like he was ready to kill everyone in sight

"He left that night and he didn't come back , but he watched me everyday I knew it I could feel it, either way for now I had escaped until last night." I finished off grabbing his arm

"He didn't do it , he had already taken so much , I wasn't going to let him take that too." I pleaded with him to be responsible about this and not hurt anyone

I pleaded with them all but it was all for nothing

Leonardo kissed my forehead roughly

Him , Ace and my father than all stormed out without a word

Next thing I heard was the slam off the front door

Killian punched a hole in the wall before storming out the house with them

Victor and Jakob stood there looking at me and summer in sympathy

"I'm sorry Izzy , I shouldn't have ever left , I could have stopped all this if I didn't leave you both and for that I am so sorry I know that it can never be forgiven." Jakob spoke with a weak voice coated with guilt

"I blame no one but carter , okay?" I said in a soft and broken voice

He nodded hesitantly and without another word he walked out to his room

Locking himself in there.

"You deserved so much better , I hope you heal dear because no one , no one at all should go through that." Victor spoke with tears in his eyes like he'd never felt such pity

I just nodded with a small smile that was really hard to put on my face.

He wanted to comfort me I could tell but he didn't want to make me uncomfortable so he just went and sat in his office

Alone.

Now me and summer stood there both in bits

Alone.

"No one died..?" Summer tried to make the best of it and a small laught left my mouth as I hugged her tight

"I am so proud of you" she mumbled in my ear pulling away from the hug and looking at me with glistening eyes

I felt good.

Oddly good.

---------

Chapter 26 doneee x

That was so sad to write so to anyone gone through anything mentioned in this I am so so sorry , as victor said no one deserves that 🫶🏼