Chapter 31: The Declaration

Brandon Cornwall's POV

I don't know I felt like I have been running for a thousand miles. We were just standing in front of Brown's residence when I told Barbara that I will come clean with her parents. Just my luck, her brothers were home as well.

"Are you sure you want to do this? I will not hold it against you if you're afraid. My brothers can be tough sometimes," Barbara whispered when we were waiting outside of the residence

We have rung the bell and we were waiting for them to open it. I even brought something for them so that this interrogation will be easier for us. I sighed as I was looking at Barbara warily.

"I can't go back from this, love. I have to make sure that we are cleared of our relationship. No more contract, no more secret," I said as Barbara arched an eyebrow.

"Well, you do owe me something in that secret department," she said as she was holding my arm. I furrowed my eyebrows together.

"Which one? I thought I have done everything that you can ever think of, share it with you," I said as I was looking at her beautiful face.

"I know but I was talking about—"

The door suddenly opened and Mr. Brown was in front of us and before I can do anything, he was punching me on the jaws as I was staggered back a few times. My hold on the gifts was out of my reach now.

So much for being reasonable.

"Honey. Dad, what the hell?" Barbara yelled before she was beside me and she was ensuring that I was not hurt then it was.

But man, this old man can punch.

I was rubbing the side of my mouth before I saw there was blood and I was tasting it with my tongue before I looked at a very furious old man.

Barbara's dad.

My father-in-law.

"Look, whatever you're planning to do with my daughter, I will not welcome your kind anymore. Now, off with you. I don't want to see you again. Barb, let's go," her father said as Barbara was stepping aside from being dragged by him into the house.

"No!" She said as she was holding my arm.

"No?" The old man asked before he was looking at Barbara's hand on my arm. Her defiant was encouraging if not for the invisible steam that was coming from her father's ears.

"Barb, don't be ridiculous. This man tosses you like trash after he was done with you. And I don't think you will have my blessing anymore to marry my daughter, coward," her father was coming onto me before Barbara shouted what I was planning to tell him myself.

"We're married. If you kill him, you kill the love of my life," she shouted before her father stopped and looked at me before he looked at his daughter.

"What's the meaning of this?" He demanded before I cleared my throat. Two pairs of eyes were looking at me before I looked at Mr. Brown.

"Mr. Brown, sir, I know that my action was not honorable to take your daughter's hands in marriage but I can assure you, I will have no intention to divorce her. She will be my wife and mother of my children. I will never let her down anymore," I said as I was squeezing Barbara's hand before she turned to look at me and all her love was in her eyes.

Her father harrumphed before Barbara turned to look at him. She held her chin high and she shoved the doughnuts that I wanted to give to them as an olive branch.

"Take this. We're done," Barbara said before she was dragging me away from the residence. I was trying to stop her before I turned to look at her father and his expression was heart-breaking one.

"Barbara, love, we should be with your parents. I need to make things right," I said as she was dragging me away from the residence. She let go of my arm before she turned to look at me sharply.

"You see what they did. My father punched you and here I thought you're the reasonable one," she said as she sighed before she was hugging me.

"I cannot let my family has their way with you and get away from it. I have to protect you as much as you're protecting me. You're my husband, my other half, my love. I will protect you even though I have to severe my family ties," she said as she was smiling at me. I caressed her cheeks before I kissed her.

"But you will miss them. I cannot let you be miserable like that," I said as she shook her head. She smiled before she gazed into my eyes.

"I know but your family was enough for me if I will never my parents and siblings again," she whispered.

"Barbara, I can't—"

"Stop right there, sir," her brothers were coming at us as I was looking at them and their confident walks. I know they will come to stop us and before I can do anything, Barbara was standing in front of me.

"If you're here to hurt my husband, I will not have any of that happening under my eyes," she said as her stance spoke volume. I was in awe with my wife and that was just for standing up to me.

I wondered what happened when she carried my child in her belly?

I looked at her brothers and I have to say, they were huge like giants. I don't think I can take them all down if they wanted to drag Barbara out of my arms. Her father was strong for an old man.

"Barb, don't be ridiculous. This man was no good. I heard that he was a player," one of her brothers said. I don't bother to correct it. It was true that I had a lot of girlfriends but I never slept with them. The only one I shared my bed was—

"Don't be ridiculous. I don't care about his past or mine. All I know is this. Brandon Cornwall is my husband and if you can't take that as a fact, I will never come home anymore," Barbara said as she was holding her chin high. Her brothers looked at each other before they harrumphed and I was certain they wanted to kidnap her.

I squeezed Barbara's hand as I was looking at her. I smiled for support before I was straightening my back as I was looking at them.

"Gentlemen, I know that we have never met and I think you just hear the bad side of my name. But rest assured, I will take care of your sister as if she was the only one in the world because in my life," I said as I was looking at Barbara.

"She is," I said as she was smiling before she kissed my knuckles as I turned to look at her brothers. Time to face the devils that will be a pain in the ass. Her brothers were assessing me before they both smiled.

"Well, that's one hell of a fight," one of them said.

"Never doubt father's choice was something else,"

"Hell, I think I wanted to punch him even more,"

"Boys, behave. I know father will send after you so I wanted you to meet my husband, Brandon officially. Love, this is Oliver, Jack and Austin, my brothers," Barbara said as she was turning to me and smiled. I furrowed my eyebrows as I was looking at them and I was turning toward her brothers.

What the hell just happened?!

Barbara Brown's POV

We were sitting in the living room of my childhood home as Brad was sitting next to me. He was nervous, I can tell by the constant wiping of his brows. I think he looked cute in this situation. My mother was serving tea as my father and my brothers were looking at my husband.

I sighed as I was trying to get this over with but knowing my father, everything will never be anything. I need to get hold of this situation before we can do any damage.

"So," my father started as he was sipping on his tea. I don't know why my parents were trying to be sophisticated when we were not. I rolled my eyes before Brad cleared his throat.

"We came here to tell you that we have been married for a month now," Brad said as he squeezed my hands. I was looking at him before he continued.

"I will not divorce her since she is the love of my life and I wanted to stay it that way. She's more precious than any gem that I looked at," Brad said before he turned to look at me. I smiled at him and he smiled back.

"So, what are your plans now? Since you will not ignore my warning," my father said before Brad replied.

"We will be going on our honeymoon. I don't want to surprise you guys since we eloped and I think it was best to say that I will take her out of the country after I declared our status," he said before I turned to look at him. He was so sure with himself before my father was looking at us. He put his teacup down and looked at us.

"Good, where you're taking her?"