《The Villain》


 Chapter 1 - The Wedding Day

    A wedding is supposed to be a joyous and blessed occasion where two souls and families become one. And Persephone''s wedding was anything but joyous and blessed. It was a means to atone for her sins. To reform her errors. To fulfill her duty.


    ''I''m Persephone Juliet Marino, the daughter of the great Alessandro Marino. I''m named after the goddess of spring, the Persephone, but my life is anything but spring. There are no flowers in the world that can make my life colourful and alive like spring. I''m left to pick my pieces in darkness. But they forgot one thing, they actually forgot that Persephone was not only the goddess of spring, she was the queen of darkness as well. One day, maybe one day, I will rule darkness as well. Until then I will wait for my chance.''


    Persephone Marino was getting married to Nicolas Scuderi, a man she knew since her childhood. Also, the man she no longer knew. She couldn''t face him without remembering that unfortunate incident that changed her life forever.


    The door to the bridal room opened and in came a stream of her female friends and family members. Only she knew how much she wanted to scream and tell them that they were not welcome.


    However, much to her dismay the wedding foreplay commenced with her being pulled from the bed and shoved for a bath. Her skin was scrubbed red, her limbs waxed till they bled. Her hair brushed and combed into a bun, finishing the final bridal look.


    No one cared about her comfort. Well, she was the bride and she should look perfect or one could say bride like.


    An ivory white lace wedding dress was picked for her. White was never her color, then again who was she to complain? If she ever wanted to marry, she would choose one in blush and perhaps, something vintage and simple.


    She was never asked. Her choice was never of any importance. Actually, she was never of importance. Or maybe she once was.


    She was a Marino, after all. The daughter of Alessandro Marino. He ruled his territory with an iron fist and horror. He was not a King but a don.  He was the boss of the New York mafia outfit.  And you can imagine the life of a don''s daughter. .Especially the eldest one. She was the perfect sweet daughter until she committed a mistake and the mistake led to sin and the sin led to a stream of another one.


    Persephone Marino had committed a sin which she could never erase. If she could go back in time, she would undo that unfortunate night. But could a single undo wipe out all her sins?


    Her mother had always told her that life was about choices; some that are impossible to make and while others we live to regret.


    But what she forgot to tell was that these choices would plague her forever. No matter where she went, the guilt, the ghosts of the mistakes and pain would forever follow her.


    A choice turned into a mistake due to her impulsiveness. A choice that was here forever to remind her never to choose again at least not at the cost of others.


    Her gaze fell on her reflection in the mirror. There was a blank look in her eyes. No excitement. No fear. And hope. Only guilt and remorse.


    Every woman present in the room seemed to avoid her eyes for a reason. And she very well knew that reason, but never said it out loud. She was Persephone Marino, the perfect and docile daughter and everyone seemed to love this quality of hers.


    Women in their world are liked and adored as long as she keeps her mouth locked and doesn''t utter a word before their men. In short, a mute woman was always preferred.


    Persephone''s gaze met her mother''s in the mirror who gave her a small smile in return. She fixed the veil on Persephone''s head and gave a slight squeeze to her shoulder.


    Percy''s mind wandered to what her mother, Carina Marino had said when the wedding was announced and for some reason, it was stuck in her head and regrettably for eternity.


    Carina''s gaze locked on Persephone''s face without flinching. She recalled the conversation that she had with her daughter.  ''Your father needs you to marry Nico for the family''s name and you have known Nico and his family since your childhood. Do your duty. Don''t back out from your duty. It''s your honor.  An honor to do something for our family. Family means everything, Percy.''


    ''I do not love him, mom. He doesn''t love me either. Papa doesn''t need him as an ally when he and his family are already one.''


    Carina looked at her daughter and plainly said, ''Love has nothing to do with marriage, Persephone. You are endowed with an opportunity to do something for this family and your papa. He might forgive you.''


    Her lungs caved in, her body going cold. ''So, it''s punishment for my mistake.''


    Carina sighed as if she was dealing with a stubborn and bratty child. ''Take it however you want. But you must be a good wife to Nico, a good daughter-in-law to his family, and a good mother for his children.''


    ''And what about me, mother? What about me? How am I supposed to live with my guilt? How am I supposed to be good for him, his family, and his future kids when I''m barely surviving?''


    She didn''t answer. She didn''t have one. If Carina had answers she wouldn''t have spent years with Alessandro Marino whose hands were stained with blood. And if it was a year ago maybe Persephone would have questioned her mother, but now how could she question her when her own hands were no better than Alessandro.


    She was not responsible for one but two lives. Two people died because of her.


    "What about me, mother?" Persephone asked the same question again as her mother placed the tiara on her head. The tiara was sent by Nico''s mother as an heirloom for his daughter-in-law. It was a sort of ritual in the Scuderi family.


    "I have no answer to your question, Percy. But you must remember when we marry them, their lives become ours. We don''t have a life except being a wife and mother to your husband''s children. And if you are lucky enough, he may return your affection. But never expect love, at least not from them. You are a Marino, he will never disrespect you by keeping a mistress. And you know Nico, you have been friends with him for years. He asked for your hand Percy regardless of what happened to you."


    "So, I brought it on myself. " Persephone chuckled bitterly.


    "You knew there was no escape from this life, yet you chose to act on your impulse. Percy, Nico is a good man. He will give you everything you need."


    "Except for freedom," Persephone concluded.


    _____


    Welcome, everyone! Thank you for choosing this book. I hope I will not disappoint you. Please give this book a chance and surely drop your reviews and comments. I will be happy to get back to you. Fire away all the doubts and the questions!


    You can also read my ongoing book ''The Typhoon''s dangerous wife. Your response will decide whether my book is doing well or not. If you keep voting and share your views in comments, your favourite book meaning ''The Villain'' will be contracted soon, which means you''re gonna get daily updates everyday for sure.


    But let me warn you, my dear readers, after chapter ten, the content may be a little more mature than your taste. Please take note of this. I''m not stopping myself when it comes to mature content, but if you don''t like it, skip the chapter as I will surely be giving you warnings.


    Last but not the least, when you chose the book, you know Santiago is a Villain not a polished hero, so please don''t expect him to be chivalrous when he is clearly not. He knows the difference between right and wrong but he is not your usual fluffy sweet and softly male lead.. He is dark and dangerous thorough and thorough.

 Chapter 2 - Ambush In The Church

    "Except for freedom," Persephone concluded.


    "Percy---"


    "Is the bride ready?"


    Before Carina could say something, Alessandro Marino''s voice boomed outside the bridal room, notifying the mother-daughter pair that it was the time.


    "Your bouquet, Percy." Her sister, Sofia passed the cluster of flowers. She glanced at Sofia and ridiculed herself for not being the perfect daughter as Sofia. Well, she tried. She tried for so long and in the end, she failed.


    Her cold fingers touched the bouquet and the truth finally sank in her mind.


    She was the bride.


    And she was marrying Nicolas Scuderi, the man she once knew. The man she no longer wanted to marry.


    The bouquet was paid for by him as it was a tradition in Italian families that the groom needs to pay for the bride''s bouquet. It was made up of beautiful flowers and if it was not her wedding bouquet perhaps she would have appreciated its beauty, but now she could only see the thorns.


    Nicolas Scuderi was not a bad choice for her husband. Her father had indeed chosen the best man for his daughter. But he was not best for her or one could say she was not the best for him. He deserved the best woman not one drowning in her past and guilt.


    Nicolas was the son of Luca Scuderi, the Consigliere to the boss. He was the closest advisor to Alessandro Marino and to keep the loyalty of the Scunderi''s intact, Alessandro Marino decided to wed his daughter to his consigliere''s son who was still the capo but after marrying Persephone he might be promoted to the position of the underboss.


    Her eyes fell on the middle finger of her left hand. Soon, a ring on her left finger would be accompanying the one on her middle finger. The remainder that she had to live and pay for what she had caused and with interest. And if the interest was her life or blood, she would be more than happy to pay back. Unfortunately, it was not.


    The click on the floor indicated that her father had entered the room. Her mother squeezed her arm but didn''t say anything. No one would say anything before him not even her mother.


    And a few moments later, Alessandro Marino walked in, his gait was that of a regal lion, his aura could be felt from meters far, and his body posture fitted a King. He was a very handsome man, to begin with, but his six feet plus frame added more to his dangerous vibe. He was truly a don in all senses.


    People talked she was like her father but she would disagree, she might look like him father but she was not like him. Not even the slightest.


    When her eyes met his, he gave her a nod of approval.


    "You look beautiful, Mia bambolina, " he said pressing a kiss on her temple. Though everyone was aware of Persephone''s mistake and the punishment she was getting, her father or anyone else never talked about it aloud. It was a forbidden topic in the Marino family.


    [Mia bambolina is a endearment used for daughter in Italian.]


    But rumors were circling the outfit that sweet Percy had sweetened with a guy and he was killed by her fiance and father.


    "Thank you, Papa." She said in a soft voice.


    Once he had entered the room, everyone else left to give privacy to father and daughter as they thought both of them need time before the wedding. Well, they were wrong, very very wrong. If Alessandro Marino wished to talk, he talked in front of everyone, never behind their backs.


    The bridal room was in their ancestral church and the wedding was also taking place here. The Marinos were feared in the New York but fear came with enemies, and Marinos had plenty of them.


    The wedding would be taking place in a few minutes from now on. The altar where the groom was waiting for the bride was a five-minute walk away from the bridal room. But who had thought that the wedding wouldn''t take place?


    A Villain was on the way to steal the bride. He didn''t care if the act was sacrilegious or not. He was the Villain and villains never played with rules.


    Persephone was about to lay her arm in her father''s arm when his phone rang. He saw the number on the screen and a dark look passed on his face. Something was not right, Persephone had a premonition.


    "Stay here. Do not leave the room until I tell you." His father''s words were more like an order. Persephone looked at her father in confusion.


    Too bad he couldn''t stay and explain the odd situation and its gravity to her. She shut the room once her father left.


    Finally, a moment of relief for the poor bride.


    A few minutes later, a knock on the door was heard following by the click of its opening and believing the interloper to be her father, she turned around but all she saw and felt was a masked man and the prick on her arm.


    And then everything faded away into endless blackness.


    _____


    Let''s clear something:


    [Mia bambolina is a Italian endearment for a daughter. ]


    [Boss: The undisputed leader of the family. Decision-maker. Mainly the title is passed to the legitimate eldest son of the current boss.]


    [Under boss: The second-in-command in the family and ''heir'' to the throne. While the Boss is slightly relaxed and calm, the Underboss is brutal and straightforward, since he is the man who gets the money to the Boss.]


    [ Consigelegre: The third-in-command in the family and the Boss''s closest advisor.]


    [Capo: The family is split up into crews (in the Marino crime family there are eight), each one with a respective leader. These are called Capos and are likely candidates for the top three ranks. They run the show with their separate illegal organizations.]


    [soldiers: Made men, official members of the family, earn the money to get to the Capos and also take part in physical interrogation and murders/assassination tasks]

 Chapter 3 - Dark Horses

    WARNING: TORTURE ELEMENTS


    (A Few days before the wedding.)


    A grin spread on Santiago''s mouth as he entered the inside of his sanctuary. The familiar smell of fear and chaos entered his nostrils sending a jolt of rush and excitement in his blood.


    Only a true Villain can detect the smell of fear floating invisibly in the air. The villain thrived on fear and darkness. It was his sanctuary; his arena. And no one could enter it on his will. If they did, there was no going back.


    Santiago''s gaze fell on his prey like a real hunter, he lured the prey into his entanglement. Unbeknownst to the prey, this villain would devour him alive.


    The ice-cold water was poured on the half-dead man whose feet were chained to the ceiling of the basement. The blood was oozing from his wounds, his nails were ripped off, the knife cuts on his body were mostly stitched back as Santiago planned on keeping him alive. At least until he got the answers he wished for. Otherwise, the half-dead man was nothing but a scum meant to be vanished from the plains of earth.


    The basement was a scary and dark place with the smell of iron and rotten flesh in the air, but for Santiago and his other dark horses, it was their sanctuary.


    They were a group of four people who had made a club called -- the dark horses. In the Holy Bible, the four horses of the apocalypse were mentioned. Only these dark horses knew of the fact why they (The unholy creates) were called so in the first place when they already considered themselves dark, monstrous, and villainous.


    Nonetheless, they were called The four dark horses. They run with their pack. And one can call Santiago -- the undeclared Alpha of the pack.


    Callum, one of the dark horses poured another bucket of ice water on the half-dead man. He was groaning and whimpering in pain. Callum''s torture was worse than the devil''s. The man would be tortured even after going to hell once he put a bullet in his head, but Santiago would never give him an easy death. He was never taught to give someone an easy death. Hell, he didn''t even know how to spell easy.


    "Please," a voice murmured snapping Santiago''s attention to the man who was being tied by the iron chains. His fingers were digging into the other metal tool which was trying to rip off his nails.


    Ignoring his pleas and whimpers, Callum just threw another bucket full of ice water on the man. It was the third bucket and any human would be sobbing to his dear ancestors for such cruelty and torture, but for the dark horses, it was a regular affair. And Callum happens to be best in it after Santiago, but he (Santiago) was saving himself for the main enemy-- Lorenzo.


    "You''ve got to be shiting me, Cal. You poured the only left ice on this half-dead piece of shit," A growling voice was heard. The voice belonged to Nash, another dark horse. Do not judge him by his happy-to-go personality, he was the freakiest of all. And don''t mind his cussing, apparently, he didn''t know how to use the human language without the use of the swear word, which irritated the hell out of the other three. If Nash could complete one English sentence without the use of cuss, it always called for a celebration.


    "And you were thinking of cooling your beers with the ice, Nash?" A bored voice came and it belonged to the last and the most dangerous dark horse, Killian. He could be as silent as a ghost when he wanted but was as deadly as poison whose antidote was yet to be found.


    "Fuck off, Killian. My beers are more important than this half-dead shit." Nash commented as he grabbed the beer cans from God knew where. Nash and cheap beers were inseparable.


    The chained man''s gaze fell on a new face, the one he had not seen before, and hope bloomed in his heart as if the new person who appeared in a suit in this rotten basement could save him, but the poor man was never so wrong. Because the man he was assuming Messiah was actually THE VILLAIN itself.


    "Please help me," the man spoke in a shaky voice in hopes that the unfamiliar man would save him from the three sicks. They had tortured him beyond explanation.


    He had been chained in this ghostly basement for two days. He had been starved since then and whenever he collapsed they gave him glucose doses but never the food.


    They were sick beyond words.


    -----


    [ I do not support violence of any kind. Santiago and the rest of the dark horses are dark characters. If you are uncomfortable reading such stuff, skip it. No need to read it and then curse me the next day because the scenes trouble you in the nightmare. I am not kidding, it happened to me that''s why I am saying.


    You will be seeing more of their sides so please do not judge them just after reading the first few chapters. Again there is no ra..pe scenes, but the se.xu.al content can be wrong.. Very Very dark.]

 Chapter 4 - Villain Or A Misunderstood Hero?

    Warning: Torture Elements


    __


    "They kidnapped me from my house," he spoke again in a whispering sound.


    Santiago saw Callum shaking his head in amusement as he took the stool in the distance and sat on it quite enjoying the show unfolding before his eyes.


    Excited Bastard. Santiago could understand Callum''s thoughts and feelings if he had any. He enjoyed chaos and disorder. He relished the cries of pleas and desperation when they beg for mercy.


    Nash who was behind the chained man saluted Santiago with two fingers and then winked before dropping the beer cans in the leftover ice water.


    And Killian being Killian didn''t do anything, just sat in the corner and went back to what he was doing -- reading.


    "Please help me. Save me from these monsters." His eyes held the desperation which was heard in his voice. "I''ll give you whatever you want."


    "Whatever I want?" Santiago asked shaking his head inwardly as once again he had to deal with the foolishness of humankind.


    "Yes. Money, property, woman. anything." The man added desperately. Too bad for him, Santiago Vitello lacked neither of these.


    "Just save me."He whimpered as he pleaded before Santiago to untie him and take him out of the fucked up dungeon.


    The pleading in his voice provoked the familiar flames of excitement and adrenaline in the pit of his stomach.


    Santiago grabbed his chin tightly in his hand and spat it out. "Too bad , I do not want either of these."


    Only the coward and weak think that their money rules the people around them, but only in the light of true danger they discover, money is worthless and useless as their ashes after cremation.


    "What do you want? I''ll give you everything."His croaked voice said.


    "Lorenzo. Just Lorenzo. " The single name halted his moaning and pleadings. He now knew the man in the dark suit was not there to save him but worse, to execute him for his sins. If he was looking was Lorenzo, it simply implied he would be dead whether he answered him or not.


    "W-who are you?" Though he mustered up the courage to raise the question, he was not prepared to hear his answer.


    "Nice question. But I''m in no mood to answer any of your questions." Santiago skillfully prevented answering his question in a bored tone but the captive knew how his hold on his chin tightened.


    ."W-what do you want?" He stuttered.


    "Ah, I told you what I want. Lorenzo." The indifferent voice of Santiago rang again. The man was testing his patience, but he must keep cool because he couldn''t undo the progress he made in years by killing this already half-killed disgrace to mankind.


    He was so close to Lorenzo now that he had his right-hand man chained in his basement. It was now merely the game of time and patience.


    "I-I don''t know what you''re talking about." Even on the brink of dying, he was protecting that sick bastard. But they worshipped that mentally sick bastard because he hadn''t done what he had done to Santiago to his children.


    "Do you now?" A dagger touched his neck and slowly and slowly blood started streaming his neck, covering his chest and finally his naked stomach.


    "I''m sorry. I''m sorry. I can''t tell you. If I did they will kill my family." The man broke out in sobs. How many times had he given the same torture to others on Lorenzo''s words but why it was hurting when it came to his turn.


    "I''m sorry. I''m sorry. I can''t tell you. If I did they will kill my family." The man broke out in sobs. How many times had he given the same torture to others on Lorenzo''s words but why it was hurting when it came to his turn.


    ''Family '' Santiago scoffed. Did he not have one? But they snatched up his family? He had never gone back to his family? Because he didn''t recognize what he had become? He also had a loving mother, a caring father, and a little sister but he couldn''t go back and tell them that he was their son -- their Santiago because a crazy man happened and ruined him of all these things.


    His beloved would have been with him today if not for Lorenzo. They would have been married and perhaps would have kids too but he was forfeited of all the things he deserved and now he was out for retribution.


    Every man who destroyed his life would pay with their lives and this was Santiago''s promise. And his promise was as good as his blood.


    Santiago grabbed him by his hair and banged his head on the dirty floor. The floor was covered with his vomits, piss and shit. "Well, if you didn''t I will kill you. Actually, I won''t. I will torture you more brutally than my three comrades and then a doctor on my payroll will stitch you up. And this cycle will go on till you finally open your mouth."


    How strange are we humans even in our last moments we wish of living for a moment longer, though we know it will never make any difference still we do not wish to die and leave this earth, doesn''t matter either if the world ahead is better than this.


    "I''m sorry..."


    Whenever someone said sorry to Santiago, he wanted nothing but to put a bullet in their head or worse cut their damm tongue which uttered the word ''sorry.'' But if he could find the person who made the world sorry, he would kill that one first.


    "You will die either way but I''m giving you a choice to choose how you want to die. The choice is yours. I don''t offer deals often."


    "A deal with the devil." The man concluded.


    "No, a deal with the villain." Santiago Corrected.


    "Please protect my family and in return, I will provide you information on Lorenzo."


    "Deal."


    Well, the Villain could play hero sometimes, could not he?


    Ah, leave it you will not agree if I say that this villain was a hero once. A misunderstood hero.


    "Lorenzo is alive. He is in New York under the protection of Alessandro Marino," He said hastily.


    What was the benefit of protecting Lorenzo when he couldn''t even protect his family or himself? No matter how much one idolized someone, the family always came first.


    Alessandro Marino, the boss of the New York Mafia outfit and head of the Marino familiglia was a cruel man but a very capable boss .There were three other Mafia families in New York but the majority of the territory was under Marinos. They were Italian Mafia and were in a feud with Irish and Bratva. Lorenzo was an Italian too and it was enough of a condition for Marino to provide him a shelter or his protection.


    But what Alessandro Marino had not thought was the dark horses were after him and no outfit or his Italian soldiers could save the Lorenzo he had hid in his pocket.


    "Kill him, Kill, after conforming if the information he provided is true," Santiago said while leaving the basement.


    "Gladly," Killian smirked and put his book on the table to complete the task.


    ***


    "The information is correct, San. Lorenzo is indeed hiding behind Marinos. One crazy meets the another," Killian scoffed.


    "And you have a plan ready for both of the crazies?" Santiago asked him.


    "I don''t but you have," Killian said back.


    "Well, I indeed have. But I need someone who can help me with what I''m planning." Santiago spoke.


    "And I know exactly who can," Killian smirked while looking at Santiago.


    "Ryuu Xin." Both of them spoke simultaneously with a chuckle.


    Indeed, the omnipotent and omnipresent Ryuu was the answer to everything.


    -----


    I hope you are liking the story so far. Kindly drop. your reviews and comments! I will be very happy to hear your thoughts! Add the book to your library and keep supporting it.. And if you want to read more of my books, please add ''The typhoon''s dangerous wife.''

 Chapter 5 - Stealing The Bride

    "I still can''t believe we are stealing a bride," Nash muttered under his breath. Do not let his none+ interested attitude fool you. He might look all indifferent but he was more enthusiastic than any of the other dark horses.


    A rush of Adrenaline sizzled through Santiago''s skin like a fire burning brighter and brighter with each passing second he got closer to his goal.


    He couldn''t even describe what he was feeling right now. He had waited years for this particular moment and fantasized thousands of times in his head how he would punish Lorenzo for his sins.


    His crimes were unforgivable and unforgettable. He had taken everything away from Santiago. And fate was sometimes such a bitch that he wished he could control it.


    He was kidnapping Persephone Marino from her wedding. What a tragic coincidence!


    There was once a Persephone in his life who with her sweet laughter and benevolence brought light to his dark and gloomy world but the only sun of his life was also taken away by his enemy. And how could he forgive that scum?


    " Get ready. We will be reaching in five minutes," Killian''s voice rang. Always short and curt.


    Killian was flying the helicopter. Within the next five minutes, they would be landing on the helipad of a building where their men along with Xin Ryuu''s were waiting for them in the cars which would directly take them to the church.


    "As ready as I''ll ever be for this insanity," Nash said in the headset. The dark horses were always ready for the adrenaline rush.


    "Insanity is the ecstasy of intellectualism," Santiago commented as he looked out the window.


    No one was born insane or villains. They were the product of their upbringing or experiences. Life has played a game with him and made him a villain from someone''s hero and now this villain would play games with life and everyone who made him what he was today.


    "And your point is? " Callum inquired.


    Callum was slightly reluctant to their grand plan of stealing a bride from the church. It was not that he didn''t want revenge but he didn''t want a innocent girl to pay price for something she had no hands in.


    In these crime families, the virtue of a girl was given great importance especially if she was the best daughter. There were already rumors about Persephone Marino that were circling the streets of New York. And her marriage with Luca Scuderi''s son held great importance to both Alessandro Marino and her daughter.


    And Santiago knew all of this, he was taking advantage of Alessandro Marino''s desperation. He knew he would have him everything in return for his daughter''s chastity if there was any left.


    "That we have to hurry and accomplish what we have planned," Santiago said dismissing the conversation but Callum was not done here yet.


    "Are you sure, Santiago? Stealing a bride is sacrilegious even for a villain like you. The girl doesn''t need to be dragged into our mess. She has done nothing wrong to us," Callum said in concern.


    "You are annoying with your reason, Cal," Nash said in irritation. " It''s kill''s forte to impart reason and logic to the rest of the dark horses."


    Killian looked at Nash in warning before turning his gaze back to the front.


    "Cal, she is a means to an end. She is the only instrument we can use against Alessandro Marino and Lorenzo. Marino might not care about his daughter but he does care about his name," Santiago said locking his age on Callum''s face. He paused for a moment and then added, " We have waited years for this moment. We can''t back out just because our conscience doesn''t allow it. We do not have a conscience. We lost it years ago because of Lorenzo. It is now or never, Cal. "


    After few minutes they landed on the top of a building as arranged by Santiago. As expected, their men were waiting for them along with the cars. Once they reached the ground, Killian asked Callum, "Are you in, Cal?"


    "Always and forever," came the reply.


    They would die together, they would live together and they would fulfill their vow together.


    Also, they would steal Persephone Marino together.


    _____


    Four of them boarded different cars but they were connected to a conference call.


    "Why do I think the plan has more to do with you, Kill, than Santiago? " Nash''s voice rang in Santiago''s ear as he looked at his reflection in the mirror.


    "And why will you think so?" came a very bored reply.


    "Call it a hunch or an intuition," Nash spoke.


    Killian didn''t reply to Nash''s allegation. He never did. He was reserved and curt and only spoke whenever he wished to. And sometimes he could be as silent as a ghost which was equally frightening and irritating.


    "Santiago, remember the girl will pay for something she was not responsible for, " Callum spoke again.


    Santiago''s hold on his phone tightened. He took a deep breath to curb his growing anger.


    "She is a Marino. The dirty Marino. I''m merely abducting her to use as bait to lure the enemy out of his hiding. To get Lorenzo out of his cave," he spoke. " It is her fault she is born to Alessandro Marino and now marrying Nicolas Scuderi. And everyone knows that Scuderi needs Persephone to secure the position of underboss. It''s not like I care. She can marry him all she wants once I''m done with her and her father. The sweet and dutiful Persephone will have to pay for her father''s mistake."


    "Damm, San. You''re your own brand of insanity," Nash exclaimed.


    "You are no different, Nash. You are the destructor and we will together destroy the one who destroyed us once. Do not forget the oath," Santiago reminded them.


    "We won''t," the three said simultaneously.


    The cars stopped and all of them came out of their respective cars. Nash laid a blueprint on the car top, removed his dark shades, and put it near the chart.


    "This is the blueprint for the church. The aisle is on the right side and the only way to enter it is through the main entrance which is quite difficult. So, it''s better if we capture her before the aisle. Perhaps, in the bridal room."


    Santiago''s eyed the blueprint to find any alternative to Nash''s proposal but it seemed there was none.


    He nodded and asked Nash to go ahead.


    "Where is the bridal room?" Callum asked Nash as he didn''t understand the drawing on the paper they called blueprint.


    "To the right of the chapel. It will certainly be surrounded by more soldiers excluding Persephone''s personal bodyguards. It''s heard that she is allotted five by Alessandro Marino especially after her scandal, the security around is more strict."


    A small huff leaves Santiago, accompanied by a smirk as he answer, " Dumb girl, does she really believed that she can escape her family and elope with whoever he was?"


    "Well, a woman can try," Killian said amused. " Even if she had successfully fled, she would have come back sooner or later. Marinos are smart bastards they made their women solely dependent on them. They are not taught how to live a normal life and the sweet Percy will not have been able to live it either."


    "Enough of the bride," Santiago spoke. Even though they were not talking about his Persephone but the magnitude of possessiveness he felt for this name, he couldn''t himself understand it even though he knew that the similar names were merely an instance of coincidence.


    "Why don''t we disperse in different directions with our teams and Ryuu is already there. This way it will be easier for us to ambush the wedding easily." Santiago suggested.


    "Even better if we made them believe that we are after Scuderi, their attention from bride will be halted and then we can easily nab her." This time Callum spoke.


    "True, Nicolas Scuderi killed a Russian soldier from the Bratva a few days ago. Things have been sour with Bratva. It''s heard that Bratva and Marinos have yet to reach an agreement. If we made them believe it''s Bratva, then the truce is unlikely between them," the well-informed Killian told them.


    "Fine, who will go after the bride?" Nash asked.


    "I''ll," Santiago said.


    After driving for five minutes, they reached the church. From a few minutes from now on, they would come back with the bride.


    "There are not as many as men I''ve expected," Santiago commented as he looked around to find Marino soldiers on duty. Though there were many soldiers, but they were nothing in compared to what Santiago had in mind.


    "That''s because no one in the history of New York mafia has anyone ever ambushed a wedding much less steal a wife from the church," Callum said and rolled his eyes.


    "Then, let''s make the wedding bloody and memorable for the sweet Persephone. The bloody bride she will be," Santiago wickedly chuckled.


    ____


    Thank You everyone for your beautiful comments and reviews. I hope will work harder and you will express your views even harder. I wish you will support me as you did in my previous book. Please tell me comment sections how much you liked the story. Yes, the story has just started, the hero will be stealing the bride soon.. See yaaa soon.

 Chapter 6 - "Whats Your Name?"

    Do you remember how your mother asks you not to go to certain places as it''s forbidden to enter? But the word forbidden is big to decipher for ten years old.


    Persephone''s mom asked Persephone not to ever cross that particular lake and go to the secluded villa ever. It was haunted she had said.


    But what a child knew the meaning of the word haunted when she was inundating in the curiosity?


    Like always curiosity got the best of Persephone whether it was ten years old Persephone or twenty-five years old. She crossed that lake and entered the so-called haunted villa. The villa might now be haunted by the ghosts but little did Persephone knew it would haunt her for as long as she was breathing.


    The Villa was secluded, so the broken furniture, dirty floor, and creaking stairs were not surprised for the little Persephone. Wasn''t it how the ghost house appeared in the horror movies? She knew that the weird sound she was hearing might be the ghosts as she saw in a movie last week when she told his elder brother that she wanted to watch a movie that too with ghosts and many witches in it.


    She found another weird thing in the villa. A ten years old girl stood at the side and thought to herself '' Aren''t stairs suppose to take them upwards? Then why are these stairs going downwards? Must be the ghost thing.''


    She contemplated for a moment deciding whether to climb down the bizarre stars or not. In the end, curiosity got the best out of her again.


    She descended the stairs that took her to the basement. The door where the stairs ended was closed. She turned the lock and when she heard the sound of a click. She grinned. Finally, she would be seeing a ghost.


    As she entered the room, she was welcomed by a dimly lit room. Though fear crept inside her body, she lifted her chin and walked proudly as not to let the ghost knew that she was afraid of it. She has seen in the movies that ghosts hurt those who were scared of them and she was a Marino her brother said people fear Marino, not vice versa.


    She walked forward slowly and said," Mr. Ghost? Mr. Ghost are you there? I''m Persephone as in the goddess of the spring. Mr. Ghost, can we be friends? "


    Persephone kept on mumbling to herself but she didn''t get any response. When she reached the middle of the basement, the sound of someone''s breathing jolted her. She looked around to find the source of the voice but she couldn''t find any trace.


    "W-who are you?" She faked the courage though she was failing in it miserably.


    "I''m not a ghost," came a direct reply in a hoarse voice.


    "Then W-where are y-you?" Persephone asked with a stammer.


    "Turn to your left," the hoarse voice replied.


    Persephone turned left to find a young boy sitting in the corner. She walked in his direction and stood near him. She stared at him for few minutes without blinking. In the dimly lit room, she could make out his facial features. His hair was ink-black, his nose was straight and beautiful and his eyes were the color of clear water shining in winter afternoon. Those warm blue eyes held the sweet warmth of winter sun.


    Although he was all bones and no meat, she could reckon that he would be a beautiful man like her papa when he would grow up.


    She noticed something odd. He was chained. His left leg was bound with an iron chain to the wall. His knee was injured.


    She sat on the ground to a level equal to him and touched his injured knee with her soft and clean hands.


    "Does it hurt?" She softly asked him as she cleaned his wound with her handkerchief.


    He looked at her and shook his head.


    "Who hurt you?" She asked blinking away the tears forming in her eyes.


    "A monster," he answered honestly.


    "A monster?" Persephone asked him and he nodded in reply." Does this monster have big hands, a super-strong body, and supernatural powers to hurt you? Is he an alien or an ugly being?"


    He shook his head.


    "Monsters are not ugly they can be very beautiful. They are not always alien or supernatural beings. Sometimes, they are the person we trust the most. Sometimes they are living with us pretending to be a friend when they want nothing but to destroy you and hurt you. Not all monsters are inhumane, Persephone. They all are humans."


    Persephone looked at him as if she didn''t understand what he said. She blinked at him.


    "Do you understand?" He asked her.


    "No." She replied.


    "One day, you will understand it," the boy said with a small smile.


    Persephone kissed his knees to make the pain shoo away. Only if it was that easy.


    "Don''t worry. So what I don''t understand it now. I''ll save you from monsters always. I called you my friend and friends saves friends. One day I will kill all the monsters that hurt you. The powerful Persephone will be your guardian angel from now on," Persephone announced proudly.


    The boy smiled but didn''t say anything.


    "What''s your name?" Little Persephone asked him.


    "Santiago."

 Chapter 7 - A Mysterious Man : Ally Or Enemy?

    Persephone was passed out beside Santiago. The syringe had done a number on her. He had serenely captured her without any screaming or kicking with a prick of the needle but the same could not be said about her bodyguards. They were probably lying dead somewhere outside the bridal room.


    Beads of blood splattered on her pure white wedding dress like a plain white canvass filled with red dots, such a beautiful contrast of red against the white.


    His gaze fell on her face again. If not for her long raven black hair he would have mistaken her for his Persephone but his Persephone had wavy auburn hair which didn''t even reach her back when he first saw her in that basement and those green eyes of hers were enough to light any dark room.


    "When do we leave for the Island?" Callum asked Santiago with a frown.


    "Not we. Just Killian and I along with the stolen bride" answered Santiago without bothering to look away from the sleeping Persephone.


    They would be departing for the island tomorrow once Killian was done with the preparation there. If New York was Alesaandro''s sanctuary then the island where he was taking Persephone his. No power in the world can infiltrate his sanctuary.


    He would take his time to return Persephone to Alessandro, it was not like that one kidnapped a mafia boss''s daughter every day. It was once in a lifetime occasion and he would take his time.


    "She is a piece of real art," Nash commented staring at her neckline.


    Something snapped inside Santiago. He bore his eyes into Nash''s and spoke, "Look at her like that and I''ll forget vow of brotherhood. We''ve stolen her for a purpose not to fulfill your sexual fantasies. Keep your dick in your pants and if you don''t I''ll rip it off and shove it in your ass."


    Nash grinned at him and then Santiago replied what he had done. The bastard was waiting for this particular moment when he would have leverage above him and so he got one.


    "She is a Marino," Callum spoke.


    "She is a woman first," came the reply which was enough for Callum to drop whatever worries his mind was occupied by.


    All the eyes turned to Santiago but he didn''t flinch under their scrutinizing gazes. He had promised to break Persephone to break Alessandro but he would never break her beyond fixing. He didn''t need her soul just her submission to get Lorenzo out of the rat hole.


    He knew she was innocent, her face gave away the fact that she was innocent but he was sure of one thing that she would never return to them innocent.


    *****


    Once they reached their basement, Santiago laid her down on the bed. Her hands were tied to a chain so she couldn''t flee. Though it was impossible for her to escape, Santiago still made sure of everything.


    "Alessandro is looking for her everywhere. You were right he indeed attacked the Bratva and now he''s out for retribution," Nash sighed.


    "There is something strange," Killian said looking up from the laptop screen. "Someone is fiddling with Alessandro deliberately he knows someone took his daughter. "


    Santiago furrowed his brows. " It''s definitely not Ryuu''s style. He is not a very high-profile person."


    "Do you remember once I told you there is someone who''s toying with the three great families?" Killian asked and everyone else nodded. " It seemed like it is his style but the great families are so much immersed in their pride and ego that they are not seeing their demise approaching. And this person is faceless and nameless."


    "Any idea how he is related to Marino?" Santiago asked.


    " Don''t know about Marino, but he''s indeed interested in our captive. And the main question is why?" Killian evaluated.


    "I don''t care about his intentions as long as my goal is achieved and if he wants our little captive he can have her once I send her back to her father.. I''m not interested in the power struggle of these three great families," Santiago said as his gaze trailed over Persephone''s sleeping form.

 Chapter 8 - "If I Get Kidnapped Again, I Will Surely Act As A Captor Is Supposed To Behave, Sir!"

    "Ah!!"


    Persephone shrieked as a splash of water jolted her out of the dream. When was the last time she saw Santiago in her dreams? She didn''t know. All she knew was that it had been forever.


    She looked up to see a tall and masked man standing before her with a bucket in his hands. He was staring at her in frustration as if she was in the wrong and he hadn''t just thrown cold water on her.


    But only if she had the luxury to complain...


    She looked around to find herself in a place that most probably resembled hell. If hell was a real place, it must look like this room. She was lying on a dirty and...now wet mattress.


    ''Oh, I''m kidnapped. Lord, finally heard me.''


    Persephone was so desperate to not marry Nico that she didn''t find getting kidnapped a worse option than getting married to a man she at least knew a little about.


    "Well, the water was really cold," Persephone said, looking at the masked man and she could swear that he grinned under his mask.


    "Aye, princess. It''s not the first thing you say to your kidnappers," Nash said, amused. He didn''t know Alessandro''s daughter was one interesting thing.


    "Pardon me, I don''t have much experience as it''s my first time getting kidnapped," Persephone said sarcastically. "If I get kidnapped again, I will surely act as a captor is supposed to behave, Sir!"


    ''Shut up, Percy. Captives aren''t allowed to be sarcastic to their captives.''


    Nash suddenly laughed. "Oh, Little Captive, you think you will leave this den alive? I must appreciate your will for life if not anything."


    ''Appreciate her will for life? Of course, you should. If not for this life, would I have sacrificed all that I have done until this date?''


    All of a sudden, Persephone heard the sound of incoming footsteps, and true to her assumption, several more masked men entered the place, the first masked man just called ''den.''


    ''Seemed like he wasn''t the only one. Then again, a single man can''t kidnap Alessandro Marino''s daughter from the church where she was supposed to be married.''


    "The Marino Princess is awake, Villain," Nash said as Santiago, who was standing behind the other four men, came forward.


    Persephone counted five men in total. She didn''t know where she was held and what they wanted from her. But she would most certainly tell that they weren''t here to kill her as abducting a Marino woman from her own wedding was akin to committing suicide and someone wouldn''t take such a step just to kill her.


    She wasn''t bluffing. Her father took his honor very seriously. She couldn''t even fathom the punishment that he had chosen for her captors. Of course, she knew that her father Alessandro Marino wouldn''t let her die at the hands of these masked men. No matter how much of a bad daughter she had been.


    Even if her father didn''t come to save her, she would get herself out of this hellhole.


    Lord knew how scared she was for her life because there was anything Persephone gave a damn about-- it was her life. She wouldn''t spend more than two decades with Marinos only to run away from them in vain. She wanted a life for her and running away was the only option. But who knew that she would get caught at the end moment. Years had passed since that episode and yet, she didn''t have abandoned the hope to find her life again. And she would be damned if she let these kidnappers kill her.


    Even if she was shaking like a dry leaf in fear, she wouldn''t show it on her face. If anything her Papa had taught her and she would appreciate-- it would be being brave even when she knew she was dying.


    "Persephone Marino, " A deep and husky voice called out her name. She glanced to find a tall and well-built man who appeared to be the alpha of the pack. "What a waste of such a good name!"


    "You!" Persephone forgot about her initial fear and stood up to pierce her nails into his face.


    Before Persephone could succeed in her attack, Santiago caught her by both of her wrists and threw her on the dirty floor with a loud ''thud''.


    "Ouch!" Persephone grimaced in pain. She looked at him with teary yet fearless eyes.


    ''Don''t cry, Percy. Remember that you can''t cry. If you do, you will give them a reason to use your weakness against you. Be strong. You have always been strong. You have been through worse than a kidnapping. A beautiful life outside is waiting for you. Just hold on...''


    "I wonder for how long you''ll keep this facade of bravery," Santiago spoke as he looked at her in disgust and¡­ perhaps, interest too.


    "Don''t make assumptions because you don''t know me," Persephone said, her eyes boring into his.


    "Absolutely, I don''t know you," Santiago spoke in a low, muddled accent that was American, Italian, and another one she didn''t know of, all in one." But I know your kind. The kind dirty Marinos are."


    Persephone bit her tongue to hold back a retort. She was arguing with herself not to talk back because she could sense that he was dangerous. All of a sudden, realization dawned upon her that she was in a worse situation than she gave it the credit for.


    She was kidnapped and she didn''t know if she would leave this place alive.

 Chapter 9 - Cold Blue Eyes

    "Do you know why you''re here?" A man began in the coolest, most professional voice one could muster.


    Persephone looked at the source of the voice. It was another masked man. She didn''t know why but she could sense his hostility towards her. She just met him for the first time¡­.


    Oh, but they also kidnapped her for the first time.


    The masked man who raised the question was no one else but Killian. He could sense that Santiago was on the verge of exploding and the woman wasn''t giving in as they had originally expected. Then again, she was a Marino¡­.and when had Marinos anything but difficult?


    "I don''t know," Persephone honestly replied. There was no point in starting a battle which she knew that she could never win. Call her coward. But she didn''t want to die. God had granted her one life and she wanted to live it to its fullest.


    "You will talk to Alessandro Marino and ask him to fulfill our conditions if he doesn''t want his daughter to lose her remaining honor," Santiago said this time. Again callous and vicious words.


    Not a trace of pity remained in Santiago''s tone. He''d cut, wiped, and bleached the now foreign word out of his essence so that anyone first meeting him would never guess he was not anything but a Villain. It was the way he preferred it.


    "What do you want from him?" Persephone managed to form the words. She knew from the beginning that she was kidnapped for a reason but until now she didn''t know what it actually was.


    "That''s none of your business," Santiago said in an indifferent voice. He gave her one more glance before adding. "The more you comply with my conditions, the easier it will be for you."


    Persephone heaved out a sigh before saying," You know my Papa will give importance to his daughter''s honor more than anything else. Go share your conditions with him and collect whatever you want in return. But you must not forget that he will seek retribution for what you have done. You haven''t held his daughter hostage but his prestige and esteem."


    Santiago stared at Persephone with his icy pale blue eyes to study her dirty face, messy hai,r and now half torn wedding dress. He had to give her the point for daring to talk back. It''s not every day he gets to see his captives talk back to him.


    "What are the odds that you''ll return to your father with your honor intact?" Santiago questioned Persephone, but only if she could see his lifted brows.


    "You said if my father meets conditions, you''ll let me go," Persephone said. Her mouth went dry, and a shiver trailed down her back. She didn''t want to admit that she was scared of him. No...no...she had to remain alive. She had yet to atone for her sins. "A man of honor always keeps his words. He never goes back on his words."


    Santiago chuckled and the four other men along with Persephone had a very bad premonition.


    Santiago walked into her direction and as he leaned down, he gripped her chin with his covered man-killing hands. "Since your father is so desperate to bring his daughter back to him, why not make him suffer for a little longer? Until then, I''ll play with his daughter."


    "I''m no toy to be played by you," Persephone said with courage.


    Santiago fought the urge to snort at her audacity. Did she not know that he could snap her fragile neck with his hand? Now that he was standing close to her, he could see her piercing green orbs, the freckles on her nose and the area surrounding, the perfect bow-shaped lips and a mole below those sinful lips. He had an urge to wipe the smudged lipstick off her lips.


    Why must God be so cruel? He not only gave her his Percy''s name but also those piercing green eyes. Once those eyes had the ability to drown him into them, but not any more¡­


    Persephone''s mouth went dry once more but this time not with fear rather with irritation. She was not the kind of woman to find something so frighteningly attractive.


    Now standing at such close proximity, she could study his only visible feature -- his icy blue eyes. You wouldn''t believe it if she said his eyes were capable of freezing you to death. They were cold, so cold that she found herself questioning why she wasn''t dead yet?


    "You''re no toy to be played by me," he agreed mildly even though that intense gaze confessed his phony indifference. "Do you know why?" She found herself shaking her head. "Because you aren''t worthy to be played by me. You not only faux your bravery but your cowardice too. Oh, sweet Persephone, I''ll love breaking you. It''s been a while since I have encountered a challenge."


    She glared at him. "You can''t break me. And why do you want to do so in the first place? I have done nothing wrong to you. Why must you punish me for something I have no part in? An honorable man never punishes a woman for the sin of others."


    "Who wants to be an honorable man? I''m the Villain. I must live up to my reputation," Santiago said.


    "Villain?" Persephone scoffed. "If it helps you to sleep at night."


    "That uncontrolled mouth of yours will land you in big trouble one day."


    _____


    Chapters are yet to be edited. Once I post 10+ chapters, I''ll start editing all the chapters.. I hope you will love this book as much as you did my previous book.

 Chapter 10 - Breaking The Marino Princess

    Persephone closed her eyes tightly as if awaiting the pain to come but she didn''t feel anything for a long time. Yet, she awaited for it.


    She figured out she had crossed a certain limit by mocking the Alpha of the pack --- correction leader of the group again. She shouldn''t have done it.


    On the other hand, Santiago felt the itch to punch the wall behind her. Did this girl think he was going to hit her for talking back to him? Of course, he despised her sharp mouth. Yet, he didn''t know why but he couldn''t imagine laying a hand on an un-weaponed woman such as her. It was low for even a Villain like him.


    "We are leaving now but do contemplate why you aren''t dead yet, Persephone Marino."


    The words were vicious and laced with warning...


    Persephone recognized the voice as she opened her eyes. It was the same man who splashed ice cold water on her earlier. She just nodded in reply because she was too numb to react any further.The actual gravity of the circumstance was sinking in her mind like the sinking rock in the water. They didn''t kill her and why? They wanted her to ponder upon it. But she had already known the answer. It was just that she refused to answer it now.


    Her gaze lingered on the retiring back of the one particular masked man-- the one with icy blue eyes who would freeze her to death, if he was given the opportunity to. She didn''t know what was the reason behind his disdain and disgust for her.


    As she was about to revert her gaze, she noticed that one among them was staring at her body too indecently. She felt exposed, ashamed and even helpless.


    Her skirt was torn as it was too difficult for one to handle. His gaze trailed from her milky legs to her stomach and then settled at her breast. She wanted to run away or hide far from these men. But where could she go? All the paths to her freedom were sealed. It had been sealed a long time ago.


    Another man''s voice rang and the pervert backed off his eyes from her body but not before licking his lips creepily. Persephone had never felt more relief than she had in this moment.


    However, she knew it wasn''t over for her yet.


    As long as she was held hostage by these men, she wouldn''t be safe.


    She didn''t fear her death but she did fear falling prey to the hunger of these starving men.


    Once she had watched a movie with Sofia, her sister, the heroine who was playing the role of a queen willingly stepped into the fire as she didn''t want to be held as a slave or worse getting raped by the men who were eyeing her body. She chose to turn into ashes willingly rather than let herself get raped by the multiple men.


    She never understood that heroine more than she did today.


    Hugging her knees, she silently sobbed. Earlier, she refused to let tears ooze from her eyes. She wasn''t weak. She would fight for herself. She would resist the game fate was trying to play with her. She was strong. Yes, she was strong.


    "If Papa fulfills their condition, they will let me leave this hellhole. I''ll go back to my family and then I have to marry Nico again. If Papa doesn''t fulfil their condition, God knows what torment they will inflict on me. I do not know what''s worse. Marrying Nico or being held as a captive?''


    ''God, please help me. I never asked you for anything. I passed the biggest trials of my life. Why must you keep on testing me at every phase of life?''


    _____


    " What were you doing behind, Edward?" Santiago raised the question as Edward or the fifth masked man who was previously ogling Persephone''s sexy body.


    Edward had to admit that the Marino princess had an ass he would die for. Since she was here, why not he...


    "Villain asked you something, Edward," Callum spoke as he saw Edward in daze. He had noticed earlier how he took more time in the dungeon than them.


    Edward looked at Santiago and said in his signature voice, "I was making sure that she didn''t try any stunt. Who knew if she would try to kill herself? If she did something like that, your plan would go awry, Boss."


    Everyone who had seen Santigao''s face called him ''Villain'' not by his name. It was because they weren''t aware of his real name. To all of them, he was Villain. It was his name, fame and game.


    "You don''t have to concern yourself with her well being, Edward," Santigao spoke, the Italian in his accent became more clear. His indifferent gaze settled on Edward''s face rather intensely. " You are supposed to only bring food to her. Do not enter the place for any other reason. As for killing herself? She won''t die. She doesn''t have inside her what it takes to kill herself."


    Edward bowed his head and left as he saw Nash gesturing him to leave.


    "Get Russo to tend to Marino princess. Edward must not go near her again," Santigao said before leaving the room...


    Women like Persephone were the reason for the downfall of the dynasties.Their bewitching beauty as their ultimate weapon could pierce any shield in the world.


    He couldn''t afford Persephone to cause a fracture in his motherhood. It was better if no one came closer to her. He was sure of that.


    And he was sure of one more thing-- she would never commit suicide. Like he said, she not only faux her bravery but her cowardice too.


    She had the blood of Alessandro Marino running in her veins. Thus, it was enough of a proof that the woman would fight to survive the greatest test she would be going through.


    However, he would make sure she broke before him.

 Chapter 11 - Her Love Is Back

    [In the Marino House ]


    "Don Marino, we searched the nook and corner of New York but weren''t able to find Miss Marino."


    "Could it be that she is not in the state? She must have been taken to another state if we weren''t able to find her in New York."


    "You must punish the apostate who aided the opponent in abducting the bride."


    "Abducting the bride from the church is sacrilegious. Those wicked Irish or Russians must be the one behind the whole charade."


    "Our daughters and wives are afraid to even go out of their homes. What should be done to lessen the panic among them? If they can steal Don''s daughter, what don''t they dare to do?"


    Alesandro Marino sat on the majestic modernised throne and heard what his subordinates had to say about the matter. Those people who dared not to open their mouths before him earlier now we''re indirectly calling him weak. He failed to protect his daughter. His daughter was stolen before his nose by an unknown enemy and he couldn''t do anything about it.


    He glanced at his consiliere, who was usually quiet today. Then, his gaze settled on Nico, the man who was supposed to officially become his son-in-law today but wasn''t able to because he, Alesandro Marino, failed to recognize the danger lurking around him.


    And now, not only the outfit but also the family was in shambles.


    He wouldn''t forgive the person who dared to lay his hands on his daughter.


    The kind of punishment which his daughter''s captor hadn''t fathomed even in his worst nightmare was awaiting for him.


    They hadn''t touched his daughter but his esteem and position in New York.


    His eyes turned cold as he vowed in his heart to bring back his daughter to him at any cost with her honor intact.


    ____


    "Sofia!"


    Just when Sofia Marino thought that no one was watching her exiting Persephone''s bedroom, Nico''s voice rang, startling Sofia to the core. What was he doing on this floor of the Mansion? No man with the exception of her father and brothers were allowed to enter this part of the mansion. Then, again he was Persephone''s husband¡­ No..No...to be husband.


    "Stop right there, Sofia!" Nico''s voice consisted of the authority that his soldiers were used to hearing. The voice of a roaring tiger. He was a dangerous man and so, Sofia couldn''t take the risk of offending him as she knew if he chose to complain about her to her father, the outcome wouldn''t be so favorable for her, given the situation they were in...


    Sofia slowly turned to look at Nico but not before tucking something under her bra. Her movements were too quick for Nico watching to catch all the details.


    "Y-yes?" Sofia said in a very hesitant voice. Damm, why couldn''t she speak normally to him for once in her life. Only if she could know why¡­.


    Nico watched the woman before him averting her gaze to avoid looking into his eyes.


    Sofia Marino was a petite woman with an abundance of curves at the right places. Marino women were not particularly tall. Her glassy green eyes slowly met Nico''s as she realized that he didn''t say a word to her yet and was gazing at her intensely as if¡­. as if he went to bore bullets into her skull.


    Nico cursed as he realized what he was doing. He glared at Sofia and said," What were you doing in Persephone''s room? Out of all the people, you know better how much she despises people entering her room. Why must you do things which you aren''t supposed to?"


    Sofia felt as if her breath was cut short. She couldn''t believe her ears. He had the audacity to remind her¡­


    ''Damn you, Sofia! Why did I glare at him!''


    ''No. No. I must not curse. It''s now how a catholic girl is raised.''


    "Answer me. Now!" Nicolas''s thunderous voice rang and Sofia trembled with evident fear.


    "I-I was just missing her," Sofia replied, her body trembling."I was missing my sister, Nico. She despised everyone who would dare to enter her room without her permission. But never me!! We used to sneak out to each other''s room at midnight when Papa locked her in the room because we weren''t supposed to be close. Like you think , I would never dare to hurt my sister even in dreams. I love her, Nico."


    Inhaling for forbearance, Nicolas took a loud breath as if dealing with her was worse than dealing with his offenders. A warm rush of shame ran down her spine as she met his heavy gaze. It was really written in his whiskey eyes that he knew that she was hiding something from him. She could also read in his eyes that if she ended up hurting her sister in the process, he would never forgive her.


    "You better be telling the truth, Sofia. Or else¡­"


    Without bothering to complete the sentence, Nicolas Scunderi left her standing alone outside Persephone''s room in the same way he appeared.


    Not desiring to waste any time, Sofia ran inside her room and locked it quickly. She pulled out a piece of paper from her bra which she had hidden earlier.


    In her hand was a sketch that Persephone had drawn many years before. A stunning pair of pale blue eyes. The same eyes which were tattooed on Persephone''s heart.


    ''I''m sorry, Papa and Nico. Love can''t be forced. Persephone never loved Nico and it is clear to everyone that she wouldn''t even try to love him in the future. To all of you, love carries no significance but to Persephone, it''s her whole life.


    I saw that man abducting her with my own eyes. I didn''t shout nor did I bring any attention because I knew that it was the only way for her to resist this undesirable wedding.


    Your love is back, Persephone. I pray that you will not let it go this time. If I can remember these blue eyes, I guess you will too.''


    ''I''m sorry, Nico. You can''t control who you love. ''


    _____


    A/N: Sofia doesn''t know that the Santiago Persephone loves is dead according to Persephone as she never told Sofia. That''s Why Sofia thinks that the man was there to elope with Persephone rather than kidnapping her. She recognized his blue eyes because Persephone used to sketch them.


    Apparently, Persephone had done something very gave in the past that made Sofia believe that her sister is capable enough of pulling Kidnapping stunt as she neither fears her father nor Nicolas.


    Fathom, what must have Persephone done in the past?


    ____


    Please support me with powerstones and by adding my book to your gallery. Read a few chapters before judging it. The story hasn''t opened fully yet. I really, really hope that you will give my book a chance.


    One more thing I wanted to add is that I won''t be doing a slow burn romance. Apparently, I don''t know how to write slow burn. More than the main characters, I''m excited to write romance.


    Thus, I will be dropping doses of smut in the next few chapter.

 Chapter 12 - Attacked Once Again

    [Santiago''s Penthouse, New York]


    Looking Down At The flickering lights and the never ending hustle bustle of New York City was just another sort of delight Santiago preferred sometimes.


    Leaning against the wall by the side of the balcony, Santiago closed his eyes for a moment. Even the sound of ever bustling city wasn''t able to distract him from thinking about a certain green eyed woman. He exhaled sharply, attempting to forget her sweet but wicked scent that had somehow managed to etch in his blood vessels.


    The thought of her naked petite yet curvaceous body under him was the last thought he ever wanted in his mind. He wondered if she had freckles somewhere else other than her nose. If he could lick those freckles¡­


    Jesus. He shouldn''t be lustfully fantasizing about a certain captive of his.


    He didn''t even like her.


    But a voice inside of him said that he didn''t need to like her to feel the effect which she had on him.


    Damm. He would never touch her which was the code words for -- he would never fuck her.


    Persephone Marino was his captive, a means to an end, and now the subject of his lustful fantasies.


    He was not a sadist but he was craving to inflict torment on her body with pleasure. He was yearning to make her shout his name in ecstasy. He wished to shatter her apart with the only pleasure he could give her¡­


    Stop.


    He bit his tongue to stop thinking about Persephone.


    Talking about sadists, his thoughts went to Edward who was previously given the task to be responsible for Persephone''s basic needs as a human being, later but was withdrawn from the duties. He could read Edward''s thoughts from a mile far. He discerned what his subordinate was imagining as his gaze settled on the gorgeous yet dirty Marino Princess. His hard-on was enough for Santiago to know that Persephone shouldn''t come near that bastard ever.


    He was a sadist bastard. Loved inflicting pain on his Goomahs.


    Persephone probably liked it sweet and vanilla.


    Probably preferred the man to get on his knees and beg a little.


    Edward wouldn''t.


    And so wouldn''t he.


    The sick sadist would torture her until she would break apart into pieces before him.


    A silver of discomfort ran through him as he imagined Persephone with Edward.


    "F*ck!" Santiago punched the wall in irritation. He didn''t want any Persephone who wasn''t his beloved anywhere near him. Not in his life, his thoughts, or his heart.


    And Persephone Marino wasn''t his beloved. She wasn''t as wicked and faux as this one.


    Blood oozed from his knuckles but he kept punching the wall. Pouring all of his irritation, frustration, and anger on the poor wall. His self-control was challenged today. He had to get her out of his mind. She didn''t deserve to occupy his thoughts. She wasn''t worthy enough to be the subject of his fantasies.


    But she was. And only he knew how much he hated himself for it. After returning from the base, he took several cold showers to soften his raging hard-on.


    *Ring! Ring! Ring!*


    Santiago gathered his scattered thoughts and overflowing emotions and took a deep breath while closing his eyes, and then picked up the phone.


    He saw Callum''s number flashing on his phone screen. He had a bad premonition as to why Callum would call him at midnight.


    "Hello," Santiago''s voice was as calm and indifferent as ever. It wasn''t evident a bit that he was the same man who was punching the wall madly just a while ago because a woman had come to occupy his mind.


    Don''t they say that '' An idle mind is the devil''s workshop''? So, what was the issue if Persephone was occupying his mind? Only if Santiago could say that the woman was worse and more wicked than a devil.


    "Santiago, Nash fell sick all of a sudden and I drove to base to take him to hospital. I think it''s the virus. Other men are ensuring that no one from the outfit gets to know Marino''s daughter is with us, in the city. I wasn''t able to reach Killian so I called you," Callum spoke in a single breathless tone. He called him to inform that Nash wouldn''t be able to follow Santiago''s orders of protecting the base. One of them had to be there, heading their men.


    Santiago went to let the matter slide due to Nash''s sudden illness, but upon hearing that he couldn''t reach Killian, a very bad hunch arose in his heart.


    "Who else is at the base?" Santiago immediately asked.


    "Edward."


    "F*ck!" Both of them simultaneously cursed as they realized something.


    _____


    Hugging her knees, Persephone lightly rested her head on them. She didn''t want to sleep in this unknown and dangerous place. What would happen if she accidentally fell asleep and¡­ No.No. She must keep herself awake by any means.


    Just like Persephone her body too was not obedient.


    She wasn''t able to open her eyes. She didn''t know what it was, the food she was given, or her tiring body that she wasn''t able to resist sleep.


    Right now, all she wanted was to sleep and never wake up to this nightmare again. Only wanted to open her eyes to open green Meadows, clear blue sky, flowers everywhere around her, and... freedom.


    She wanted to spread her legs on the mattress but it was so smelly and dirty that even some like her,  who were placed in the worst circumstance a girl would ever be, couldn''t make her inner cleanliness freak mind agree with her tiring and aching body.


    She must ask Villain to provide her with a clean mattress at least if he wishes to keep her alive.


    Just as she felt herself numb, a click on the door was heard. She opened her eyes like a hawk, though her eyes were droopy as if she had been on drugs.


    In a mere second, she felt as if someone was spreading her body on the mattress. She looked up only to see the creepy man from earlier.. Her eyes turned red and just as she was about to let out a shriek, his palm blocked his mouth.

 Chapter 13 - Blood Thirsty Demon

    Tears of fear and mortification trickled down Persephone''s cheeks. This was what she was always afraid of all along. She was about to get r*ped. Her father was right -- there was no place in the world for her other than the Marino family. She shouldn''t have dreamed about exiting that hellhole.


    Edward bit her collarbone as he positioned her wrists over her head with one hand, and with another, he ripped her already half-torn wedding gown. Although she hated her wedding gown, this wasn''t the fate she desired for this piece of clothing.


    She tried to shriek but no voice came out of her mouth. It was as if her soul had given up.


    "Ah! Sweet Percy, do you know you are God''s masterpiece? I am not able to withdraw my eyes off this juicy body since the time I first laid my eyes on it," Edward whispered near her ears. He was whispering seductively but for Persephone, they were the whispers of death. Even worse, he was nastier than the devil himself.


    Persephone struggled underneath his heavy body as he got rid of her wedding dress. Now she was before him in lingerie. The expensive lingerie bought by the group of Mamas in the hope, it will seduce Nicolas.


    Edward''s eyes darkened as he saw the Aprodhite herself lying before him. He licked his lips maliciously and gulped as he ogled her body openly. She was made to satisfy his insatiable hunger.


    Persephone could feel his raging hardness rubbing against her lower body. All she felt for him was disgust and hatred. Even if she killed him, she wouldn''t feel guilty.


    ''Shout, Percy.'' She was telling herself but no voice came out of her throat.


    "Don''t worry, sweet Percy, I''ll give you the night that you were anticipating with Nicolas Scuderi," Edward whispered as he trailed bites down her neck.


    As he ripped off her bra, he froze for a moment, then his eyes darkened, not with lust but with anger.


    Inside a bleeding heart, two pale blue eyes were tattooed on Persephone''s heart.


    "Who''s this bastard?" Edward glared at Persephone, hatred lacing his eyes. "You are a slut. People tell the truth about you. Oh, slut the things I''m going to do to you. I''ll capture you in my bedroom forever. I know you must feel as amazing as you smell. I will keep you for me¡­"


    Bile rose inside Persephone. With all the strength, she pushed Edward''s body off her, and with a limping body, she ran towards the door.


    No one could capture her. She was meant to fly. She was meant to attain her freedom one day.


    Edward''s malicious laugh was heard. "You won''t be able to run from me. The drugs are making your body numb, aren''t they?"


    He had skillfully added drugs to her food. He knew she wouldn''t give her body to him willingly and without any fight. To make things easier, he had made all the necessary arrangements...


    Limply, Persephone ran out of the door. She didn''t care if she was almost naked and running for her life inside the house of the enemy. Who would help her now?


    Villain? The man called himself Villain for a reason. Why would he help her? No, but he needed something from her father. He would not let this crazy man r*ape her.


    She had to find him at any cost. She knew that he would help her. Call it a woman''s hunch or her crazy mind playing games on her.


    As Persephone was talking inside her head to herself, Edward caught her wrist and raised his hand to slap her. She dodged the slap with her impassive body. She bit his hand which was about to squeeze her boob. Edward didn''t feel the pain from the ant bite. But he indeed felt the pain, when she kicked him in the groin.


    "You bitch! I was behaving tenderly with you," Edward said in a voice that sounded more like a painful hiss. "But if you wanted to be f*cked like a slut. Then, I''ll give you the taste of slut treatment too."


    Edward grabbed Persephone from her waist as he was taking her back to the basement, something touched Persephone''s hand and she immediately caught it.


    Since she was a petite woman, and Edward was a huge man, she wasn''t able to get out of his hold. As he opened the door of the basement, Persephone broke the half bear bottle (She caught Nash''s beer bottle earlier) and stabbed it into Edward''s eyes.


    "Ahhhhh!!!" Edward screamed in pain as blood gushed out of his eyes.


    Persephone fell from his hold. Instead of running, she stabbed Edrward''s neck, stomach, and eyes again and again. She didn''t stop. She was crying and stabbing simultaneously like a madwoman.


    "You can''t touch a woman without her permission. You are a monster. And you dare to call yourself a man?" Persephone shouted and sobbed. She seemed to have been bathed with Edward''s blood. "I will kill every man who thinks he has a right on my body just because I''m a weak woman. Even an unarmed woman is not weak.And you think of me as one? I''ll kill you."


    It was like a bloodthirsty demon had taken over Persephone''s body as she didn''t stop stabbing Edward with the broken beer bottle. Her hands were bleeding too but she was so lost in the bloodlust that she didn''t seem to note that.


    _____


    Rape is a heinous crime. Even when I was writing this scene, I had goosebumps spreading on my skin. I had to leave this chapter twice to complete it. It was perhaps the most difficult chapter that I have written.


    Again, I''m against Rape. I do not promote it. Rather I openly condemn such a heinous crime.


    I''m so proud of Persephone. She did not wait for any knight to come and save her.. Instead, she killed the man who thinks just because he was a man and she was a weak woman, he had right over her body.

 Chapter 14 - Die With Dignity

    A car unexpectedly appeared and stopped before a deserted old factory. In the darkness of the night, several armed men emerged out of the shadows and pointed their weapons at Santiago.


    As Santiago came out of the car, they took an immediate step back, putting their weapons down. Although they had never seen what Santiago looked like beneath the mask, they recognized him from his aura and the dark air surrounding him.


    The man was a Villain thorough and thorough.


    Surprisingly, all of them were standing frozen. They couldn''t believe their eyes. Today, they saw what Villain looked like in actuality.


    To catch the glimpse of Santiago''s face was already a miracle in itself.


    For the first time in life, Santiago forgot to come without masking his face. Even though the bodyguards were staring at him, he didn''t find anything weird at all. He had been dying with worry over a certain curvy woman who had made his life hell since and time he had laid his eyes on her. But didn''t know why the heck he was so worried?


    Santiago had a lot to figure on his own, but it was all for later. Right now, he had to make sure that Edward hadn''t laid his dirty hands on his little captive.


    "Who is inside?" Santiago asked the question in a hard voice and the bodyguards didn''t find anything usual with him except for the fact that he was extraordinarily angry.


    "Edward and¡­ are on duty inside, Boss," one of them spoke immediately.


    "Damm it!" Santiago ran towards the secret basement where Persephone was held hostage by them.


    If something happened to her, his mission would fail. He would never be able to catch Lorzeno again. Not only would Lorenzo be roaming freely outside, but Alessandro Marino would be hunting him like a crazy dog for destroying the life of his daughter and his prestige in the entire New York.


    Moreover, he hadn''t kidnapped Persephone Marino to satisfy their lust. He would never touch an unwilling woman. He ran his hand in his hair in frustration and desperation. He needed Persephone Marino to be safe for whatever reasons.


    He alighted the stairs quickly and when he reached the outside of the basement''s door, his feet stopped on their own. The scene which graced his eyes shook his soul to the core.


    A crying naked Persephone tainted with blood.


    Before her, a dead or perhaps, an unconscious bleeding Edward.


    Santiago didn''t know why Persephone was called the "goddess of spring", but right now, he could see with his own eyes, why she was called the " queen of death."


    ____


    Persephone looked up as she felt a jacket placed on her shoulders. She saw Santiago''s hard eyes staring at her face fiercely. Was he angry that she killed one of his men? She closed her eyes to blink back her disobedient tears. She was strong. Yes, she was strong. She couldn''t cry. She shouldn''t cry. Please, God let me not cry. Especially in front of him. He was the last human she wanted to show her weak self. She was so pathetic. And he would mock her strength again.


    Santiago''s face turned cold and un-stoic as her whimpers transformed into heavy sobs.


    Persephone now knew what her fate had now chosen for her future.


    She might have gotten rid of one monster but what about the one standing in front of him? The one who called him ''The Villain''. She would never be free of them. She was dragged to the underworld and she would have to make peace with this fact that there was no escape for her now.


    "Please," She whimpered. "Kill me. Torture me. Or cut me into pieces. But don''t r*pe my body. My honor is the only thing I''m left with. Let me die with the last shreds of dignity."


    "Wear the jacket. This place is no longer safe for you," Santiago said, making sure not to touch her anywhere. He couldn''t believe that the woman was afraid of getting r*aped by him. He had kidnapped her, surely, but he would never touch her body without her consent.. For heaven''s sake, he was a villain, not a f*cking monster who fed on a woman''s soul and body. Especially not Persephone Marinos

 Chapter 15 - Dont Play The Game You Cant Win

    "Wear the jacket. This place is no longer safe for you," Santiago said, making sure not to touch her anywhere. He couldn''t believe that the woman was afraid of getting r*aped by him. He had kidnapped her, surely, but he would never touch her body without her consent. For heaven''s sake, he was a villain, not a f*cking monster who fed on a woman''s soul and body. Especially not Persephone Marinos.


    "No place is safe for me anymore," Persephone whispered back. "I killed your comrade. You must kill me to avenge him. Take the knife. Cut me into pieces and free me of this life. I can no longer hold any more. I''m tired, Villain."


    Santiago gripped her chin and made her look at him. Her piercing green eyes were now covered with frost. It seemed like there was no fight left in them. He wanted to break her. Make her submit to him. Yet, he couldn''t bear to see her crestfallen.


    Has he gone crazy? Or was he losing his mind? Why was this woman affecting him so much?


    Persephone''s eyes behold Santiago''s face for the first time. He had a very beautiful face and she must agree with it. Hair as dark as a night. Lips as flawless as if they were bespoke by the God of masculinity himself. He truly was the epitome of refined beauty, masculinity, and charm all in one. Only if she wasn''t a girl with lots of baggage¡­


    "Where is the Persephone Marino who had the guts to talk back to me? Where is the Persephone Marino who would never let the word ''death'' come near her? Where is the Persephone Marino who was desperate to attain her freedom?" Santiago''s questions stopped  Persephone''s whimpers." Did you finally stop faking your strength?"


    Santiago''s callous words worked as a balm on her damaged soul. Edward hadn''t just left the bruises on her body but also her soul. His face would haunt him for eternity. If fear had a face, it would be him for her.


    "Why are you so beautiful yet your heart so ugly?" Persephone raised the question as her fingers caressed Santiago''s face." Why are you called Villain when you should be called a monster? Why are you tormenting me for my father''s sin?"


    Santiago caught Persephone''s wrist before it could stroke his eyes. His hold on her hand tightened as she mumbled, "I can raise the questions too, Villain. But you don''t have the guts to answer. The one who is masquerading to be something else, who he is not, is not me in actuality, but you," Persephone added, looking at him. "Let''s not waste the moments that I''m left with arguing with you. Please end me. So, you can exact your revenge. I''m not worth the trouble at all."


    "Wear the jacket and stand up. We don''t have much time until your father''s dogs come sniffing you, "Santiago spoke in a bored voice. He appeared as if half-naked Persephone did not affect his resolve to not-want-to-want her anymore.


    "Aren''t you going to kill me?"Persephone asked him in surprise.


    "You are more precious to me than this fool who chose to act according to his d.i.c.k," said Santiago as he caught her by her arm.


    A flash of relief ran through her. She wasn''t dying.


    "Persephone Marino, not even for a second think that I''m lending down my pity to you by not killing you," said Santiago as he made her stand up. "You are important to me...for now. As long as you listen to me, your honor would be intact. You will return to Nicolas Scuderi with your chastity untouched."


    "Your threats don''t scare me anymore," Persephone smiled at him as she stood up on her feet. "If anything, it makes me feel that I''m still the one who carries the power to control your destiny. You perhaps don''t know me but let me tell you one thing, you unknowingly gave me the biggest hope. I now know that I will be alive for as long as I wish. You can''t kill me for...now. I''m still important to you."


    "Don''t play the game which you can never win," Santiago warned her.


    "Who plays the game for the sake of winning?" Persephone smiled a sad smile. "I thrive on games to survive. Clearly, I need to make constant efforts to live every moment."


    Persephone zipped up the Jacket which was reaching a little over her thighs. Since she was a petite woman, his jacket was enough to cover the necessary parts. She didn''t tell him that his jacket just smelled like him-- callous and wicked, luring her into the kingdom where wicked fantasies took reign of her sanity and in lieu of operating upon her reason, began functioning upon her female hormones.


    Villain-- the man who was hellbent on breaking her. But little did he know she was all shattered pieces begging to be put together.


    With a sigh,  Persephone took a step ahead, but as she was about to put forward her feet to take a step ahead, blackness suddenly enveloped her senses and she fell on the floor with a loud thud.

 Chapter 16 - Surreal Captivity

    They say only the truly poor know the difference between being hungry and being starved. And today, Persephone felt what it''s like to be starved for the first time.


    Persephone''s stomach made an obnoxious noise, reminding her of how starved she was. How long had it been since she last ate? One day? Two? Wait. This was not the correct question she should ask right now.


    With a jerk, she threw the sheets covering her body on the floor, and shock penetrated inside her veins as she found herself on a huge bed. Was it wrong for her to say now that she would sell her soul to Satan if she could buy a bed like this one back at Marino house?


    Again, this wasn''t the right question to ask either.


    She found herself in a foreign bedroom, fully washed and beautifully dressed not to forget absolutely starved which only meant one thing -- she is alive and her captor has every intention to keep her alive for the time being.


    She muttered a curse as she recalled the last words she spoke to the Villain. ''Damn you, Persephone. What was the need for acting as a heroine? Think about the mess you are stuck in now."


    Her stomach made an even louder noise to remind her to fill it before her body collapsed of fuel and she tightly shut her eyes to evade this embarrassing situation.


    She studied the bedroom for a moment before opening the door which on checking showed that it led to a bathroom. The room was luxuriously decorated, it would have looked even more luxurious if designers had put more pieces of furniture in the room beside the bed she currently slept on.


    After freshening up, she opened the other door which opened to a silent hallway. She couldn''t even blink her eyes as the sheer magnificence of the building greeted her eyes. What era was she in? From the looks of the decorations, it appeared as she had transmigrated into an ancient era overnight.


    Nonetheless, she knew that she was still in the same era with the same rotten fate.


    Her growling stomach again reminded her that she was out on a food hunt.


    "Excuse me, can anyone help me?" Persephone said loudly, and the hall echoed behind her.


    Walking forward and calling for help for several minutes when no one came, Persephone decided to sit down in a corner in utter defeat.


    ''''If not at the hands of Villain, I will surely die of starvation. And you know what''s sadder than dying of starvation, it''s the fact that once I''ve succumbed  I won''t be counted in those people who die every day due to hunger."


    Persephone hugged her knees and rested her head on them, a hand touched her head. Quickly, she looked up to see a woman staring down at her with blank dark eyes.


    Persephone blinked her eyes. "Umm¡­ I thought humans don''t reside in this world as I have transmigrated into a different world overnight. I even thought that I, Persephone, had unknowingly entered the wonderland, like Alice in Wonderland?"


    ''She was just trying to crack a joke, okay? Well, your loss if you don''t want to be acquainted with me.''


    The woman gave her a dirty look as she gestured to follow her back to the room Persephone earlier emerged from.


    With a long, hard, and heavy sigh, Persephone followed her back. As long as this woman gave her something to eat, she was fine with the arrangement.


    As if God couldn''t be more benevolent, Persephone found food as soon as she entered the room. Without caring for her image, she launched an attack on the plate of food. Who cares about being elegant when you are kidnapped?


    Once Persephone finished the food, she discovered the woman with dark eyes scowling at her. Sigh. It wasn''t easy being a captive these days.


    "Uhuh¡­ thank you for the food," Persephone said as she had no other words to say.


    The woman ignored her words and, placing the plate outside the door, she occupied a chair (which was not there before) and began reading a book. Persephone noticed that there were several more books placed next to her bed.


    A week passed. In the whole week, Persephone wasn''t asked to step foot outside of the room. She was provided a comfortable bed to sleep in, books to read when bored, and delicious meals thrice a day when hungry. Just like the first day in the new place, the woman with dark eyes as Persephone called her in her heart, used to sit at the same place and the same chair, a new book in her hand daily. Not one word she had uttered until now.


    Instead of getting happy that she was at least treated better by the Villain here, Persephone was growing frustrated each passing day. Today, she had an urge to lock herself in the room. However, much to her bad luck, there wasn''t a single lock on the doors.


    It was midnight when the woman who tended to Persephone''s needs left after making sure that the captive his master had locked in his personal ivory tower was sleeping.


    Persephone had been obedient to her surprise, so she had no qualms about her. But boy, she had never been so wrong.


    An hour after she left, Persephone opened her eyes and quietly, came out of the bed.


    She opened the door and entered the hallway. Under the dimly lit chandeliers, she walked and walked until she found a way to leave the building. She must admit it was a sight to behold. She had never seen something so luxurious yet so otherworldly beautiful.


    Step by step, her curious and hungry eyes took in the beauty of the place and as she was about to take another step, she found a magnificent and huge wooden door ahead. With both of her hands, she unlocked the door and only looked ahead as the salty and cold air touched her skin.


    Surreal. The view outside was utterly surreal. The moonlight falling on the sand was appearing as if pearls were shining under the full moon. The ocean was quiet but a glorious sight to behold.


    Now she could begrudgingly say she was too wrong to stay cooped inside a bedroom.


    "Is it too soon to say that I have never felt so free under the open sky before," Persephone said to herself.


    Smiling at the ocean, she recalled her childhood, her mom''s night stories, her brother who''s now on the other side of the realm, and a certain someone whose eyes were the color of warm ocean water.


    Laying her head against a tree, Persephone shut down her eyes.. As she was about to navigate the narrow alleys of her childhood in her nostalgic dreams, a pair of icy blue eyes pulled her into a never-ending sweet nightmare.

 Chapter 17 - Missing Persephone

    *Knock Knock*


    Santiago appeared out of his bathroom as the knocking on the door increased. He wondered who was disturbing him so early. Wasn''t it already enough that a captive had caused him several insomniac nights?


    He opened the door only to find a huffing and a distressed Anna. She was the same woman who was in charge of Persephone''s needs. Looking at the distressed condition of Anna, Santiago knew the matter had to do something with Persephone Marino.


    ''What a trouble you are!''


    "What happened?" Santiago still asked the question with a calm and collected tone. He had expected Persephone to throw a tantrum soon as it was more than a week since she had arrived on the island.


    "S-sir," Anna horribly stammered. She wasn''t able to form the correct words. "Miss Persephone is not in her room. I have searched the whole wing but I wasn''t able to find her--"


    Before Anna could complete the sentence, Santiago ran towards the security room. Cold sweat drenched his back though he just came out of a bath and the climate condition of the area didn''t allow a hot or warm bath. Yes, he was scared. And what was more troubling him was the question of why he was behaving the way he was right now?


    He had to find Persephone as soon as possible. What if she fell into another danger? If last time, Nash hadn''t left the empty beer bottles in the basement and Persephone hadn''t used it as a weapon to hurt Edward, she would have been r*aped by the sick twat.


    This inexplicable fear wasn''t something he had experienced before.


    "Quickly, check the footage of the new wing," Santiago said as soon as he opened the door to find the guards on duty fast asleep. No wonder, she was able to run away from her room. Well, he would discuss their punishment later. Right now, he had to find her rapidly.


    She didn''t know yet that there are numerous dangers and traps laid down by him on the island. If she accidentally fell in one of them, he wouldn''t be able to protect her. She could lose her life.


    Fearing for their lives, the guards quickly played the footage of the last night. As Santiago''s gaze found Persephone''s tiny figure, he got out of the room with a dark expression.


    Anna, who was now standing outside the room and waiting for him, gulped in fear. She prayed for the poor woman''s life. Did she not know that out of all the people in the world, she must not offend Villain?


    ______


    Santiago found Persephone fast asleep several feet away from the shore of the ocean. Her head was leaning against the trunk of a tree. Her cheeks were stained with what he could assume as tears.


    Instinctively, he traced the patter of her nose and the cute freckles shimmering on her face like twinkling stars in the night sky. Her naturally pink lips were parched and he had an urge to roll his wet tongue on her dried lips.


    For a raven-haired girl, her brows were too light. They were neither brown nor blond but a mixed and confusing color just like her.


    He had an instant urge to shake her and interrogate her about what went down in her crazy mind that she chose to sleep on the open beach and under a tree? Did she not know how dangerous it was to sleep under a tree during the night? Not to mention the beach wasn''t a safe place to sleep either.


    He had burned wads of dollars to get her a comfortable bed. Did she not find the room according to her taste? He gave her all the necessary utilities that she needed to survive here on this island as a captor. Heck, she was treated like a guest in a five-star hotel. Still, she chose to run away from him.


    As if Persephone could feel him boring holes into her skull, she opened her eyes. Her eyes widened as she saw Santiago''s face a few inches away from hers. A dark look swept on his face and she gulped in fear.


    "I-I wasn''t trying to¡­" Her words stuck in her throat as Santiago''s face came closer to hers.


    "You weren''t trying to?" Santiago''s unusual raspy voice made Persephone more nervous...


    "I wasn''t trying to run away," Persephone immediately said in a single breath with her eyes shut.


    "Even if you try to, you can''t run away by crossing the ocean," Santiago said as he stood straight and caught Persephone''s arm to drag her back to her room.


    "Where are you taking me?" Persephone asked breathlessly.


    "Back to your prison," came a nonchalant reply.


    "Please, Villain. I have been extremely obedient from the time I have woken up in this foreign place. I haven''t made things difficult for your snitch either, "Persephone lamented. " Don''t lock me back there. I''ll go crazy. Please."


    "I don''t care," Villains said while entering the building where Persephone was locked.


    On the way back, Persephone saw a handful of people watching her getting dragged to the building. They were so unfazed by the scene that it looked like it was so normal for them.


    However, Persephone still couldn''t understand one thing -- what on this green earth were these young women doing by getting ready so early in the morning? If she didn''t know better, she would have said that they were the princess of some kingdom by the looks of their branded dresses and expensive pieces of jewelry adorned on their bodies.

 Chapter 18 - Captive To Love

    "Ouch!" Persephone exclaimed in pain when Santiago tossed her on the bed. This man was not taught what chivalry was! Then again, if he was taught chivalry and gentlemanly behavior would he have kidnapped her?


    Santiago hovered over her body and warned saying, "If you are asked to not leave the room, you better act according to the orders."


    She was beautiful in a silver satin nightdress that reached her ankles. Her green orbs were staring at his icy blue ones. And she was unendly blinking at him. His hot breath was fanning her cheeks, a blush crept up from her neck to her face, highlighting her freckles.


    Santiago had no idea why but he hadn''t seen a woman as attractive and sexy as her. She should be Aphrodite, not Persephone.


    It was his ringing phone which brought him out of the daze and prevented his doom.


    "Hello?" He said as soon as he picked up the phone.


    "Yeah, I found her."


    "Keep an eye on the entrance."


    "I know."


    "Don''t worry. I have got everything under my control." With this said, he hung up the call. From the beginning till now, Santiago had not removed his eyes off her face. And Persephone was still blinking her eyes at him, unbeknownst to herself.


    When Santiago turned his back to leave the room, he heard Persephone say, "Villain, I will not run from this place. If you don''t believe me, you can appoint more guards to follow me. I have no reason to run from this place until my father comes to take me from here. Just let me go out, please. I just want to feel the sun against my skin and breath the fresh air. I have never seen an ocean before. Please just for today."


    Persephone kept staring at his back, but he didn''t stop walking. Once he was out of the door, he shut the door loudly causing her to flinch in fear.


    ''You asked for his hate, Persephone. Why the hell does what he thinks about me matters to me?''


    _____


    "Dammit!" Santiago punched the wall as he returned to his estate. He couldn''t believe that a tiny woman who just happened to be his captive and not to forget his greatest enemy''s daughter, was affecting him so much. He couldn''t be near her without wanting to devour her. This animalistic behavior of his was foreign to him.


    She sounded so sad when she begged him to let her go outside her room. Why did he care if she was sad or happy? She was just his captive. Nothing else.


    He would stop lying to himself. He was so darn attracted to her. He was lusting after Marino''s daughter and so was she. But at least like him, she was not refusing her blatant body reaction to him.


    He had noticed the sexy blush on her face whenever he was standing close to her.


    He needed to get Persephone out of his head. Even if it meant to fuck her. He would. Now he was going to offer a deal to Persephone Marino. A deal she would have no qualms about rejecting.


    ____


    "You girl! You sure have the guts to run away from the Villain''s cage." Anna said as she entered the room and found Persephone hugging her knees on the bed. She actually felt sorry for this girl. But now seeing her action of fleeing had erased all the traces of sympathy that she had in her heart.


    "I was not running away from here," whispered Persephone, her head resting on her knees. "I thought you can''t speak."


    Anna scoffed."I''m not supposed to talk to you. It''s against the orders given by the boss."


    Persephone understood the situation. "What''s your name?"


    "I''m not supposed to tell you that either," answered Anna honestly.


    "I can''t keep on calling you woman with dark eyes in my head," Persephone muttered under her breath.


    Anna took a deep breath calming her seething emotions. She couldn''t believe that the girl who was obedient for the last whole week would suddenly try to escape this place. Did she not think that this place which was completely unknown to her might be dangerous to her? Not only did she invite danger for herself but also asked for Boss''s wrath.


    "Raven," Anna said after a long time.


    "What?" Persephone glanced in her direction in confusion.


    "You can call me Raven," Anna told her.


    Persephone nodded. "Raven, you can call me Percy. But please don''t call me by my name before your boss, I''m afraid that he will punish you for getting acquainted with me. I don''t want anyone to hurt because of me."


    "If you really cared for the people surrounding you, why did you run away from here in the dead of the night?" Anna, now Raven, asked her with narrowed eyes. She couldn''t figure out this girl.


    "I''m many things but a liar is not one of them," Persephone said to Raven, offering one of her genuine smiles. "I have been locked in the same room for a week, I just want to feel what it''s like to be free under an open sky even if it was just for a few minutes. I wanted to come back to the room sooner but the singing ocean and open sky made me greedy and I fell asleep by the ocean shore."


    "You speak like you have been captive all your life, Percy," Anna said to Persephone.


    "I was," Persephone smiled. "But that was a different kind of captivity."


    She was captive to her sins.


    She was captive to Santiago''s love.


    And she was treated as captive by Alessandro Marino.


    After her marriage to Nico, the ownership would be changed from Alessandro Marino to Nicolas Scuderi.


    ______

 Chapter 19 - Inside Villains Villa

    Persephone couldn''t stop shaking. Her entire body was engulfed by fear and she was trembling all over. Her legs were shivering as she followed Raven to the other side of the island. Her chaotic state didn''t stop her from eating up the beauty of the place.


    The sky was dark and twinkling stars and fluttering clouds, still enhancing its magnificent beauty. Turning left, she saw a few people who she had encountered this morning too, staring at her as if she was an antique piece exhibited in the museum.


    Raven said that she would be shifting to Villain''s villa tonight because of the stunt she had committed last night. Even the ever confident and indifferent Raven was left in bewilderment when she was ordered to transport Persephone to Villain''s place. Persephone was familiar with the likes of Raven. They acted tough from the outside but were as soft as pudding from inside. She knew that Raven silently cared for her. And was afraid that Villain might end up hurting her. That was why she had reminded her a hundred times till now not to engage in any kind of argument with Villain.


    "Go inside," Raven said once she was outside the Villa. "Turn the knob and go inside. Remember what I told you."


    It also meant that Raven was not coming with her which further implied that she had to deal with Villain all by herself.


    With shaking hands, she turned the doorknob and entered the threshold of the gigantic villa. If the place she was living was luxurious and grand then she had no words for this place.


    She was so consumed by the fear and anxiety that she hadn''t noticed that the pathway leading to the Villa from the place where she was residing for the last week was standing on the ocean. She now realized that the whole villa was standing on the ocean. Turning back, she saw the flickering light afar.


    Well, is it too late to say that it was the whole ''Persephone in wonderland'' kind of story?


    "Come inside."


    Persephone''s whole brave facade shattered when she looked straight to see a half naked Santiago standing before her. He was leaning against the wall shirtless, the blue jeans were hanging on his waist. She gulped hard as her eyes trailed down from his sharp jawline to his well built chest to his sexy abs on display and then, to his crotch.


    ''Hold yourself, Persephone.'' She reminded herself. But suddenly, the air around them was too hot.


    "I said come inside," Santiago said and Persephone shuddered as a molten chocolate kind of voice penetrated her eardrums.


    "What did you call me here?" Persephone calmed her raging woman hormones before she would pounce on him. For the love of freedom, he was her captive.


    "Are you coming in or you will keep on holding the door as if your life depended upon it," Santiago said callously.


    Persephone immediately removed her hands from the door when she realized that she was indeed holding it.


    "I was indeed right. You are planning on standing at the door," said Santiago, walking towards her. Before she could realize what was happening, he had carried her like a sack of potatoes.


    "Ouch!" She grimaced when he spanked her ass.


    "What do you think you are doing, Villain?" Persephone shrieked. Her body reaction completely betrayed her logic. She forgot about her initial fear and anxiety as rage took over her body.


    "You can see what I''m doing, sweet Percy," Santiago said with a dark laugh as he settled her ass on the kitchen counter.


    "I know what you are doing. But I want to know why you are doing so?"


    Santiago raised his brows. "What am I doing, Principessa?"


    "You are shamelessly seducing your captive," Persephone said while pointing her slender fingers at him.


    "Oh? So, is my charm working?"


    "Charm? Are you sure this term could be used with you? Did you forget that Villains are wicked, not charming?" Persephone said while glaring at Santiago. She tried to get down the counter but Santiago''s body was blocking her way.


    "Does Nicolas Scuderi''s charm work on you?"Santiago brought her mouth closer to hers. His hot breath fanned her cheeks. " As much as I see he is a charming bastard, yet I didn''t see you being half as attracted to him as you are to this evil man."


    "Apparently I have a thing for wrong men," Persephone muttered. She took a deep breath and composed her screaming innuendo. "Let''s not beat around the bush. You are not the kind of man who will waste his valuable time on a mere prisoner like me if you don''t want something in return. So, Villain, what''s that you want from me?"


    "You are too smart for being a mere captive, " Santiago spoke with a hint of sarcasm."You are right I indeed called you here for a reason. Your father is searching for you all over the globe like a mad dog searching for a bone. You may not know but seeing him suffer like this brings a different kind of joy to my heart. So, Persephone I have decided that I''m not sending you back for the next fifteen days. Neither will I contact him for what I need in return for you."


    Persephone didn''t know what to say. She hated her father so much that she wanted to see him suffer more. She was a perfect daughter to him. She used to look at him like he had hung a damn moon for her. Then, one day everything changed, he killed the only person she loved more than her life-- Santiago.


    Glancing up, she noticed Villain staring down at her. She was right, he needed something from her.


    "What''s the next part, Villain?" She asked with a smirk. A smirk that didn''t belong on a captive''s face.


    "I have a deal for you."


    _____


    Do you think Persephone is a weak woman? Or do you think she is crazy that she is attracted to the person she should hate the most?

 Chapter 20 - A Deal Of Sin

    Warning: Mild R18


    _____


    "A deal for me?" Persephone''s extremely cool voice mingled with the ocean breeze, rang.


    "Yeah, a deal for you," His deep voice comes out as a growl and it was too clear to Persephone that her being in his proximity was affecting him just as much as her.


    But what were his intentions with him? She thought she knew it.


    "Fifteen days," Santiago continued. "Give me yourself for fifteen days and I will give you what you crave the most. I will give you freedom, Persephone." Seeing surprise written all over her face, he murmured."Like a free bird, you will fly in the sky. You can go anywhere on this island. I will not stop you. I will bring everything you will ask me to you. I will not stop you from interacting with people."Just as he expected, dread was written all over Persephone''s face. " I promise that I will not hurt you. Neither will I allow anyone to hurt you. You will go back to your father unharmed. Just give yourself to me for fifteen days."


    "Why?" Persephone forced out the word.


    "I will not lie to you and I hope you will not lie to me either," Santiago said, his icy blue eyes devoid of any emotion but lust was visible written there. "I want you. I want you so badly. I can''t think straight when you are in the same room as me. I need to have you to get you out of my mind. My insides lust for you."


    "No," Persephone said, pushing Santiago by her hands, she landed on the ground. Without bothering to look back, she headed towards the door. She didn''t know what came over to her when she refused Santiago''s offer. Did she want him as much as he wanted her? Yes, maybe more than him. Was his offer tempting? Very much so. But what was stopping her now? Her ambition.


    Persephone was indeed a captive but she wanted her captor at her own conditions. Villain could see her false bravery but he hadn''t seen the manipulative side of her. He had not known that as much as she cares about the people around her, she would do anything that it took to survive. Even if it meant to use her body.


    What would be the use of this stunning body if she couldn''t leave this island alive?


    Men. Bigoted beings. They function on their desires. Woman. Smart beings. They function on their ambitions. She was powerless against him. But weak? No. She feared him. Yes. But she wasn''t afraid to defeat him.


    She would do anything what it took to defeat this Villain at his own game. Even becoming a pawn in his game.


    This time, she swore that she wouldn''t be collateral damage in the war between her father and Villain.


    The cool air felt refreshing as it caressed her skin when she opened the door to step outside. She had not taken a step ahead when Santiago gripped her wrist and pulled her back. He made her look at him and asked, "State your conditions."


    Persephone just smiled. This was what she wanted to hear.


    Did she think Santiago didn''t recognize the fox within her? She was manipulative, calculative, greedy, and untrustable. All the qualities he should stay away from. All the qualities that she possessed held the power to ruin him. Yet, here he was accepting her silent condition to have her on his bed.


    But if she thought that she could control him just because he revealed his weakness to her, she had another thing coming. He might have shown her his only weakness. She still didn''t know his hidden strengths.


    "Five wishes along with the conditions you mentioned earlier," Persephone said clearly. "Five wishes like Aladdin got from the Genie."


    "So, I''m now a Genie," Santiago said to himself. "Very well. But your wishes can only be fulfilled on this island."


    "I know," Persephone scoffed. Taking a deep breath, she added,"Fifteen days for five wishes. I sold myself to you."


    "I own this sinuous body for the next fifteen days," Santiago growled as he snaked an arm around her waist and picked her up from the ground. Her legs wrapped around his chest and he connected his lips to hers while shutting the door with his feet.


    On his way to the bedroom, he had removed all her clothes and they were lying on the ground in a trail.


    Her body was plopped on the vast and soft bed. As she was catching her breath, Santiago peeled off the last piece of clothing off his body. In his full naked glory, he was staring intensely at the goddess laid on his bed.


    Moving forward, he ripped her bra and panties with a tug. To his both surprise and delight, she leaned close to receive his warmth.


    "Gosh, you are a redhead," Santiago roared, his fingers dipped into her p.u.s.s..y while her pubic hair tickling his fingers.

 Chapter 21 - Red

    Warning: Heavy R18 (Ignore if you can)


    "Gosh, you are a redhead," Santiago roared, his fingers dipped into her p.u.s.s.y while her pubic hair tickling his fingers.


    Persephone opened her eyes to look at him in shock. She had erased all the traces of being a redhead. Her hair was dyed raven black, her brows no longer matched her hair.


    "Does it bother you, Villain ?"Persephone said, her voice trembling as he started his magic with his fingers. His hot breath fell on her breast and she closed her eyes awaiting his next move.


    It should bother him but at this moment it did not. He was now a man whose brain functions were regulated by his penis.


    He had never been with any redhead. He wouldn''t dare touch them.


    As he gave a small lick to her nipple and she moaned in reply. Satisfied with her reaction, he took her breast in his mouth while his fingers played with her swollen clit.


    "Sit," he commanded and she instinctively obeyed. His chest swelled in pride as he succeeded in dominating her. Positioning her legs on his shoulders, his gaze darkened when he saw his prize. He had abandoned her self restraint and reputation for this moment.


    "I''m going to make you cry so hard by sucking right here," he told her and tongued her clit. She fought back a moan but failed miserably. "You abandoned your restraint, Red when you kissed me back. There is no going back. I bet I can please you more than your Nicolas can."


    Her p.u.s.s.y vibrated against his lips as he uttered dirty words while sucking her clit.


    Her eyes were closed, ass was in the air, hands folded on the bed and moaning profusely.


    "So good, Red. So fucking good," he murmured.


    The moonlight entering through the open window glowed on her pale skin. She hadn''t opened her eyes since the beginning. Her cheeks flushed red just like her p.u.s.s.y hair. He wondered why she would dye her beautiful red hair black. It was crazy. She was crazy. And she had made him crazy too.


    She cried so hard screaming his name and calling God in the most indecent manner when the orgasm hit her. She squirted when he didn''t stop his attack with his soft tongue.


    "You taste like heaven, Red," Santiago whispered against her p.u.s.s.y when he stopped. Her eyes instantly found his blues when she opened those beautiful green eyes slowly.


    "You are so ready for me," He told her and a rare blush crept up from her breast to her neck and finally to her cheeks.


    He ordered her to lay on the bed again as he grabbed a condom from the nightstand. She told him that she had got an IUD but he didn''t acknowledge it. He would rather take measures himself.


    "Spread for me," he commanded again. An uncontrollable animalistic feeling arose inside him as he gripped and stroked his c.o.c.k while she stared at his hands and spread out her legs for him to thrust inside her.


    Persephone couldn''t differentiate between right and wrong right now. He had asked her to be his slut and now, she was behaving like one. But did she care? No. She had lived enough years as a captive inside her house. If this captor could give her momentary freedom in installments, then what was the harm in taking it?


    She would never say no to her. She would take as much as he was willing to give her.


    Call her whore, but she didn''t care. We all have a whore inside ourselves and it only comes outside before a particular person.


    "Please," she begged as he stroked his hardness. Precum leaking from its crown like a precious jewel.


    "I love when you don''t hold yourself for phony coyness," Santiago murmured as his hips fit between her thighs and his c.o.c.k snuggled in her p.u.s.s.y.


    She closed her eyes as his hardness nuzzled against her p.u.s.s.y lips.


    "Eyes on me, Persephone," Santiago''s deep voice made her instantly stare at him. "I want you to see me how I f.u.c.k you. I want you to remember every single moment of our fuckery."


    She just realized that it was the first time he called her name since the beginning of the sex.


    The look of lust in his eyes was a sheer delight to Persephone. He was commanding her every move according to his orders. She was endangered to his masculine charm. She didn''t know but her body had a mind of its own. And that mind was controlled by his commands. He was the king and she was the slave who was here to provide him forbidden pleasure. Yet, at this moment, she felt like a queen.. A queen who could make this dangerous and gorgeous specimen bow before her.

 Chapter 22 - Not Playing Fair

    Warning : R18


    In a single thrust, he raided her inside. Her tightness made it a little difficult for him to enter but he still managed. She hitched in breath first and when she realized that he was inside her in a single stroke, she widened her eyes but it was only till he didn''t move and after that, all she did was shatter around him in soft and hard cries of pleasure mingled with pain...


    Her lips caught his as he leaned forward. Her nails dug into his back. He knew she would leave marks. And he was more than willing to let her mark his back.


    The sound of thrust blended with her moans and cries and his repeated grunts was the best sound he had ever heard.


    It was not the first time he was having sex with a woman. Still, it was a first in its own kind where he wasn''t just fucking a woman.


    He had imagined taking her many times in his dreams but none of the dreams tasted as good as the reality. The perfect tightness around his c.o.c.k, strangled cries, and lovely moans were worth every restraint he had broken for her.


    She cummed once, twice, and several times. He kept his brutal pace.


    When she couldn''t take it anymore, he stopped and fell on her body, huffing and breathless, his c.o.c.k still inside her. His lips kissed her neck and she closed her eyes in ecstasy.


    After several minutes, when he pulled his c.o.c.k, he froze in shock.


    "You were a virgin?!"


    ______


    The next morning.


    Persephone opened her eyes to find herself in a different room. It wasn''t the room where she found herself a week before and neither was it the same room where she and Villain had sex last night.


    But she could say that she was still somewhere inside Villain''s villa where they had sex last night. A blush creepy up to her face as she thought about the strenuous activities of last night.


    She had never felt so deliciously used and bared until now. Her body was tired and extremely sore.


    Looking at the interior of the room, she could tell that he had settled her into this room after she fell asleep. She understood better than anyone that she made the deal for sex not for sleeping together. So, she didn''t make a huge deal out of it.


    Realizing she was naked and her clothes were nowhere in her sight, she got out of the bed draping the thin sheets that she was using as a duvet to wrap herself.


    From the window she could see that the sunrise was about to happen and throwing the sheets back on the bed, she ran to the washroom to freshen up.


    Moments later, she emerged out of the washroom, draped back the sheet, and left the room to find the perfect place to see the sunrise.


    Sitting by the side of the swimming pool whose edges meet with the ocean, Persephone drowned her feet in the cool water and watched the sunrise with wide eyes and a very lively grin.


    She wished she had a phone to capture the surreal view.


    ''I''m finally free under the open sky enjoying the sunrise, sitting in the middle of an ocean.''


    ''I never knew that freedom tasted like pure bliss.''


    ''I do not regret giving away my virginity for momentary independence. At least, I gave my first time on my own terms to the man I wanted to. Not because I was supposed to save myself for marriage.''


    _____


    When Santiago woke up, he learned that he was asleep till 8 o''clock which was a miracle for an insomniac like him. Getting out of the room, he began his quest for Persephone. And when he didn''t find her inside the villa, a panic hit him in the gut.


    ''Did something happen to her while I was asleep?''


    He ran out of the front door to search Persephone on the island. He remembered that he had told Persephone last night that she could tour the island whenever and however she wanted.


    ''Could it be that she decided to tour the island?''


    As Santiago stepped out on the path that functioned as a bridge between his ocean villa and island, his gaze fell on the other side. There she was, wrapped in a white sheet, unblinkingly drinking the scene before her eyes, her feet splashing with the pool water.


    This girl. He was here dying in worry about her wellbeing and there she was... enjoying nature. Did she not think about informing him first?


    On the other side, Persephone had been constantly staring at the ocean.


    "It seems that I haven''t exhausted you out last night?" Santiago''s cool voice entered her ears and she turned to look at the most beautiful captor in the history of captors.


    "No sex can exhaust me to watch this," Persephone said while pointing her finger at the ocean.


    "Come out," Santiago ordered her.


    "Didn''t I sell myself to you for freedom?" Persephone asked him."Or you like going back on your words?"


    Santiago had a headache coming as he imagined what her attitude was going to be for the next fifteen days. She was so stubborn for her own good.


    "Come out or you can stay hungry all day," Santiago said while going inside.


    "Wait what?" Persephone shrieked. "You are not playing fair."


    "I never agreed to play fair," She heard him say.

 Chapter 23 - Hot Oil Splashing On Your Naked Hot Chest

    Santiago was cooking breakfast whereas Persephone was shamelessly ogling her shirtless captive. He had asked her to cook breakfast for them but when he knew that the Marino princess had never stepped inside the kitchen, he had to take the weapons (spatula and pan) into his own hands.


    "What are you doing?" Santiago asked a certain woman whose eyes hadn''t left his chest since the beginning. To say he was pleased would be an understatement.


    "Oh, I''m thinking," Persephone said, still in a daze.


    "What are you thinking?" Santiago coolly asked her.


    "I''m thinking what would you do if the hot oil suddenly splashed on your naked chest?" answered Persephone honestly.


    As if on cue, Santiago tossed the ingredients in the hot oil and it suddenly splashed and a few drops fell on his chest.


    "Oh!Shoot!" Persephone exclaimed and ran towards the refrigerator. She rummaged for the ice cubes inside the refrigerator and when she found it, she directly headed in Santiago''s direction and started rubbing over his tiny-tiny burn wounds.


    "I wish I had thought about something else. If I had known my thoughts would come true, I would have thought about becoming the queen of this beautiful paradise," Persephone muttered under her breath while the ice cubes in her hands were wandering to the forbidden area.


    "Are you taking advantage of me, Red?" Santiago whispered in her ear. His hot breath brought a shiver down her spine.


    Persephone swallowed her when she heard his sexy and husky voice. She looked up to meet his blue eyes suddenly shining with lust.


    "I-I''m not--"


    "You sure?" Santiago asked as he caught her hand that was rubbing ice on his nipple.


    Persephone''s eyes widened when she realized that instead of helping him, she was digging a grave for herself.


    "I-I Oh! Breakfast! I''m hungry, serve me breakfast!" Persephone uttered whatever came to her mouth.


    "Sure, Red!" Santiago smiled an evil smile before throwing her on his shoulder. He made her sit on the dining table and then spread out her legs."Time to have my breakfast," he said while diving to taste the hidden nectar.


    ____


    "Are you sure that you want all these things tonight?" asked Santiago as a frown marred his perfect brows.


    As Santiago had told Persephone that she could have all the things if she agreed to his deal, she gave a list of the things she needed for tonight and said if she wanted something else too, she would tell him later.


    Now after Santiago had his breakfast, Persephone was having hers. The only difference was that Persephone''s included real food and Santiago''s included orgasms after orgasm.


    "Yes, tonight!" Persephone said while chewing on the food. "And don''t go back on your words. I will be exploring the island with Raven today. I know you do not trust me to wander your place alone. Trust me, I will be fine with Raven since she knows the nook and corner of this paradise."


    "Raven?"


    "My babysitter," Persephone said to him."I had lots of them back in New York. So, I''m used to them."


    "What have you done to earn a lot of babysitters, Miss Marino?" Santiago asked her with a sarcastic smile.


    She had an urge to punch the sarcastic smile off his face. But she controlled that stupid urge of hers because she knew that this man was evil. Far more dangerous than her father and Nico. So, it was better not to get on his bad side at least for now.


    "You see, I was my father''s favorite Bambina (child). He was so afraid to lose me that he hired his beat soldiers as my bodyguards. But as slippery as I was, they still lost me," Persephone said with a perfect smile. Her lips were practically touching her ears as she remembered the scene.


    However, her smile vanished after she heard Santiago''s next words.


    "And then the slippery Bambina fell from grace."


    Persephone glared at him fiercely."Will, your black heart change its color if you utter a few pleasant words?"


    Santiago snorted at her. "What does my black heart have to do with you? You should thank your lucky stars that you will not die for the next fifteen days. Your life will be hell after those fifteen days, Daddy''s favorite Bambina."


    "What do you mean?" Persephone whispered. "You said you will not go back on your words? You liar! You cheat! You said you will not hurt me!"


    Santiago ignored her words as he caught her wrist that was hitting his chest. "Just because I won''t just you, doesn''t mean your soon-to-be husband or father won''t. What would they do when they get to know that their daughter had slept with her captor?" Santiago took a step ahead and she took one backward. "You can''t escape Nicolas Scuderi in this life. You can''t run away from Alessandro Marino in this life either. Have you ever thought about how they will treat you once they get to know that you have willingly let me f.u.c.k you? Not just f.u.c.k you, but gave your chastity to me on a golden platter?"


    "God! You are evil," Persephone whispered in a broken voice. "You set me up. You knew from the beginning that I would agree? Why?"


    "Why?" Santiago scoffed. "Your family doesn''t know this manipulative side of you. But I recognized it at first glance. You will do anything to feel powerful. Like a siren you used your beauty to lure me and let me tell you, it worked. But only until I was in a daze."


    He threw her limped body on the ground and said, "Go explore the island with Raven. I have sent a present to your father. Let''s see if he liked it or not."


    _____


    [MARINO RESIDENCE]


    "Don Marino, there is a package placed outside the entrance," A guard came running inside the Marino mansion and said.


    "Did you at least check what''s inside the package? What if it''s a bomb?" Salvatore, Persephone''s brother said to the guard before Alessandro could open his mouth to utter.


    "We did," Another guard said. "It doesn''t contain bombs or any kind of dangerous substance."


    "Where is the package?" Nico spoke in his usual monotonous voice. He had lost a significant amount of weight in the last few days. He hadn''t taken a single minute to rest his brain and body. He had been looking for Persephone in every nook and corner of the country. Still, there was no news about his missing bride.


    On Don Marino''s orders, the package was brought inside the mansion. They were hoping that it would have something related to Persephone''s kidnapping. And they were right to some extent. It indeed was sent by the Villain.


    Inside the living room, Carina Marino was standing beside her husband, Alessandro Marino. Sofia was peeking through the door as she was not allowed inside. Apart from the family, only Nico and some guards who were given the orders to open the box were present there.


    Carina gasped and broke into tears when she saw what the guard took out from the box.


    A bleeding woman''s hand.


    "That--" Carino put a palm over her mouth to stop her sobs but only if it could stop the tears leaking out from her eyes.

 Chapter 24 - Bloody Sheets

    "Stop crying!" Alessandro''s frightening voice rang in the room and everyone stilled. They held their breaths to hear his next words.


    "It''s fake," He said next and when everyone realized that Alessandro was right, they sighed in relief.


    As if at the right time, a burst of loud robotic laughter was heard in the room. It was coming from the chopped hand.


    "As always right, Don Marino. The hand doesn''t belong to your sweet Bambina. But something else in the box does. Scuderi, Marino''s dear son-in-law, why don''t you take it out from the package?"


    Nico didn''t know why but his feet walked on their own and stopped beside the package. Leaning down, he found black polythene out of the package.


    Nico''s body went cold when he saw what was inside the polythene.


    A white sheet with blood marks.


    Sofia who was previously calm when she had seen the bleeding heart couldn''t control her tears this time. She was wrong earlier. She thought her sister was taken by her lover. But no, she was kidnapped by an evil man.


    She couldn''t believe that the man r*ped her and sent the bloodied sheets to their home.


    It was proof that he had taken her virginity. And there was a tradition in their family-- after the wedding night, the bloody sheets are shown to the family as proof that their daughter was pure.


    As disgusting as the tradition sounds, it still prevailed in many societies.


    On the other hand, Sofia was blaming herself. It was all because of her. If she had told them the truth before, perhaps, her sister could have been saved.


    She was so stupid. A big idiot.


    The robotic voice began speaking again, "Oh Scuderi, I must tell you how your bride felt under me. She begged me to stop as she belonged to someone else. But you must agree that it tastes different to snatch and then taste the forbidden fruit. The sweet pus--"


    Before the robotics voice began again, Nico stomped on it again and again until it was broken and silent. His face was red, anger and frustration visible on his face. He couldn''t believe what his Persephone was going through right now!


    He vows that whoever did this to her would die at his hands. He would not stop until he brought his bride home and then, avenge for her honor.


    ______


    As initially planned by Persephone, she decided to spend the day exploring the island with Raven who was following her like a bodyguard. Yes, she was hurt by Santiago''s betrayal more than she was letting herself believe. Then again, who hadn''t broken her trust till now? She was too used to getting hurt that she was numb to the pain of betrayal.


    Still, she didn''t regret the deal that she had made with the Villain. Now that she was exploring this paradise, she slid all her feelings aside and began to hike. She was happy! Villain''s words don''t affect her. She didn''t care what he thought about her! Yes, she didn''t care about anything at all. These were the words Persephone had been telling to herself.


    "Percy, who are you cursing under your breath?" Raven asked her.


    "Just a certain Villain."


    "He is not as bad as you think," Raven said and offered a smile to Persephone. But the latter didn''t stop walking.


    "Of course, he is not as bad as I think," Persephone said, still walking ahead of Raven. "He is far more wicked and villainous than we think. I also used to believe that a man couldn''t be so evil but thanks to him, all my doubts are cleared now."


    "Percy---"


    "Wow!" Persephone exclaimed. She was so fascinated by the scene before her eyes that she forgot that her mouth was still wide open.


    Standing on the top of a cliff, Persephone could see the vast island and the blue ocean as far as her eyes allowed her to. She could also see the different structures built over there.


    She had to agree that one had spent billions in creating this paradise. But every dollar spent there was worth it.


    "What are these structures over there?" Persephone asked Raven as she pointed in one particular direction.


    Raven seemed to have hesitated before replying to Persephone. "Those are not just structures. They are kind of mini Palaces just like the one you were living in."


    "Are they as luxurious as the one I was staying in?" Persephone asked.


    Raven nodded. "They are far more luxurious than the wing you stayed in."


    "So, who lives there? I have seen people roaming around the beach. Are they the same people who live there?"


    "Percy, Boss''s employees stay on that side of the island. And please, do not ask questions about what kind of work they do or demand to visit them. It''s a forbidden zone for you. You are not allowed to enter that territory."


    "He said as long as I accept his deal I can go anywhere on this island. So, Raven, back off."


    "Percy, just because I''m treating you differently from before doesn''t mean that you can give me orders. I work on Boss''s orders, not yours."


    Persephone Long stiffened, realizing her mistake. She admitted that she was impulsive. Not everyone keeps their words like her.


    So, she just nodded at Raven and kept her eyes straight. Not letting the tears that gathered at the corners of her eyes fall.


    "Look Percy, I didn''t mean to hurt you," Raven said, calming her emotions. " I know you are already held here against your will. But not all captors are lucky to roam like you. You must understand that not going to the forbidden zone is good for you. Take my words seriously. Do not enter the territory you are told not to."


    Before Persephone could reply to Raven''s words, a masculine voice was heard.


    "I didn''t know hiking was allowed on the Island."


    Persephone veered around to find a gorgeous man standing, his hands tucked inside his jeans pocket. His dark blond hair and tanned skin were shining under the sun. This man was more attractive and handsome than any Hollywood actor out there.


    "Ah? I didn''t know Villain brought a beauty to his deserted castle," the man said, an amused smile playing on his lips.


    Raven bowed in a very respectful way. "Greetings to His Majesty, the ever shining sun of our land."


    The man''s eyes were still on Persephone''s face who was staring at him in equal fascination and bewilderment. She blinked her eyes as Raven''s words sank in her mind. His Majesty? A greeting to royalty? A freaking King?


    What should she do now? Greet him like Raven did? Or ask him if he really was a king? But what kind of King roam on an Island in jeans and shirt? And how on earth her captor was acquainted with a freaking King?


    Stop it. She took a deep breath and then stared at him with double intensity. She was an American! The proponent of the oldest democracy in the world! Of course, she wouldn''t bow to him. King or not! And she was held as a captive here against her will.


    "But you are still on my land.. A greeting to your King won''t hurt you, Villain''s captive who is held against her will like all the captives in the world," The freaking King who was as gorgeous as Kostas Martakis (Sofia''s favourite Greek celebrity) said, a playful smile dancing on his lips.

 Chapter 25 - Arrival Of King

    "But you are still on my land. A greeting to your King won''t hurt you, Villain''s captive who is held against her will like all the captives in the world," The freaking King who was as gorgeous as Kostas Martakis (Sofia''s favorite Greek celebrity) said, a playful smile dancing on his lips.


    Persephone''s eyes widened when she realized that she had said all those words aloud. "I said those words aloud, not in my head?"


    The handsome King nodded.


    Collecting her wits, she said in a very confident and haughty tone, "So, what if you are a real King! I''m not your subject. And as the proponent of the oldest democracy in the world, I refuse to greet you as the king of this freaky island which is akin to paradise on this otherwise rotten earth."


    "Is she one of the harem?"The king said to Raven." Even if she is not one, tell your boss that I have decided which one I want."


    Raven''s expression changed from respectful to that of fear. She stammered, "Your majesty--"


    "Aren''t my words clear?" The damn King flashed a smile at Raven who shrinked in fear and nodded. "Now leave me with this disrespectful guest who had taken a shelter in my land and refused to greet her King."


    Raven turned to find Persephone nodding her head at her to go ahead because she couldn''t afford to create more problems for any of the two.


    The King''s eyes narrowed in suspicion, studying Persephone.


    Thus, Raven left, leaving those two alone.


    "You said ''Harem'', right?" Persephone asked him. No trace of fear was visible in her eyes. Just curiosity and hunger for information. Surely, she knew what the word ''Harem'' meant. But what did this King meant by his sentence? Or was he talking about his Harem? She had read some historical light novels where the King used to have thousands of women in his harem to serve him. Was he counting as one?


    Only if King knew what was going inside Persephone''s brain.


    The King chuckled. "How long have you been here?"


    "More than a week," answered Persephone honestly. She had no reasons to lie. Didn''t Villain say that she could do whatever she wanted to on this island? Now see that''s what she was doing -- talking to a king in real life. Though the King had a crack in his head still he was a real freaking King.


    "More than a week." The King repeated her words in a very weird tone. "And you still don''t know what happens on this island. Strange..." Not giving a chance to Persephone to say anything, he fired a question at her. "What''s your name?"


    Suddenly, Persephone felt an odd vibe emitting from the King. She was no fool and could understand that he was interested in her and was fishing for information. King or not! She was done with privileged men. She was the daughter of one such man. And was about to marry another man of his kind. Not to mention, she signed a deal with the same kind of privileged man.


    She was about to leave when the damn man pulled her arm. His fingers gripped her arm tightly, not letting her escape.


    "Wait."


    She took a deep breath and looked at him coldly. "Mr. King, I am not subjected to answer all your questions just because you are a King of some country. If you dislike my disrespectful behavior, you are free to punish me according to your country''s laws. Even capital punishment is acceptable to me. "


    "Do you really not know the truth of this island "This time, he solemnly asked the question.


    "Truth?" Persephone crinkled her nose. She was looking so cute, deep in her thoughts that the King was finding it hard to not pinch her adorable nose. Where did Santiago bring this goddess from?


    "Is there some hidden treasure on the island?" Persephone tried her luck in guessing but damn she was not made for this guessing game.


    The super attractive King burst out laughing. "Treasure? You sure have a colorful imagination."


    "Tell me what''s your name? And where did he find you?" He seriously asked her. "You seem new here."


    Call it her colorful imagination but she felt like a goomah (who*re) who had just newly joined the brothel.


    She opened her mouth to ask him the questions which were troubling her, but before she could say anything a figure emerged making Persephone flinch.


    "I have no idea that His Majesty''s schedule is empty these days," Santiago''s voice was heard behind them. "If I had known, I would have informed your Prime Minister that His Majesty is here at my humble abode. Prime Minister Joseph had been meaning to talk to you for a few days but your assistant kept on notifying him that His Majesty''s schedule is already packed these days."


    Persephone wanted to tell Villain that it''s not how to talk to royalty when she herself disrespected the same royalty a few moments ago.


    Leave it! The pervert king deserves it!


    King Leonardo chuckled. "What a shame! I''m in need of a new Prime Minister but the same assistant told me that I have to wait another two months for elections to get a new PM for my people."


    Santiago knew what he was meaning to imply here. Too bad, he was not invited here.


    "What are you doing here, Your Majesty?" Santiago directly asked him the question. Of course, he was familiar with why King Leonardo was here.


    "Well, that''s not how you talk to your King," King Leonardo said, still amused. He was too used to his friend''s attitude. "Answering your question as to why I''m here on your island, it''s because I have decided what I want this time. Time to repay the favor Villain."


    Santiago didn''t immediately respond to King Leonardo, rather his gaze fell on Persephone who was continuously blinking her eyes at the king in utter fascination. His jaw clenched when he thought what King Leonadro was asking about. And what was so good about this man that she was still staring at him in fascination?


    "You!" Santiago pointed his finger at Persephone, who stiffened at her place. She was screwed. Would he punish him because she had disrespected the king? Worse, he would send her back to her cage and forget about their deal.


    She just knew he would ask the bodyguards standing behind him to take her from here and lock her again inside that glamourous tower.


    Why did all the bad things only happen to her?


    Why did this damn king have to appear before her?


    Why did the Villain have to punish her?


    However, she still awaited her verdict.

 Chapter 26 - Price Of Her

    "Follow Raven and she will take you to the other side of the island. You can spend your day there. His Majesty and I have to discuss something very confidential. Thus, you must have to vacate this place," Santiago announced much to her surprise and of course, delight. He paused for a brief moment and let Persephone open her eyes who had initially shut her eyes tightly as if he was about to announce her death sentence. "Would it be alright?"


    The last sentence was spoken in such a soft voice that even King Leonardo was wondering if the villain had consumed feathers today for breakfast.


    Persephone was so stunned and startled by his sudden change in behavior that she didn''t know how to react. Not wanting to mess up this opportunity, she looked at Santiago and ran towards Raven before her captor changed his mind.


    "I do not like what you just did," King Leonardo scrunched up his nose and grumbled like a child who refused to have his favorite candy. "She was what I was craving today. Curvy, petite, sassy and not to mention the attractive dark head who despises monarchy. You just made my flavor of the day run away from me. I do not like it at all, Santiago."


    "She is mine, Your Majesty," Santiago said, leaving all the ways for King Leonardo to claim his captive. She was his at least for the next half a month. He didn''t forget to add ''Your majesty'' to remind Leonardo what his title was and he should not go around disclosing their identities.


    Santiago continued as he saw a sulking expression creeping up to his face, "As for the favor, you refused to let me repay it last time."


    "Name your price, Santiago, " King Leonardo said. "Ask whatever you want in return for her."


    "She is the key to my future," Santiago said while raising his brow. "Do you think that I will let you have her? Come on, Your Majesty. I have something new for you and I am sure that you will like it more. As for my captive, she is off-limits for everyone."


    "Very well," King Leonardo said as he realized that Santiago was serious this time.


    _____


    "So, she is the captive?" King Leonardo said as he drowned the alcohol poured in the glass. He was asked by Villain to lend him some help as he was kidnapping a bride from her wedding. As good a friend he was, he made every possible arrangement for him to hide in his country.


    A good friend always helps even if it means helping him in kidnapping a bride who also happened to be the daughter of the most dangerous man in New York.


    Santiago just hummed in reply.


    "What''s the situation on Marino''s side?" King Leonardo asked again. He hated Marinos to the core and his hatred was not hidden from anyone. He knew crime couldn''t be uprooted from its roots but Marinos were worse than monsters. Once they had penetrated his country, they killed army men,  r*ped their widows and daughter, and sold their kids.


    His country wasn''t that strong back then and they couldn''t protect everyone. But now that their economy was stable and no Marinos could hurt them, he was ready to end them, especially Alessandro Marino. Yet, he didn''t mean he was in favour of hurting Persephone. If he allowed Santiago to hurt Persephone, what would be the difference between him and the monsters?


    But sometimes for greater benefits, we have to give smaller sacrifices. And Persephone Marino was that sacrifice. Collateral damage.


    "Killian is supervising the situation there," Santiago said. His sentence was enough to tell that everything was going according to his plans because the name Killian was synonymous with perfection.


    "That man is wasting his talent in New York," King Leonardo couldn''t help but say. His eyes were stuck on Killian for a long time but only if that man would agree with this great King. He was willing to offer any price to have Killian work under him, but no that talented man had to follow Santiago.


    "Where his talents won''t be wasted?" Santiago said, raising his brow. "In your research labs?"


    "Of course," The handsome king admitted proudly. He was not ashamed even after knowing that Santiago could see through him. "Convince him to join the project which will be announced after the new government is formed."


    "Why should I convince him?" Santiago retorted." Give him something he needs and see if he doesn''t agree with your proposal."


    "What does he need?" King Leonardo couldn''t help but sigh.


    "That''s up to you to search," Santiago plainly replied.


    "Prescott''s still have not announced who will be fighting for PM''s posts from their party, are you sure you don''t want the ticket again?" King Leonardo said, suggesting something. He was here for a mission not to enjoy certain beauties. Alas, a beauty caught his eye but she belonged to this Villain who he considered a friend from the depth of his heart. "My people adore you. They will be happy to have you as their next PM."


    Santiago scoffed. "They adore me because they do not know who I actually am. If they know the sins I have committed, do you think they will adore me? Moreover, I have no interest in politics. I have told you many times and I am telling you again, I will never enter politics. I''m a villain and I prefer being one instead of a hero in people''s eyes."


    King Leonardo sighed and expressed his grievances openly. "If a strong candidate doesn''t stand against Joseph, he will win again for the third consecutive time. With every term, he serves as Pm, his ego and greed increase. He doesn''t care about people now. All he wants is fame and power. If we didn''t put a limitation on him now, the consequences would be dire. Who knows if he ends up swallowing the monar--"


    "I get it. You are playing a sentimental game here," Santiago said. He sighed and then added, "I''m not the one for that post, King Leonardo."


    "I know you are not," The sly King quickly said. "But I know someone who is perfect for the post. He is older and wiser. He loves this country as much as we all do. He will be good to my people. His vision and leadership can bring a great change to the country."


    "Callum," Santiago said before the other man could say anything."What makes you think that any of the Darkhorses will agree with your opinion? Don''t you already have Nash with you now?"


    The cunning King grinned, "You can take back Nash. His beer expenditure is already a burden on the national treasury. As for Callum, if you don''t mind his involvement in the country''s politics, he won''t either. We have to agree that he was made for this arena."


    "Do whatever you want. Your country, your decisions."


    "Now Let''s talk about the goddess we left behind --"


    Before King Leonardo could say anything, Santiago held up his hand to stop it.


    "Even her topic is off-limits."


    "So possessive already," King Leonardo grumbled.

 Chapter 27 - May The Eviler Win

    Later that day.


    Santiago was sitting on the lounge chair, his right hand positioned under his chin, and eyes stuck on the two faces showing on the screen.


    "Any idea how long Nash will take to answer the call?" Callum asked for the tenth time and just like all the ten tries, Killian gave him a blank look. He neither looked bored nor happy to be here.


    "Should I give a call to King Leonardo and ask him to make Nash pick the call?" Killian asked this time, rendering Santiago and Callum speechless.


    ''Just why did I ask him the question?'' Callum said in his mind.''Someone tell his friend that King Leonardo has a country to rule. Someone like His Majesty doesn''t have any free time to ask a certain troublemaker to return his important calls.''


    Santiago looked in amusement at Killian''s face thinking how his calm and cool expressions would disappear when he would disclose why they were on a conference call.


    "Ah! I''m on time." Nash''s naked body appeared on the screen before his voice was heard. He was trying to wear his pants.


    Someone really had a good time it seemed.


    "Nash, you can change the camera angle. We do not need to see your family jewels to start the meeting," Killian said with a straight face, making all of them laugh.


    Nash grinned. "Come on, Kill. You don''t need to be jealous seeing the size of my big di--"


    "Can we start the meeting? It''s midnight here," Callum said with a yawn. As they heard Callum''s words, their eyes darted to Santiago who was quiet and watching them in amusement.


    What could he say? His brothers were his favorite entertainers!


    "King Leonardo came to pay a visit to me today," Santiago said with a deep sigh.


    Killian groaned, nose crinkled in nausea and his hand rubbing his temple. Callum just hissed as if he was bitten by a snake suddenly. Nash being Nash fell on the ground with a loud thud.


    "What the f.u.c.k does His Majesty want from us now?"Nash growled, shooting murderous looks at Santiago.


    "We do not use the word fuck and His Majesty in a single sentence," Callum told Nash immediately.


    "Like fuck we don''t, " Nash growled again. "That Fu.ck.ing King only visits us when he wants something from us." Santiago and others had to agree with him. Indeed, King Leonardo again needed something from them."He summoned me here to deal with the bunch of fucking idiots he calls his special forces but when I demand something in return, he says we should develop economical habits," Nash continued in a very grumbling tone. He looked at Villaina and said, "San, tell him to fuck off."


    "I also think you need to be economical with the word f.u.c.k, Nash," Santiago said and Nash just scowled at him. He then looked at Killian and Callum who were now deep in thought. They must be wondering what His Majesty wanted this time. To ease them, Santiago continued, "King Leonardo expressed his dissatisfaction with PM Joseph. He asked me to consider taking the ticket to the election but I refused, asserting that I''m not the suitable person for the post and he agreed too."


    Killian and Callum were taken aback by the disclosure but Nash looked as if he was expecting it.


    "Let me guess, he had a person in his mind who he thinks is perfect for the post?" It was Nash who said that to Santiago and the other two men were in awe of Nash''s momentarily intelligence. His intelligence comes and goes like electricity in third-world countries.


    Santiago nodded. "He believes that Callum is perfect to be the next prime minister."


    "Well, he is not wrong," Killian said this time, surprising the other men. "Cal is more mature and steady than any of us. We are already in awe of his leadership qualities. He has a dynamic personality. Most of all, he is eloquent. He has a way with words. King Leonardo wants him to be the next PM because he knows how much Cal cared for the country just like him."


    "Killian, it is not the post of class president but a post of PM," Callum immediately said. "And you guys need me more than King Leonardo. My life is with you guys. Can you guys see any of us leading a normal life like others?


    "Callum, life is too short to live for revenge only. We have spent almost two decades getting strong and searching for Lorenzo but our revenge will be ending soon," Santiago said in a very soft voice. "What would we do when there would be no Lorenzo in this world? Apparently, we can''t spend all our lives mourning the life we had lost. You are given an opportunity to do what you always wanted to do. Grab it with both of your hands."


    "But you guys need me more," Callum said.


    "We will always need you," Killian said. "Tell me if you become the PM of a certain country, would you stop being one of us?"


    Callum chuckled bitterly. "And you say I have a way with words, Killian."


    "Ah! So one of my brothers is going to be the next PM" Nash exclaimed, patting his chest with a troubled expression. He couldn''t imagine what Santiago was even thinking by convincing Callum to work beside the stingy King.


    "Take your time, Cal," Santiago said to Callum. "You don''t need to make the decision just because we are asking you to. Take a few days and then tell King Leonardo what you think. This is a life-altering decision. Don''t rush."


    _____


    "Did you send the package to Alessandro Marino?" Santiago asked Killian later.


    "Wait." Callum frowned."You sent a package to him? Weren''t you saying that you wanted him to be more desperate?"


    "He sent something which will make him more desperate to hear from us," Killian said with a villainous smirk. "There is no way Don Marino will want to keep his sweet daughter with the Villain any longer."


    "Just what did you send?" Nash asked seriously.


    "Even I want to know," Callum asked with a curious expression.


    Santiago''s jaw was clenched but he didn''t say anything. He reminded himself ''smaller sacrifices for bigger gains''. He had waged a war and there was no going back. It wasn''t like he wanted to back out. He did what he thought was right. And there was no doubt he was right this time.


    Nico was now searching for Persephone like a starving lion looking for food to survive. And Alessandro Marino had lost his sanity after seeing those bloody sheets.


    "It''s a secret between us," Santiago said. "The fewer people know, the better."


    Nash and Callum didn''t ask any further.


    "So, what''s the next step?"


    Santiago grinned evilly. "Now we will inform Russians that Italians want to raid their territory as they believe that Russians are responsible for Persephone Marino''s abduction. Give rise to rumors and let insecurities take birth. And we will sit back and watch a bloody match which is going to be played on the streets of New York."


    "May the eviler win!"


    What a strategy Villain had weaved!

 Chapter 28 - The First Wish

    When Santiago left his office, it was already nighttime. The moon was shining in the sky; proud and unafraid. He didn''t realize how the time was spent, cooped up in the office, planning and plotting their next move.


    All he wanted to do now was to go home and worship a certain goddess in his bed to his heart''s desires. As their conversation from the morning came into his mind, he wondered if she would show him her signature attitude(I''m--too--good--for--this--world attitude).


    "Let''s see what I will have to do to convince her to let me bury my head between her thighs tonight," Santiago said to himself as he unlocked the door to his Villa.


    Noticing that the lights inside the villa were switched off, he quietly, and with light steps, walked ahead.


    Was she not inside his Villa tonight?


    His subordinate assured him that she was safe and totally on good behavior inside his Villa. She had been enjoying the day out with another subordinate Anna, whom Persephone called ''Raven''.


    He also explained to Villain that their captive didn''t throw any tantrums as he had anticipated. And neither did she create any problems for them. But she had been questioning them about King Leonardo, his kingdom, and also about forbidden zones.


    She could question them all she wanted but she wouldn''t be getting any answers for them.


    Santiago suddenly remembered that Persephone had given him a list of things she wanted. As he remembered, he had passed the same list to his subordinate because he had no intention of going back on his words.


    Apparently, he was a villain(man) of his words.


    But he was a little curious as to why she needed those things. It wasn''t like she could use those things to run away from here.


    Sigh. That girl was a weird one. Who knew what she was planning now!


    Santiago found Persephone adorning a table in the same place where he found her in the morning. Now he understood why she needed all those things. She had decorated the whole place with yellow flickering lights. The place was already beautiful due to its scenic beauty, but with her little effort, it was looking mesmerizing.


    He watched Persephone arranging the wine bottle with a huge smile adorning her face. The full moon was shining on her head and he swore that her body was shining under the moon. If he didn''t know any better, he would have called her a moon goddess.


    Persephone Marino was too beautiful for his sanity. As beautiful as she was, she was an epitome of torment. God put her on the plans of the earth to torture evil men like him.


    "I didn''t know we had a date night today?"Santiago said with an extremely charming smile. But it was his words laced with derision which compelled Persephone to punch the smile off his face.


    Persephone blinked her eyes continuously at him. It was a habit she had recently formed. Continuously blinking at any gorgeous creature.


    As his words sank inside her mind, she calmed the fluttering feeling inside her stomach and regained her usual composure.


    "Date?" Persephone blinked her eyes again, but this time feigning innocence. Yes, she was afraid of him. But it didn''t mean he could insult her whenever and however she wanted. The days ended when she was a doormat."With you?"She asked with such an innocent face that even the devil was put to shame.


    "Of course," Santiago said, suddenly wanting to see her red with anger. What could he say, she looked extremely hot when provoked."Did you do this for me? To get my attention?"He walked towards her and she took a step back, suddenly fearing her destiny. "To please me? Tell me, Red, did you intentionally dress up for me?"


    ''What an arrogant man! Someone tell him the world doesn''t run for him!''


    Persephone quickly took deep breaths to calm her anger. Her angry nature always put her in more problems than she could deal with.


    "No, I didn''t do anything for you," Persephone said to him. "I did this for me. I want to plan a date night for myself because no one deserves me, especially you!"


    Here went her ''control anger'' talks!


    "Can you please go back?" Persephone told him. "I know what you want from me. But will you at least wait for another hour? I have a date with myself."


    "Too bad I''m going to crash that day," Santiago said with an amused smirk.


    "I dare you to--"


    "Oh, baby I love dares."


    Before Persephone could say anything to Santiago or do anything to stop him, his lips slammed into hers.


    _____


    [Around midnight. ]


    "I can''t believe you spoiled my date night," Persephone shrieked, angry tears amassed at the brim of her eyes. She was now wearing Santiago''s shirt and eating the cold dishes which she had earlier dreamed of savoring in sixty nine different ways.


    "Who was the one screaming for more and more?" Santiago said, raising his brow.


    "You are evil!"


    "I know."


    "Why must you torment me?" Persephone asked him.


    "Because I love seeing you in pain."


    "I hate you!"


    "The feeling is mutual."


    Several minutes passed and Persephone cleaned the damn table where everything started and then was shifted to his bed. Ugh. She hates him. She hates everything about him. But she loves the sex. Still, she wouldn''t forgive him for ruining her date.


    Santiago saw Persephone slowly cleaning the mess he had made on the deck area. He wanted to stop her. But the scowl she was wearing on her face was so beautiful that he just sat there in peace enjoying every curse that she had thrown at him.


    Several more minutes passed but Persephone didn''t speak to him, just quietly sat by the side of the pool. Her eyes were fixed on one place and the sea breeze was making her hair dance with it.


    "It''s late. Don''t you have to sleep?" Santiago said but got no reply.


    No, her silence didn''t affect him at all.


    Rather he was happy that she was quiet. Right?


    "I''m going inside and you need to go inside too since it''s late and you need to get your beauty sleep, princess," Santiago said again. Proving how he was an asshole.


    No replies again.


    And he didn''t care. Again.


    "Damm!" He caught her arm and forced her to look at him. She gasped as she felt a yank on her arm. "What''s your problem? I allowed you to go out today, didn''t I? Then, why the hell are you giving me this attitude? You made a deal with me Persephone and according to it, your nights belong to me. Wasn''t it just a date night? You can plan several more when you go back to your daddy!"


    "You are not only evil but also an asshole," Persephone said to him.


    "Glad you know that."


    Persephone wasn''t listening to him. She freed her arm from his hold and said, "I have decided what my first wish will be."


    Santiago just stood there silently, his expression cold. However, his usual tedium was absent. Persephone didn''t know that he stopped breathing the time she had announced that she would be using her first wish.


    What would she ask him for?


    She must know that he would never let her leave this island before due time.


    Or did she want to meet Leonardo?


    She could make any wish which would be fulfilled on this island. What if she asked him about Leonardo? She was already fascinated by him?


    That damn King...


    "Dance with me," Persephone whispered.


    "What?" Santiago''s calm facade crumbled instantly.


    "My first wish-- I want you to dance with me every night we are together.. So, Villain, dance with me."

 Chapter 29 - Slow Dance With Him

    ????Lights go down, wheels go around


    I''m taking you home


    Hoping for a slow song to come on the radio now????


    Santiago''s hand was placed on Persephone''s back when their bodies moved in sync as a melody started playing on the radio.


    Despite all his best effort, he fell into her honey trap. He knew what was at the stake. His words. He was a man who would rather die than take them back. Even if it meant he had to dance with the sexiest woman who also happened to be the one he hated the most.


    ????I''m not ready to shut it down


    The way the dashboard glow


    Is hitting your eyes making me lose everything on my mind????


    Persephone''s eyes were staring deep into Santiago''s icy blue ones. She hadn''t noticed the flecks of gold in those blue ones before. A very familiar pair of blue eyes.


    If one were to ask what came to her mind when she asked Villain to dance with her, she wouldn''t be able to answer it. She even lost one of her wishes but did she care? No. Did she regret using the wish? Hell no.


    If one of her wishes could make him dance, the way he was dancing now¡­


    Then, so be it.


    ????And the only thing I wanna do is find a spot


    Stop this car and throw it in park and get just


    Slow dance with you????


    Mesmerizing¡­


    Yes, it was the only word he could use to define her right now.


    She was so damned small in his arms, all subtle curves and softest skin. Her warmth and the natural chocolate scent were addicting and arousing. For a moment, her warmth left his body as she twirled and fell back into his arms.


    His arms. Yeah, that''s where she belongs.


    And he had a hard time negotiating with his brain that she only belonged here for a short time. Until he wasn''t done with her.


    He might not know what she was trying to prove by making him dance with her for the next fifteen days. But whatever it was, he would worry about it later.


    "Stop running your brain, Villain," Persephone whispered and the frown on his forehead melted after hearing her hoarse voice. Blood gushed to his lower body as he recalled how she was moaning and screaming his name just a while ago.


    Persephone Marino might curse him all she wanted for crashing her date with herself, but he had to add that she enjoyed every minute was it. And he wouldn''t be an arrogant bastard if he said it didn''t bring pride to him.


    "I''m not trying to prove anything here," She added as if she could understand the war of thoughts waging inside his head. "When I first heard this song on the radio with Sofia, I told her that one day I''m going to dance with someone in the parking lot. A couple of years passed but that day never came. I have fifteen days to accomplish what I can''t achieve outside of this island. So, starting with this dance, I''m going to do all the things that I will never get a chance to do."


    "You made it sound like you live on another planet," Santiago said in a raspy voice.


    Persephone smiled. "No, I don''t live on another planet. I just live in a prison of another kind."


    She never thought that one day, she would be taken hostage, dancing with her captor in his Villa''s deck of all people.


    Santiago gulped when he saw her face inches away from him, the dry uncoated pinkish lips which appeared like lotus petals to him were begging to be moisturized by the wetness of his tongue, his shirt which was hanging on her thin and frail body lifted upwards as he twirled her and a perfectly used and shaped ass came into his view, and her green sleepy eyes were looking at him as if he was some Messiah, not a villain who was keeping her here against her will.


    What a strange girl!


    Still, he hated her. He hated her for being so perfect. He hated her for making him want her badly.


    He hated her for being who she was and who she wasn''t.


    Her eyes fluttered as his lips came nearer and nearer. His hot breath fanned her cheeks which had turned cold due to the sea breeze.


    Instinctively, she closed her eyes as his hold on her waist tightened and his lips came closer to hers.


    "If you are making me pity you, trust me, it''s working," Santiago whispered against her skin seductively.


    Persephone opened her eyes and glared at him fiercely. She, then, stomped on his bare feet and uttered, "Way to kill the mood, Villain."


    He laughed as they danced on the song and shook his head when he saw her glaring at him. "Were you expecting something, Red," He whispered, against her face. He pulled her body closer to his, earning another glare from her. His lips were now breathing against her ear which was slightly ticklish to her making her lean even closer to him.


    "Tell me what do you want me to do?" He whispered sensually, sending a tremble down her body.


    She swallowed, growing hot all of a sudden.


    Growing...wet.


    "I-I¡­"


    Her curly eyelashes fluttered as she failed to form any word.


    ''Tell him you want him to kiss you,'' A voice belonging to her heart said.


    ''Don''t be so dumb. If you asked him to kiss you, be ready to end up on or under him.'' Another arrogant voice rang that belonged to her brain.


    ''What''s so wrong with ending up on or under him? It''s not every day she gets mind blowing and earth shattering sex,'' the dumb heart said again and Persephone nodded her head in agreement.


    ''Remember he spoiled your date. Not only this, he insulted my IQ in the morning. There is no way I''m going to let you fall in his alluring trap,''the brain scolded Persephone who had earlier agreed with the heart.


    ''Listen to your heart, Persephone. Your brain is evil but your heart is pure--''


    "Shut up!!"


    Santiago blinked his eyes when Persephone suddenly asked him to shut up. He was doing a fine job at seducing her, wasn''t he? Then, why must he shut up?


    "You are asking me to shut up?" Santiago asked her in bewilderment.


    Persephone twirled again and when she fell into his arms, she said, "No, I wasn''t telling you to shut up. My heart and brain are currently at war. I was telling them to shut up."


    "You just can''t ask your vital organs to shut up. What if they stopped working?"Santiago said,  too seriously.


    "You!!" Persephone glared when she realized that he was making fun of her.


    Santiago chuckled at her reaction. "Tell me Red, what do you want me to do to you?"


    "For starters, kiss me," Persephone whispered.


    "Gladly," Santiago smirked.

 Chapter 30 - Princess Giselle

    [Day Two]


    Raven aka Anna was going berserk as she didn''t locate Persephone where she had expected her to wait when she would return with water.


    Her heart was erratically thumping against her ribcage like a rampant horse running on the road. Tears of frustration and anger were accumulated on the brim of her eyes. She had to find Persephone or else what would she say to Villain?


    She couldn''t imagine the punishment that he would inflict on her if she lost Persephone...


    Surely, he would kill her if she lost his precious treasure. It was not hidden from anyone that he treated Persephone differently from other women. Though she was a captive, she still was treated better than any woman who tried to seduce Villain.


    "Where are you Persephone?!"Raven asked no one in particular. " Please be alright."


    Meanwhile, another group of people was headed in the same direction where Raven was looking for Persephone.


    Santiago''s island was private property and only a handful of people were allowed to enter. People who lived on this island were all his employees. But what kind of work they did was still a question to Persephone.


    But whatever they did wouldn''t be so simple.


    As the group of three saw an anxious Raven walking back and forth at the entrance of the forest, they stopped walking.


    "Miss Hayes, "A young man who would be in his early twenties said and respectfully greeted Raven aka Anna.


    Raven halted in her footsteps as she heard a familiar voice. She looked at the source of the voice to find three of them standing there.


    Composing her erratic emotions, she said in a calm yet strict voice," What are you three doing here?"


    It seemed like Raven was their head or something like that.


    "Princess Giselle expressed her wish to enjoy a picnic near the waterfall," The same man said with the same polite and respectful voice.


    "Did you ask for permission?" Raven asked the trio.


    "Miss Hayes---"


    "Jean," A smoky and magnetic feminine voice called out his name and he stopped talking any further.


    Raven''s eyes darted and fell on the source of the voice. Princess Giselle. No, she was not a real princess. She was just known as Princess Giselle on the island as many other princesses.


    Giselle was wearing a bright yellow summer dress and beautiful a hat on her head. She removed her hat and handed it to Jean before talking to Raven. Her bronze tan skin, hazel eyes, and long brown hair were enough to tell she was one of a kind of beauty. So alluring and seductive.


    "Boss had approved of our plans yesterday. As long as we take necessary precautions and follow the rules, he has no objection with what we do on his island apart from our jobs," Giselle said with a suggestive smile.


    Raven returned Giselle''s smile. "Princess Giselle, we all know your fondness for rules. When have you ever followed rules without getting punished by Boss?"


    Even Raven''s sarcasm could not falter Giselle''s smile.


    "It appeared that you are looking for someone, Miss Hayes," said Giselle, eyeing the entrance of the forest again. The board hung there clearly said that this place was not safe to enter. She wondered which idiot would try to go inside.


    "You guys are here to enjoy your picnic, aren''t you?" Raven asked them with a strict voice. "I must not stop you then."


    Her tone was clearly saying them to leave her alone. She could manage her own problems and didn''t need their assistance.


    "We would like to offer our help," Giselle said, stunning the two of her minions. When has their Princess Giselle ever offered help to someone? She was a well known brat here. No one dared to provoke her.


    "That wouldn''t be necessary ---"


    Before Raven could complete her sentence, Giselle said, "Come on, Miss Hayes. Boss is not on the island today. And you clearly look anxious. If the person you are searching for wasn''t important, you wouldn''t be here eyeing this death zone. We both know that I''m not as kind as my words are making you think today. I''m merely curious to see that person. After all, His Majesty left the island yesterday without meeting me."


    Of course, Princess Giselle was there for a motive. She just wanted to see what kind of person would make His Majesty restless for the whole night.


    Although Raven knew Giselle''s intentions, she still agreed to accept her help. After all, finding Persephone was more important than anything right now.


    And if she failed to locate Persephone before the arrival of Villain, consequences would be dire. Not just for them but for Persephone too.


    "Sure," Raven agreed this time.


    ______


    "Miss Hayes, where did you last see her?"Giselle questioned Anna. Her two assistants had gone in different directions and both she and Raven were going in the direction where Persephone had disappeared initially.


    "She was sketching here," Anna replied, pointing to the side of the beach. Today, they toured another part of the island. Persephone wanted to see what other natural scenic views she could find there and capture them in her sketchbook. In the long list of commodities, she had also asked for a sketchbook and some color pencils.


    "Then, she asked me for water saying that she was thirsty. I told her to wait as I had kept the water with the fruit basket under the tree. I was gone for a few minutes... But when I returned she was not here," Anna continued.


    Something flashed in Giselle''s eyes when she saw the worry in Raven''s eyes.


    "Could it be that she deceived you with her obedience and then ran away from this place?"


    Of course, it never crossed Anna''s mind that Persephone might have duped her and flee from the island.

 Chapter 31 - Bitten By Snake

    On one hand, people were anxiously looking for Persephone all over the island, and on the other hand, the same person who they were looking for was sitting on the thick branch of a broken tree with no care in the world.


    She was sketching something on white paper. A smile was dancing on her rosy lips.


    She was at peace here. She loved sketching there.


    Once her sketch was complete, only then she looked out of the sketchbook.


    However, the scene before her eyes wasn''t as beautiful as it was before.


    Fear crept up to her face as she saw a snake sitting near her feet proudly. Ready to hiss her.


    *Hiss!*


    "Ahhhhhhh!!!"


    On Giselle and Anna''s side.


    "Oh my God! It''s her voice," Anna shouted in fear. "What would I say to my boss if something happened to her? She is my responsibility. How could I be so negligent with my duty?"


    "Hey, Anna. It''s not your fault. Let''s see if she is hurt first," Giselle said quickly to console Raven who was now on the verge of tears. "Let''s go to that side, okay?"


    Anna nodded. She couldn''t think straight right now. Thank God, Giselle was here with her or she didn''t know what to do.


    "Miss Hayes Princess Giselle, we heard the scream from this side, should we enter together?" Jean said as he ran towards them.


    "Of course," Anna replied quickly.


    A few moments later, they found Persephone lying on the ground and panting heavily.


    "Percy!" Anna ran towards her. "What happened?"


    "Am I dead?" Persephone asked an extremely beautiful woman accompanying Raven in a very weak voice. "Are you an angel? Am I in heaven?"


    Anna had an urge to smack this crazy girl.


    "What happened to you?" Giselle asked as a frown was formed on her perfect brows. "You seem in great pain."


    "I was bitten by a snake---"


    Before Persephone could say anything, she fell unconscious.


    "Percy!"


    "Wake up!"


    "Call a doctor!"


    "Anna, calm down, "Giselle said, her expressions were unusually calm and steady. "It will take at least an hour for the doctor to come. Let''s take her to my wing, it''s closest from here."


    "What?! No! Boss has marked all of the wings as forbidden places for her to enter. She can''t go there."Anna was very quick to react. However, she forgot who was in front of her. The infamous brat.


    "Okay, let her die here if you don''t want our help," Giselle said while standing up. "If she is dead, I don''t have to worry about sharing His Majesty''s attention with anyone."


    Anna calmed down herself and ordered Jean and his other accomplice to pick Persephone and shift her to Giselle''s wing. The wings which were in the structure of mini Palaces were more luxurious than the one Persephone initially stayed in. By the interior of the place, it was hard to tell that Giselle wasn''t a real princess and she wasn''t residing in a real palace.


    When Raven was hovering over Persephone''s unconscious body and cursing the doctor for not coming soon, Giselle was sitting on a lounge chair watching the drama unfolding before her hazel eyes. She munched on the apple as she studied Persephone''s face.


    The young girl was beautiful. But not so beautiful that His Majesty was ready to give Villain anything to have her in return.


    She must be precious to Villain, given Anna''s concern for her. Not to mention that she was staying in his ocean villa. The place which was forbidden to everyone except for Anna and the Villain himself had given shelter to his new girl.


    "Doctor, please treat her. She was bitten by a snake," Anna said as soon as the doctor entered the room.


    Doctor nodded. "Please leave her side. Let me check her up once."


    Giselle tilted her head to the side, waiting for her doctor to confirm her belief.


    "Miss Hayes, are you sure she was bitten by a snake?" Doctor asked with furrowed brows.


    Anna nodded. "When we found her she was panting heavily and before losing consciousness she told us that she was bitten by a snake."Pointing at the bite mark on her leg, she added," Look here, she was bitten."


    The doctor took a deep breath before saying, "Miss Hayes, she wasn''t bitten by a snake. If she was, she wouldn''t have survived an hour, given how poisonous snakes are found on this island. As for this bite, it''s an insect bite."


    "Are you sure?" Anna couldn''t believe the doctor''s words. If she wasn''t bitten by a snake, then why did she fall unconscious?


    As if the doctor could read the thoughts going inside her head, he said, "It seems she has a phobia of snakes. It''s a very common phobia among people where they imagine getting bitten by a snake if one ever comes before their eyes. She fainted because of panic, not because of the snake bite."


    "Would she be alright?" Anna inquired. She was too worried about her health.


    "Yes, she will be absolutely fine. Let her rest and she will be fine. She doesn''t even need medicine."


    The doctor left soon after the check-up. Giselle was now reading a magazine while Anna was taking care of unconscious Persephone.


    Everything was fine until...


    "Who''s creating a commotion outside?"


    _____


    Note:


    (Do not read chapters titled as unedited)


    Bear with grammatical mistakes for a day, I will editing these chapters soon. Perhaps, I will be adding more content to these chapters too.


    I need you to have patience of I end up committing any kind of mistake.


    I have to upload 10+ chapters in next few hours as I will be going premium this 26 August.


    Support my book as much as you can....?

 Chapter 32 - Giselle And The King

    "Who''s creating a commotion outside?" Anna quickly asked as she heard noise coming from outside. it seemed like someone outside was fighting.


    "Did you forget our boss is not on the island and you are no longer managing them. A commotion was expected ," Giselle said nonchalantly, flipping pages of the magazine."Not to forget His Majesty was on the island yesterday. Commotion was bound to happen today."


    "Look after her. I will deal with those unbridled Princesses, " Anna said while walking out of the room.She was going out to deal with those unbridled princesses.


    "I''m not her nanny,"Giselle said but unfortunately Anna had left before she could hear her.


    When Persephone opened her eyes a few minutes later, she was surprised to find herself again in a different room. Since the day of her kidnapping, every time she woke up from her unconscious state, she would find herself in a completely different place.


    What shocked her the most wasn''t this unfamiliar room and bed but the beautiful Maiden sitting on the chair reading a magazine.


    She recalled that she was the same woman who she had called an angel before fainting. She was there on the ''death scene'' with Rave. Oh! Shoot! Raven would kill her if she wasn''t dead already. She told her to wait for her but she was so dazed by the natural beauty that she didn''t know how her feet took her to a different place. See, not her fault. Blame her eyes and feet!!


    "I didn''t expect to see you awake so soon," said Giselle, her eyes still on the magazine.


    "Who are you?" Persephone asked her immediately as she put back to guard against every stranger.


    "Giselle," She replied. "But you can call me Princess Giselle like always."


    Persephone''s mouth formed in a wide ''O'' as she heard her reply. "So, you are related to that King?"


    "That King?" Giselle''s indifferent facade crumbled as she heard how Persephone called His Majesty. She blinked her eyes to make sure that she heard her right.


    "Yeah, the same king who visited the island yesterday," Persephone said, a hint of annoyance flashed in her eyes. Although he was a beautiful man, he still caused problems for her. She was nearly thrown into that ivory tower because of him.


    "It seems you are not a big fan of His Majesty," Giselle said.


    Persephone realized her mistake soon. Did she forget that the woman in front of her was royalty like that king?


    "My intentions aren''t to offend royalty. I''m from a country where we have learned about monarchy only in our textbooks. I don''t know the correct etiquette to free the royal family members. So, please forgive me for calling the king of your land in such a disastrous tone. However, it didn''t change the fact that your king as a human is unpleasant and troublesome. It wouldn''t be wrong to say that I would rather die than breath in the same air as him, given how much of a pervert he was."


    Giselle stared at Persephone for a few minutes before bursting into laughter. She clutched her tummy with her hands to stop laughing but she just couldn''t. Tears leaked from her eyes but her laughter didn''t stop.


    Even laughing Giselle looked as elegant as the word ''elegant''.


    Persephone scratched her head before asking, "Aren''t you offended by my words?"


    Giselle stopped laughing and looked at her, "Why would I? I see why he was attracted to you. He has a thing for sass. And your tiny body is filled with sexy sassy." She paused and then asked, "What''s your name?"


    "Persephone."


    Giselle smiled at her. "Very beautiful and fitting name."


    Since Anna wasn''t here and had told Giselle to look after Persephone, naturally Giselle had to look after a certain woman who just insulted the King of their land with sheer sass.


    She asked someone to bring lunch for Persephone and her and now both the ladies were having their late lunch.


    "So you have feelings for the King," Persephone said to Giselle. She was easier to talk to than Raven who had to think a thousand times before giving her a reply.


    "No, I don''t !" answered Giselle honestly.


    Persephone gave her a look, "Come on, it''s written all over your face when you ask me about him. Of course, you have feelings for him."


    "No, I really don''t," insisted Giselle. "You see he is a King. Just like you, I don''t like him as a human being. He is a great King but as a man, he doesn''t know the meaning of commitment. He cares for himself more than anyone else. Surely, he loves his people but as a King." Complicated emotions were seen in Giselle''s eyes as she looked at Persephone with a weird smile. "I asked you about him not because I feel jealous as he is attracted but as a woman whose armour would be snatched if it continues any longer. I''m the Queen here for as long as he is interested in me. I won''t ask you for more, just don''t come near him for the next two months."


    "Giselle," Persephone said as she placed the fork on the plate. "What would you do after two months?"


    Giselle gave a genuine smile for the first time. "I will be gone after two months. My contract with my boss is ending in two months."


    "Does the King know?"


    "I don''t know. Even if he does, it has nothing to do with him."


    Persephone nodded and focused on her food. She wanted to ask many questions. But she was afraid that if she did, it would change her life forever. And she wasn''t ready for it.


    "What kind of contract did you sign with your boss?" Persephone asked a simple question.


    "You are talking as if you don''t know," Giselle said with a scoff.


    "I don''t," Persephone answered and Giselle was left bewildered by the honesty flashing on her face.


    "How about I show you?" Giselle offered. She couldn''t believe that Persephone didn''t know about the true story of this island. If she didn''t know , then she wouldn''t be here.


    Perhaps, she didn''t know as she was staying with Santiago. But still, she needed to know if she wanted to survive here.


    ____


    Note:Tommorrow I will be re-editing these chapters. So, I suggest you guys not to read them now.. Read them after 26 August.

 Chapter 33 - Tangling In The Sheets

    Warning : Mild R18


    ___


    Giselle was about to say something to Persephone regarding the contract when Anna appeared.


    "Are you fine, Percy?" Anna sprinted towards Persephone. She felt as if life came back to her body when she saw Persephone alive and well.


    "I''m fine ,Raven," answered Persephone. "I was bitten by a snake and now I''m fine. Even I''m left speechless at the rate of my body''s healing."


    Ah, Giselle forgot to tell her that she wasn''t bitten by a snake rather by a harmless insect.


    Anna was about to correct Persephone, when Giselle spoke,"Would you like to join us for lunch?"


    Anna politely refused. She then asked Persephone to hurry up and then she could return to the villa.


    "Raven, I''m not feeling well. I don''t think I can walk to Villa without resting for a few hours" Persephone shamelessly lied to the other woman. Her pitiful pale face was making it difficult for Anna to say no to her. Anna wanted to tell her that boss wouldn''t be happy to see her at this side of the island. Yet, she couldn''t say so as Persephone certainly looked sick.


    "It''s okay," Anna said softly. "Finish your lunch and then take a small nap."


    Persephone thought about asking her to go out but she decided not to do so as it would be completely suspicious. Anna had been taking extra precautions with her since the night she escaped from her room and Villain found her on the beach following morning.


    "Sure," Persephone said with a small smile. She laid on the bed after lunch and closed her eyes. She wanted to see what Giselle had to show but both of them were wary of Raven as she was loyal to Villain not to them.


    Since she only got three hours of sleep last night, Persephone herself didn''t realize when she fell asleep. A certain Villain had consumed all of her energy.


    A few hours later, a shriek was heard in the room. Since Anna wasn''t inside the room, Giselle immediately went inside to see a pale and afraid Persephone. Her hands had clutched the sheets tightly and was taking deep breaths to control her unstable emotions.


    "Are you alright?" The question was asked by Giselle.


    "I''m fine," Persephone muttered. "It was a nightmare. Yes, just a nightmare. It was not real."


    Who was she trying to convince herself or Giselle, Persephone didn''t know? All she wanted right now was to run far from here. She didn''t have the privilege to show her vulnerability to anyone. One weakness. One vulnerability and game over.


    "Where is Raven?" Persephone questioned Giselle.


    "She is outside," Giselle said quickly. "Let me call her for you"


    Giselle wished to say something to her but stopper when she saw Persephone''s unusual calm face. She didn''t look like someone who had woken up with a scream and cold sweat.


    Everyone had their ghost to fight. Persephone had hers. Giselle understood it better than anyone.


    "What happened to you?"Anna asked in a worried tone.


    "Please take me to the Villa," Persephone directly said and got out of the bed.


    Although Anna find her behaviour weird she didn''t say anything to her. Perhaps, the snake incident has taken a huge toll on her body.


    Little did they except, Persephone had watched a small fragment of her memory where a little girl with big green eyes and red curls watched a bad man tormenting a young boy.


    ____


    Back at the Villa.


    Just like last night, Santiago found the lights of the villa switched off when he returned. He initially believed that she would be enjoying her date night on the deck just like last night but was surprised when he didn''t see her there either.


    Where had she gone to?


    He checked the living room, the kitchen, and all the areas where she should be but in the end, she was nowhere to be seen.


    However, he knew one thing that she was somewhere inside the villa. His subordinates had informed him when he had entered the villa.


    In the last, he thought of checking the room which was allotted to her. When he opened the door to her room, he saw her wrapped in a duvet like a cocoon and oblivious of the chaos she had caused in his heart.


    She loves giving him heart attacks, doesn''t she?


    ''Why was she sleeping so soon?'' he questioned in his mind.


    ''Did I tire her too much last night?''Another thought popped into his mind.


    ''Is she playing a prank with me?''A voice in his head said.


    He understood that he wouldn''t be getting any answers until he asked her. So, better wake her up and start the interrogation.


    Sitting on the side of her bed, he removed the duvet from her face. Was she planning on dying by cutting off her oxygen supply? Such a silly girl. As he removed the blanket, he was shot by her bare beauty.


    He knew she was beautiful but her sleeping sight was enough to bring any tough man on his knees.


    "Hey!" He mischievously poked her cheeks. A crease was formed on her forehead before it disappeared again. Sleepyhead.


    "Red?" He whispered in her ear. "Wake up."


    Persephone opened her eyes and discovered Santiago''s nose almost touching hers. She blinked her eyes and instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck.


    To say Santiago was shocked would be an understatement. She had yet to take any initiative to come near him. It was always him who would seduce her with his whispers, kisses, and dirty talks. Never the other way round.


    Persephone closed her eyes and connected her lips to his. His eyes slid shut too as he realized what just happened. Throwing the duvet off her body, he snaked an arm around her waist and brought her body closer to him. She might have started the kiss, but it was him who was dominating it. His tongue tangled with hers in a long and slow slide before turning the kiss into hot, passionate, and devouring.


    He was supposed to kiss her as he did before; a kiss of seduction. But right now, he was kissing her as if his life depended upon it. This kiss did to him what no other kiss ever did.


    Her lips brought him on his knees, made him desperate for her touches and moans.


    Who was seducing whom? He wanted to ask but refrained himself because he knew the answer to this question all too well.


    His poking erection was proof that it was her seducing him today. And he has no control over it. He would let her do whatever she wished to do with him.


    His wandering hands crept inside her top and seized more liberty as he felt her soft mounds against his callous palm. She wasn''t wearing a bra and it was easy for him to caress her soft and perky mounds. She moaned inside his mouth as she felt his strokes.


    His lips shifted to her neck as he bit and sucked there making her gasp. Since she was the one to initiate, she didn''t hold back.. She also bit his neck and left her marks on his neck and back.

 Chapter 34 - Let Our Breaths Be Our Music

    Warning: R18 content ahead...


    With a single hand, he removed her top and hungrily stared at her bare chest. Without giving a single thought, he captured her taut n.i.p.pl.e in his hot and wet mouth making Persephone dig her nails into his flesh.


    She was moaning profusely as he fiddled with her breast.


    As his eyes found hers, he cursed out loud, "Dammit! You make me go crazy. You are so insatiable! So gorgeous! So mine!"


    Perhaps nobody noticed as Santiago called Persephone his as both were lost in the sea of dirty pleasure.


    Santiago''s hardness was poking her core, revealing to what extent he was going crazy for her.


    Persephone would never admit out loud that she enjoyed the moments when he lost control because of her. It was one such moment and she had no intention of waking him up from his daze. They could enjoy themselves for a few moments. Consequences be damned.


    "What''s stopping you, Villain," Persephone said between the moans. "Take what you want. Take what you own. Do not hold back."


    Santiago unleashed another curse as he flipped her body, her cheek pressed against the mattress. He peeled off her shorts and her soaked panties.


    In a few seconds, he was standing naked, his hardness proudly standing. He stood by the side of the bed and brought her body close to him while working his hardness. Precum leaking from its tip.


    Wrapping one hand on her hair and another on his waist, he entered her p.u.s.sy with a single thrust. She was so wet and tight around him that he started clenching his teeth.


    Persephone moaned loudly and wildly as he started moving inside her. He was fast and slow. Rough and gentle. She was going berserk with the delirious pleasure building inside her. She wanted to look at his face and watch him f.uc.ki.n.g her as if his life depended on it. She loves watching him f.u.c.k.i.n.g her. It was so damn therapeutic that nothing in the world could beat the feeling of him inside her.


    She would moan and scream when he would spank her ass or roughly move inside her or yank her hair. But she wanted more. It was not enough. She wanted him to claim her inside in the way it wasn''t claimed before.


    He pulled out before he would come inside her and unloaded on her breasts.


    Just once wasn''t enough for him too. He needed her even more. He flipped her body, making her face him before thrusting again.


    Gasps and moans were heard in the room for the next few hours¡­..


    Now that Santiago was lying on the bed beside Persephone after cleaning up the mess they had created in her room, he was suddenly reminded that the ever energetic Persephone was sleeping when he came. When he should have asked her the reason, he was suddenly seduced by her, and look at him, he had yet to cook the dinner for himself.


    "Are you sleepy?" He asked Persephone when he saw that she was lying with her eyes closed but had yet to fall asleep.


    Persephone opened her eyes and replied, "Not sure. I have been sleeping for the whole day today. I don''t think I can fall asleep anytime soon."


    Now, this caught his attention. She was sleeping all day? It was not possible. She was Persephone for God''s sake. This girl had more energy than a battery-operated sports car.


    "Why? Did you not tour the island today?" Santiago asked her in a lazy voice. "Or are you already bored with your little expedition to various parts of the island?"


    If she wasn''t so tired and mentally exhausted, she would have glared at him. The nightmare had taken a toll on her body both physically and mentally. And the strenuous activity that she and Villain were involved in wasn''t less tiring also.


    She just sighed but didn''t reply to his question. She didn''t feel like engaging in any verbal arguments with him today.


    "Why are you so silent?" Santiago asked again, suddenly hating her silence. Of course, there were times when he wanted her to shut her mouth but not at this time. He didn''t know why but he wanted to know what''s going on inside her mind.


    "I just feel like not talking tonight, "Persephone replied with her eyes closed.


    "Does it also mean that I don''t have to dance with you tonight?"Santiago asked, enticing her with another seductive slow dance.


    "That..."Persephone hesitated before answering him.


    "Ah? You are going to waste one of your previous wishes because of your bad mood," Santiago said in a very bored tone. However, he was anything but bored. "I think I should go back to my room since I don''t have to dance with you tonight."


    Santiago said in such a tone that it seemed like he found dancing with her unacceptable and was very happy that they didn''t have to dance together tonight.


    "No¡­." Persephone screamed as he was about to exit the door. "You can''t go back on your words. Since it''s my wish to dance with you every time we are together, you have to dance with me. A real man never goes back on hai words. Come back."


    How could Persephone leave the chance to make his life tough? No matter how sad or tired she would be, she wouldn''t leave any chance to infuriate him. It was like seeing him in annoyance was the goal of her life.


    Ah, poor Persephone failed to notice the sneaky smirk on his lips.


    "You chose the song until I dress up," Persephone said to Santiago who caught her wrist before she could wear the last piece of cloth that was a top.


    "What''s the need for clothes?" Santiago whispered as he pulled her into his arms.


    "You haven''t played a song yet," Persephone said while gasping for breath.


    "Let our breaths be our music," Santiago whispered in her ear as he placed her hand on her bareback.


    She positioned her bare feet on his feet and let him command the dance moves. She had never danced without music before. But allow her to say that this moment was one of the most precious moments of her life.


    Doesn''t matter what the future holds for her, she will capture all these precious moments in every fibre that makes her. She will not care about the future or past but just this moment. She would live for such moments from today onwards.


    "What does this mean?" She heard Santiago''s voice before his fingers traced the tattoo on her breast.


    "A reminder of my good times," Persephone said with a sad smile.. Although her reply was vague, it was enough to tell him that she wouldn''t be telling him anymore, so he twirled her before catching her in his arms.

 Chapter 35 - Reminder Of Betrayal And Regret

    Persephone was possessive of her Santiago''s memory. She believed that those memories were meant to be only cherished by her because no one could ever deserve his goodness and kind heart. Thus, she would never share him or his memories with anyone. Santiago was an integral part of her life. She could live him through his memories. And this tattoo was a tribute to the moments that she had spent with him.


    She would never tell anyone that once upon a time a weak looking boy with the most warm pale blue eyes and a strong heart had made home inside her heart.


    "You have my rings, don''t you?" Persephone suddenly asked the Villain. She wanted to ask him about her rings for a long time but never dared to.


    "I do," Santiago indifferently replied. It appeared as if the talk about Nico''s ring wasn''t affecting him at all. And why would it affect him?


    "Can I have them?" Persephone asked him with a little hesitation.


    "Why?" Santiago retorted with a mocking smirk "Can''t bear to live away from Nico''s ring?"


    "I''m not talking about engagement ring," Pesephone replied with a sigh. Why was this man so hot and cold? Couldn''t he just reply with a yes or no. She wished she could tell him Nico was her sore point. She hated him and cared about him at the same time. "I''m talking about another one."


    "The cheap one?" Santiago asked with a raised brow.


    What was so special in that ring? It wasn''t anything special. Her engagement ring was an heirloom and he was aware of that. Shouldn''t be she worried about the one which was worth a few million dollars?


    "The one which is not my engagement ring," Persephone replied. She refused to call that ring cheap. She knew what price she had to pay for that moment.


    "What does that signify?"Santiago asked with an evil grin.Did he just discovered his Red''s weak spot?Interesting.


    "A reminder of betrayal and regret." The words left Persephone''s mouth before she could control it.


    "You are a woman full of secrets, Red," Santigao whispered in her ear. "Does Marino know about it? Is that the reason why he is giving you to Nicolas?"


    Persephone''s expressions were that of confusion and grimace. She pondered about what Villain just called him. A woman full of secrets. Yes, she was. But why was this the reason why her father was hellbent on forcing her to marry Nicolas. This marriage would do none of them any good. She was tired of making Nicolas see her point of view. It was as if he was obsessed with marrying her.


    "Lord knows why Nicolas wants to marry me," Persephone confessed with a sigh.


    "It seems you care for him," Santiagao said without thinking. Why did it affect him if she cared for her would be husband or not? She could marry him all he wanted after fifteen days.


    "Maybe,"Persephone replied.


    "Isn''t it enough for Alessandro Marino to make you marry Nicolas scuderi?"


    "What do you mean?"Persephone''s eyes found Villain''s as soon as the words left his mouth. What did he mean by those words?


    "Oh, Red, you are so naive sometimes," Santiago said with a shake of head as if he was disappointed with her intelligence." Your father is more cunning than you. He knows you better. You know why?"She shook her head because she didn''t know what goes on inside her father''s head. Santiago continue,"Because he shares the same blood as you. "


    Santiago didn''t just stop here, he was going to shatter all the hope of running away from him or her father which Persephone had formed inside her heart. " He knows if he forces you to marry anyone other than Nicolas Scuderi, you will not stop until you are free from the unwanted marriage. " He paused for a brief moment before adding,"You have a thing for blood and chaos, Red, no matter how much you claim that you hate your father and what his name signifies. You so hate the blood on his hand. But let me tell you, Red. You will not shy away from killing your husband if you have to."


    "But Nicolas Scuderi. You can''t bear to hurt him. You care for him for whatever reason. You father as a cunning man made Nicolas scuderi a shackle for you. You can''t kill him and he will not hurt you physically which will make both of you bound to each other through your marriage. Your father is smarter than you give him credit."


    "You are lying. I can''t hurt anyone. I''m not like you.


    "I hate bloodshed. I''m not like what you say¡­."


    "You will never be free until you accept who you are. They haven''t imprisoned you. Your false notion of righteousness has imprisoned you. You will never be free, Red. You will never be free until you accept the real you."


    _____


    The next chapters are still in editing process.

 Chapter 36 - Another Villain?

    "Surprise!!!!"


    Persephone''s eyes widened as soon as she opened the front door and a grinning man came into her view. His grin changed into a grim look as his gaze settled on her face. It was almost lunch time and when someone knocked on the door she thought it was either Raven who would bring lunch for her or Villain because no one else except for two people could enter the Villa.


    The person standing on the door wasn''t Santiago or Raven but Nash. He thought of surprising--no--shocking Santiago with his presence on the island rather it was him who got the shock when Persephone Marino opened the door to the villa.


    The first thought that came into his mind after seeing a comfortable Persephone was that Santiago was f.u.c.k.i.n.g Alessandro''s daughter or why else would she be in Villain''s personal space?


    Though his expressions were now all calm and easy on the surface, his insides were screaming in desperate curiosity for juicy answers. He had to tell Callum or Killian or else his insides would burst with the intensity of the information he had now gathered.


    "Who are you?" Persephone asked, her brave facade visible on her face. She was all ready to tear apart the man if he was here to hurt her. Suddenly, Santiago''s words from last night rang in her head.No she was nothing like what he has said last night.


    "What are you doing here?" Nash asked in an authoritarian tone. In front of Persephone Marino, he wasn''t the humorous or happy- go guy. He was the Nash people feared.


    Persephone gulped inwardly but she stood erect. Her posture was suggesting to Nash that she wasn''t the one to be afraid of him.


    "I said what the fuck are you doing here?" questioned Nash again as he took a step ahead.


    Her feet subconsciously took a step back and her back hit the wall. She wasn''t afraid. No, she couldn''t be afraid of this man. Her hands found a vase and she immediately grabbed it.


    "Don''t come near me, I''m telling you," Persephone threatened him. "Villain, won''t leave you if something happens to me. I''m telling you back the fuck off."


    "Ah, sweet Marino princess got thorns too," Nash said with a loud chuckle. "Keep the vase down, princess. Or else Villain will throw you again in a dirty basement. I''m sure after Edward''s incident, you don''t want to experience it again."


    "I know you," Persephone whispered. She chided herself for not recognizing this voice before. "You are the one who poured ice water on me?"


    "The one and only," Nash grinned, took the vase out of her hand and placed it back on the place where she grabbed it from.


    Nash walked to the living room, placing his bag on the table, he outstretched his body on the sofa and switched on the TV.


    Persephone watched how he made himself feel at home. She realized that he had been here before. And why wouldn''t he be here? It wasn''t he who was a guest here but rather her!


    She studied his facial features and pondered if he was anyhow related to Villain. Both had dark and silky hair. But his eyes were brown whereas Villain''s were blue. Both had strong jaws and chiseled cheeks yet there was no trace of similarity between them. However, both looked as if they came out of fashion magazines.


    Were all the people on this island this beautiful? Just what they add in their water?


    "Why are you in Vill''s villa?" Nash asked her. His eyes were still fixed on the TV screen but he could feel her gaze studying him.


    "Why don''t you ask him?" Before she could control the words from escaping her mouth, they slid out. Damn. Way to ask for death, Percy.


    Nash''s grin deepened more as he heard her words. This sharp tongue of hers sure worked on Santiago, he wanted to add but stopped himself before the same villain would chop him into pieces and feed him to the sharks.


    Since he was getting bored here without his friend, he decided to have fun with her.


    "Go, cook lunch for me," Nash ordered her as if she was a slave.


    "You are kidding, right?" Persephone asked him quickly.


    "Do you think I''m Villain?" Nash asked her with an evil grin. "You can entertain him with your enchanting beauty for a moment but not me. If I order you to do something, I expect you to fulfil those too."


    His words sound way dirty to her. It made her feel small, dirty and... weak.


    He wasn''t wrong. She did use her body to survive. She didn''t want to die in that dirty basement. She would her soul for momentary freedom.


    All he said was right, yet why did it hurt when someone calls what she had with Villain dirty and impure.


    "Are you hearing me?" Nash said patiently.


    Suddenly a spark of courage went through her, she raised her chin proudly and corrected her posture. She would be damned before she let anyone trample on her dignity. She didn''t sign the contract with Villain to let his minions call her names. He might not have called her names but in his mind, she was just a dirty Marino and Villain''s goomah(mistress).


    "I heard you perfectly, sir," Persephone said with a smile. "It''s not like I don''t want to cook for you. It''s just that I don''t know how to. I have never cooked before. As for what I''m doing here in this villa, please ask your boss regarding this matter. I''m just a captive held against my wish. Even a glorified prison feels like a real prison."


    Nash did not make any comments. He just looked at this tiny interesting captive and let her enjoy her moment of victory. He might not know what Santiago was thinking before touching this sweet forbidden fruit, he certainly knew that this couldn''t happen any longer.


    Persephone Marino was Santiago''s damnation. And it was the truth that even Santiago wouldn''t be able to refuse.


    ____________

 Chapter 37 - Rift Between Them

    Nash opened the door to Santiago''s office with a loud thud. He threw glares at the person sitting on the chair as soon as the latter''s eyes found his.


    "What were you thinking, Santiago?" asked Nash as he sat on the chair in front of Santiago.


    Santiago raised his brow in question.


    "Persephone Marino! What the hell is she doing inside your villa?" Nash fired the question. He didn''t care who his friend slept with. But Persephone Marino? She was a death wish for Santiago. If Alessandro Marino got to know that Santiago was sleeping with his daughter, consequences would be borne by all of them. And those consequences would be dire.


    The atmosphere inside Santiago''s office instantly became sensitive. He was unusually calm and motionless, but only he knew the fury boiling inside him. His body was tense and his hands under the table were clenched in a fist. He wasn''t upset because Nash was raising allegations against him but because of the fact that he met Persephone straight away. It didn''t take a genius to know how he would have behaved with her, given the intensity of hate they had for Alessandro Marino.


    Nash didn''t even flinch against his cold gaze. He was used to it. He didn''t even care about the deadly aura surrounding his friend. Taking a deep breath, he gazed at Santiago''s hard and stoic face and said, "What the hell is going on in your head? Did you know sleeping with Persephone Marino is not a very smart move on your part? If it was me or Killian, our actions would have been justified because we are sometimes impulsive and most of the time, we think with our dicks. But you? It wasn''t expected from you. Note it down-- that girl will be your damnation."


    Each and every word spoken by Nash was true and Santiago understood it better than anyone. Yet, he couldn''t stop himself from claiming Persephone. Nash was so true when he said that Persephone Marino would be his damnation. He had known it from the moment he first laid his eyes on her, clad in a wedding dress and ready to marry a man chosen by her father. He had dragged her from the altar to hell and she had willingly accepted his hell too. This should have been his first cue to stay away from him but like a moth attracted to flame, he wasn''t able to deter the blazing temptation named Persephone.


    "Santiago, are you even listening to what I have been saying?" Nash growled. Normally, he was the one they had to give reasons and logic to. For the first time, he felt that he needed to imprint in Santiago''s brain that Persephone was off-limit. She was what man feared to be their ruin. And still, his most -of-the-times intelligent friend couldn''t see a simple fact clearly.


    "Stop barking, Nash," Santiago said with a slight spark of annoyance in his voice.


    "Do you think that I have been a dog barking at you for the last few minutes?" Nash couldn''t help but scream. Just what was wrong with this man?!


    "Are you not?" Santiago retorted quickly. "King Leonardo threw you a bone and you came to my house sniffing like a damn dog. If you wanted to know the truth, you should have asked me, not raided the place like you are some cop."


    Nash couldn''t believe his words. He shook his head and chuckled mirthlessly. This was what he thinks about him?


    "That girl is already creating a rift between us. Not that I blame her for it," Nash said with a mocking smile. "I am not here because that King snitched on you, I''m here for some work-related issues. But I''m so thankful that I am here now because Santiago, someone needs to save you from axing your own feet. Your life might not be important to you but it means something to us."


    "You came here for work-related issues, finish them and leave," Santiago said to him without beating around the bush. "What I do with Persephone is only mine and her business, not anyone''s!"


    "Sure, I''m leaving tomorrow. Not your island but the country now," Nash said, a smirk appeared on his lips.


    His words sounded like he was out to make trouble with him and Santiago could sense it right away. Santiago didn''t care what Nash had to think about him and the situation with Persephone and he was in no mood to make him see his point of view either.


    "Where are you now going?" Santiago asked him a while later. He wanted to know if Nash was leaving the country, where he was going then?


    "To New York."


    "What do you mean?" Santiago questioned him straightly.


    "Come on, dude," Nash snickered. He eyed him with an evil filing and then added," You think I will do nothing when you are signing your death warrant. Getting close to that girl is akin to signing a death warrant for you. I will be leaving the country and taking Kill''s position in New York and he will be coming here to babysit your ass because your dick has overpowered your brain and you are not thinking straight."


    "Don''t cross the boundaries that you will regret later, Nash," Santiago said in a low voice. "If you have no faith in me, you can say so. No need to drag Killian into this matter. Sleeping with her has nothing to do with the mission."


    Nash took a deep breath, "You are a brother to me. I can''t see you destroying your own life. Who you sleep with has nothing to do with me or anyone. But I can see your possessiveness over her. You don''t get possessive over a fling, man. Do not let her close to you because both of us know that she is here for a few weeks and then, she will be gone and marry Nicolas, the man chosen by her father."


    Santiago nodded." Have some faith. I know what I am doing. And there is no way I would ever develop any kind of feelings for her.. So, rest assured."

 Chapter 38 - Regrets For Later

    [ Day 5 ]


    "Don''t disappoint me," Santiago said for the thousandth time and like a good girl Persephone nodded her head again.


    "Do you remember the rules?"Santiago asked again.


    Persephone nodded again with a cheeky smile.


    Santiago sighed. Honestly, he didn''t know what to do with this girl. He had forbidden her to go out of the villa for the last two days since Nash was keeping a close eye on them and she agreed just like that. This girl was too obedient to be true. " I''m trusting you for the first time. Don''t do anything that will make me regret my decision. Do you get it?"


    "Of course," Persephone said to him like an obedient kid whose mother was going out and she was supposed to behave at home. She even listed out what she should do and what not. "Like you ordered I''ll not go to any dangerous place where my life will be put in danger. Not that you care for me, but because I am very precious to you right now."


    Santiago opened his mouth to say something but she cut him off while patting his chest and said,"Don''t worry. I love my life the most in this world. I will not do anything to hurt me. You can trust me this time. Since Raven is not on the island today and you have a very very important work so no one can accompany me. Don''t worry I will follow the map and will return before dinner time safe and sound."


    "You better!" Santiago said while walking out of the door. He turned back to see her waving at him with a smile on her face.Something about this scene made him feel warm in his chest.


    With another sigh, he turned and walked straight to his destination. He had a very weird intuition in his heart like something wasn''t right or something bad was going to happen. He didn''t wish to let her out of his sight again. But since he had very important client''s to deal with, he had to leave her alone. Plus, he has already made her stay inside his house and he knew if he asked her to stay in for one more day, she would rebel.


    What was actually adding more to his misery was that Anna had to follow Nash as he would be going straight to New York and one trustable person was needed to bring the commodities back to the island leaving Persephone to fetch for herself.


    Santiago took out the phone from his pocket and called his subordinate,"Keep an eye on her. Make sure you follow her each and every movement. Report me as soon as you see something suspicious."


    ____


    "Yay! I''m a free bird today," Persephone exclaimed out loud. "What a kismet I have!" She grinned foolishly. "No Raven to report my every movement to that extremely gorgeous Villain."


    Persephone was carrying a backpack and had clutched a sketchbook to her abdomen. She wasn''t particularly thinking of causing trouble today. It was just that when she had her lunch sitting by the side of a beautiful cascade, she came across Giselle and her troop again.


    "Wow! Isn''t it our lovely Persephone?" Giselle exclaimed. Rushing towards her, she engulfed Persephone in a warm hug. "How are you girl? Haven''t seen you exploring the island for the last two days!"


    After returning the hug, Persephone said,"Don''t ask! A certain someone had almost jinxed me but thank God he had to go back to where he came from."


    Yes, that certain someone was Nash. And it wouldn''t be wrong to say, he hated her guts.


    Later, when both of the ladies who were behaving as if they were some long lost sisters were done catching up, Persephone asked the question which she wanted to ask for a long time but wasn''t able to as two other persons were surrounding Giselle like creepy and clingy flies.


    "Giselle, do you still remember about the contract?" Persephone asked her in a low voice. She didn''t want Jean or Nora to hear them.


    Giselle scratched her head and hesitated before saying,"That¡­ "


    "It''s okay, Giselle, if you don''t want to take any risk," said Persephone. She understood way better than anyone to cause any kind of trouble for the first genuine woman she had befriended during her captivity. Still, she wasn''t the one to keep what''s troubling her inside her heart. She must lash out or she would explode. "I do not know why but I have this feeling in my heart that''s telling me that there is something about this island that I don''t know but I should know about it. Yet, something is telling me that whatever it is, it will be life altering for me. Tell me, Giselle, what should I do? Should I suppress these feelings erupting inside me and wait for fate to throw the truth at my face later?"


    Giselle glanced at her with troubled expressions. Persephone couldn''t say what was going on inside her head but she could say that something was holding back Giselle. But what? Villain? Or something else?


    Looking up at the sky, Giselle said,"I wanted to show you what that contract was initially... because I wanted you to know what you''re getting into. You are a young and beautiful woman. I can see why you are here. But you are an idealist, Percy. This place is not for you. Your ideas and beliefs will surely contradict with all of us once you see the reality of this beautiful island which you call '' paradise''. This Paradise will be hell for you. So, tell me Percy, are you ready to see this Paradise turning into hell before your eyes?"


    "Giselle, are you trying to scare me?" Persephone asked with an innocent chuckle. Even she knew that there was no way she would ever call this beautiful place a hell ever. Still, Giselle''s words were scaring her. "Trust me, if you are, it''s working."


    "No, I''m not trying to scare you," replied Giselle. "I''m just trying to make you understand that sometimes it''s better to live a beautiful lie than coming across a ugly truth."


    "I would rather come across hundred ugly truths than living another beautiful lie," Persephone quickly retorted. "This place is a beautiful lie or an ugly truth. Let me be the judge of it, Giselle. Don''t deprive me of the truth."


    "What if you regret knowing it later?" questioned Giselle.


    "I will be the one responsible for my regrets. I will never blame you.. Instead, I will be thankful to you for showing me the truth."

 Chapter 39 - Proper Disguise

    "Mr. Vitiello, I can now see why would Mr. Drake suggested this place,"Benett Hudson, Santiago''s new client, spoke with an appreciation shining in his eyes. Just like this Santiago knew that he had struck a million-dollar deal with this old man who was mourning his dead wife for the last three years.


    "I''m glad that you liked my place," Santiago replied quite diplomatically. He had been hearing the same appreciation since the time he had created this piece of paradise in the middle of the ocean. "Mr. Drake was unable to explain your taste and preferences to me. I have arranged a show for you. I know a man of great tastes like you can choose for himself."


    Bennett Hudson laughed. Even his laugh sounded like million dollar bills.


    It was difficult for Santiago to make arrangements according to the old man''s tastes for a number of reasons. His captive and the ongoing war with the Italian mafia were two prominent reasons.


    "Young man! I must say your unique idea is worth billions. You sure are expensive but your products are worth every single penny."


    "They are not products, Mr. Hudson," Santiago said with an easy smile. But the old man could sense that he had said something inappropriate. "Respect is the first prerequisite of my business."


    "I understand, Mr. Vitello," the old man said. "Now I can understand why you are so in demand."


    "It''s just business," Santiago said.


    "To you, it may only be business," The old man said. "But to your clients, you are the only one who could fulfill their fantasies. As humans, we all have certain fantasies. Some common and some forbidden. But who would have thought that one day a man would appear out of nowhere and claim to fulfill them for a temporary period of time?I''m here to find my lost self, Young man. And I have a feeling that you will not disappoint me."


    "You made me sound like a Messiah, Mr. Hudson," Santiago said a while later.


    "Well...aren''t you one?" The old man immediately retorted.


    "Quite the opposite, sir. Quite the opposite."


    ____


    "Ah! I can''t believe that we did something like that," Giselle said as soon as she entered her room and lay on the bed.


    This girl! She was a trouble! Yes, this beautiful and innocent girl, namely Persephone, was walking and talking definition of trouble. She first persuaded her to tell her the entire truth. And when Giselle agreed, she convinced her to take her to her wing as she would like to see that contract straight away.


    Since Persephone knew quite well that Villain''s men were keeping an eye on her every movement through CCTV cameras which were positioned on every nook and corner of the island. She coaxed Giselle to let her disguise as Nora as both of them shared the same height and figure.


    At first Giselle was reluctant to agree to this bizarre and dangerous idea, but Persephone managed to persuade her with her impeccable persuasion and negotiation skills.


    Nora and Persephone exchanged their clothes first. Nora kept her hair usually open and it gave her a chance to hide her face behind her bangs. While the other girl just had to sit by the side of the cascade and pretended to sketch quietly.


    And it seemed that this plan of hers actually worked as none of the guards stopped them while coming to Giselle''s place.


    "So, should we start?" The ever-energetic Persephone asked her.


    "Wait for a moment. Let me catch my breath," Giselle said while huffing. "My heart is beating so fast that I am afraid that I can come out of my ribcage any moment."


    "Ah?"Persephone looked at her weirdly. " Are you sure your heart is not running because of my


    beauty?"


    Giselle rolled her eyes. "Not only are you a trouble but also a narcissist."


    Persephone grinned but she didn''t refuse her words. Of course, she caused a lot of trouble for her. But what could she do when curiosity was taking the best out of her?


    "Okay, let''s not waste your time," Giselle said to her. She was more worried about Nora now. That poor assistant of hers would be punished severely if she got caught." I know that you have been curious to see what kind of contact I have signed with my boss. Right? I will tell you that there are two types of the contract. I can''t make you understand the severity of it just by texts. So, I have decided to show you what actually goes on this island. Because sooner or later you will be one of us."


    Persephone was so desperate to know the truth that she didn''t tell her about her truth. About who she was. Why was she on the island. And what was her relationship with the Villain.


    Perhaps, Persephone didn''t understand the gravity of the trouble she had created for her until now. She didn''t realise that she had already broken the trust that Santiago had bestowed upon her.


    All the progress that they had made would be undone. They would be back to square one.


    "Giselle, I''m ready," Persephone said. "I think that I have never been more ready than today. Let me see what makes you think that I won''t be able to take it."


    "I hope you won''t regret it,"replied Giselle. She still wished for Persephone to back out . But she knew that she wouldn''t. She was too proud to back out though her heart was telling her too.


    Persephone just smiled.


    With a sigh, Giselle stood up. She clapped once and Jean came in with two different outfits.


    "This¡­"Persephone''s eyes were confused.


    "Disguise,"Giselle said. "You can''t go there without proper disguise. Boss won''t be happy if he saw you there."


    "You think he would be there?"questioned Persephone with quirked brows.


    "Yeah, I have heard that a client has come this afternoon and the boss is busy entertaining him,"replied Giselle.


    "Let''s change into these clothes first."

 Chapter 40 - The One In Red Dress

    Warning: Uncomfortable content ahead...


    Persephone saw her reflection in the oversized mirror standing in front of her. Right now she was standing in Giselle''s walk in closet, wearing an outrageous red colored dress.


    One would say she was exaggerating when she said that she was wearing an outrageous dress. Let her tell you what she was wearing; it was an Egyptian styled belly dancer dress. Yes, you guessed it right. The type of dress you see belly dancers shaking their perfectly flexible booty. Same silted skirt with a shimmering belt and a little almost-transparent-blouse. When she said little, it literally meant little, which was barely hiding her nipples.


    If Alessandro Marino saw her rocking this slutery dress, he would pluck out the eyes of every man who had made the grave sin of watching his daughter in something this much inappropriate.


    "Do you memorize the dance steps I taught you?" Giselle appeared wearing the same kind of dress. This woman could look beautiful even in something made up of a sack.


    "Giselle, I''m not as flexible as you," Persephone scoffed. She adjusted the mask on her face that came with the dress. It was metallic but was looking gorgeous on her now tanned delicate face.


    "Let''s get it over with!" Giselle said and took her hands to leave the room.


    They had to leave it now or later. So, why not now?


    ____


    "What kind of place is this?" Persephone asked, too horrified. There were around ten more women dressed like them. The place where they were standing now completely resembled the place where models get ready during a fashion show. One could see the same level of enthusiasm in their eyes. The same kind of buzzing energy. She was too bewildered. Too fascinated. And oddly too horrified.


    "You will see in the next five minutes," Giselle said while tightening her hold on Persephone''s hand. She hadn''t realized that she was clutching her hand too tightly due to nervousness. She was feeling as if she was about to commit a crime. She might not be committing a crime but she damn well was going to break a rule. A rule which would surely get her in trouble.


    "You are nervous, Gis," Persephone said to her with a smile. Although her smile was hidden behind the mask, Giselle could feel it through her sparkling eyes.


    "Promise me one thing," Giselle whispered, her hands still clutching Persephone''s. Looking at the sudden change in energy backstage, she could tell that the time had come. And there was no going back now. "No matter what you see inside. Do not react. Keep dancing. Five minutes. Remember if you can''t bear to stay there. Wait for at least five minutes before coming back. Again, do not react, Persephone. If you lose control, you will get caught. And if you get caught¡­. You don''t want to fathom the consequences."


    "Giselle!"


    "Giselle!"


    "Giselle," Persephone whispered a little louder this time. She shook Giselle''s trembling body and murmured,"You are shaking, Gis. If you don''t want to do it, we can go back. We don''t have to do this. Let''s go back."


    Yes, they should go back. Persephone doesn''t want to see all this. She could know all later. When she was ready¡­.


    "3¡­"


    "2¡­"


    "1¡­"


    And just like this, the door to the pandora opened. Even if they wanted to back out now, they just couldn''t.


    "We can do this," Persephone said and Giselle nodded. They were the last one to enter the grand door.


    The first thing that Persephone noticed just as she entered behind Giselle was a certain blue eyed man sitting on a lounge chair in a regal posture, very similar to Alessandro Marino¡­ No, he was not her father. He was different. She could just feel it. As the scene in the room became clearer, a man who was probably in his fifties became visible to her. He was sitting beside Villain, grinning at everyone.


    But what was he grinning at?


    Seconds later, she took the position, she had her answer.


    Her eyes moved to Giselle''s who was staring right back at her. Pleading her to keep dancing. Not to give a reaction. Not to create a scene. So, she did what she was supposed to do there.


    She chose to do this, didn''t she?


    Giselle was right. She should have just lived the beautiful fantasy that Villain had given to her as pity.


    Shell shocked, Persephone kept on dancing and taking in everything that was happening in front of her eyes.


    Several voluptuous women dressed in nothing but diamond LED bras, thongs and high heels kneeled in front of the old man. Some showing their barely covered spilling boobs. Some teasing him. Some trying to openly seduce him.


    This was far from what Persephone had expected. Never had she ever fathomed to be involved in such a sick activity.


    What hurted her the most wasn''t these screwed up or sick activities but the owner of this island.


    The man she was currently sleeping with.


    Her damned captor.


    Suddenly, some women sauntered before Villain, shamelessly seducing him. And he did nothing to stop them. Instead, he just sat there keeping his eyes fixed on the old man.


    Something snapped inside her. She had an overwhelming urge to pull out their hair and threw these horrendous and shameless sluts out of the room. But she had forgotten that she had disguised as one today.


    A signal from Villain, and the women moved into action.


    Persephone might be dancing in sync with all those dancers, but her gaze couldn''t be removed from his face. He was sitting there between naked women so unfazed that she had a dire urge to shake him and ask him what had she done to get hurt by him in the worst way? Then again, what rights did she have to ask him questions when she had brought this on herself?


    As if it wasn''t a torture already, someone flocked near the old man, touching him at the most preposterous places one could think touching a man of your father''s age but only one woman stayed by Villain. She ran her hand seductively over his chest trailing to his chiseled jaw. The flash of her fucking LED bra was flashing on his gorgeous face.


    She didn''t stop and neither did he stop her.


    Her movements grew unbrazen every passing second.


    As she was about to undo his shirt buttons, she felt a tug on her hand clearing telling her to fuck off.


    It was clear to the woman that she had wasted her efforts on him.


    When Persephone''s eyes were fixed on Villain''s face, someone else was eyeing her body with a great appreciation and affection. He was no one else but Bennett Hudson.


    Leaning to Santiago''s side, he said, "You arranged the show so that I could choose which one I want, right?"


    Santiago''s diplomatic smile did not waver. "Of course."


    "Then, I chose the one in the red belly dress at the corner," Bennett Husdon said, much to Santiago''s greatest shock.


    He didn''t need to remove bee fucking mask to recognise her. He could recognize her anywhere. With any disguise on. For fuck sake, he had learnt all the curves and edges of her body. From the way she smelled to the way she breathed was etched in his mind like that tattoo drawn on her chest.


    And the next lines that Bennett spoke just flipped his world upside down.


    "I want her, Mr. Vitello. The one in the red dress. Any price I''m willing to pay you. I just want her."


    ____________


    Sneak Peak for locked chapters.


    ___________


    "Oh my God!! You are a monster," Persephone shouted, pushing him away from her. She couldn''t believe what she just saw. "I trusted you! Dammit! You broke my trust. Never in my wildest dream had I ever fathomed that this would be the reality of this island! How could you do this to me! You were just playing with my emotions! Don''t you feel any shame?!"


    Persephone''s eyes turned red. Tears were uncontrollably shedding down her cheeks. She was devastated. Another betrayal. Another heartbreak.


    "I never claimed to be a hero, Persephone. I told you the first day I saw you that I will break you," Santiago said indifferently. "Look what I have done to you. I have broken you, Persephone Marino. I did what I told you. I never asked for your trust. You bestowed it on me as a charity."


    ______


    "What are you doing here Killian?"


    "Babysitting your ass, Santiago. What crawled up to your ass that you think fucking Marino''s daughter was a good idea?"


    "Get out. Don''t preach, Kill. I''m not in the mood to hear your criticisms."


    "Tell me, Santiago, do you have any kind of feelings for her? If, by any chance, you have developed any, get rid of them or¡­"


    "Or what Killian?"


    "Or I will kill here with my own hands. Because our mission is more important than any Persephone, especially one which is not your real Persephone. Can''t you see she is Marino''s daughter, not the one you were looking for?"


    "Touch her and see what I do to you."


    "You are making a mistake, Santiago."


    "I don''t care."


    _____


    Persephone looked back one last time before bidding goodbye. ''Told you, Villain. No one can keep me here against my wishes. I''m running away. Catch me if you can."


    ____


    "Sir!"


    "What happened?"Santiago asked quickly.


    "Miss Persephone ran away."


    ____


    Nicolas sprinted as he received the news he had been waiting for weeks.


    "Don Marino! We found Persephone. She is on a Island in Europe."


    ____


    "War. Get ready for the war," Alesandro ordered his soldiers. "Russians have infiltrated our territories. A war is on the way!!"


    ____


    "I have decided what my last wish would be?" Persephone whispered as she glanced at Villain. His face was covered in a mask and a few meters away Alesandro Marino was standing with his son Salvatore, Nicolas and Lorenzo.


    They will be exchanging Persephone for Lorenzo today. It was also Persephone''s last day with Villain.


    "What?" Villain asked her.


    "Would you fulfill my wish, Villain?" Persephone asked him hopefully.


    "Have I ever gone back on my words?"


    "No," She smiled. "So, my wish is --- Tell me your real name, Villain."


    Santiago hesitated before saying,"Santiago Vitello."


    _____


    Hello, My dear readers, we are going premium meaning the next chapters will be locked. I hope you guys will keep on supporting me and locked or paid chapters won''t dissuade your enthusiasm for the next chapters.


    The above are the sneak peaks for the next few chapters.


    I wanted to make one thing clear to you guys-- the island volume or Persephone''s time with Santiago as his captive will be finalized in the first hundred chapters. The real love story will start after Persephone will be back in New York which will be volume 2.


    I know you guys think Santiago is an asshole and he really is one. He is not some glorified Villain but a real one. I don''t regret writing an anti-hero or a villain.


    Are you guys ready to see to what extent he will be ready to go for his Persephone? Let''s join me in this journey and check out Santiago''s and Persephone''s love story.


    I love you guys a lot.. Thank you for your constant support. ?

 Chapter 41 - Deceived From The Beginning

    Persephone winced in pain when she felt Santiago''s grasp on her arm. The goosebumps she felt when he glanced at her with those dark eyes. She would not show him that she was afraid of him. No, she would not show him.


    "I told you not to break my trust, didn''t I?" Santiago said while Persephone struggled to break his grasp. "I knew from the beginning that I will regret trusting you, yet I gave you a chance. But look at you¡­"


    "You are a monster," Persephone told him. "You are trying with the lives of innocent girls for money. You are not the man I thought you were. I can''t even express in words, how much you disgust me?"


    "Aye, I disgust you now? Don''t you feel disgusted when you kiss me or let me f.u.c.k you?" Santiago had lost all of his senses when he saw her where she wasn''t supposed to be. She said that she was disgusted by him? Very well. She could be disgusted with him for all she cared.


    "Oh my God!! You are a monster," Persephone shouted, pushing him away from her. She couldn''t believe what she just saw. And he didn''t even feel an ounce of guilt? Just what kind of monster was he? "I trusted you too! Dammit! You broke my trust too. Never in my wildest dream had I ever fathomed that this would be the reality of this island! How could you do this to me! You were just playing with my emotions! Don''t you feel any shame?!"


    Persephone''s calm facade crumbled down. Tears were uncontrollably shedding down her cheeks. She was devastated. Another betrayal. Another heartbreak.


    "I never played with your emotions, " Santiago said while staring at her crying face. He clenched his hands in a fist to stop himself from wiping those tears. Even vulnerable, she looked as gorgeous as the goddess that she was. He never wished to hurt her emotionally. "Emotions were not part of the deal I made with you. And you say that I broke your trust? When have I broken your trust when I give you no such signals? Did I ever tell you what happens here? No, I didn''t. And it was for this reason. As for what you saw inside -- it''s business and I will not be ashamed of something which is feeding me and a thousand more people."


    "What''s the difference between you and my father then? You are just like him. Hurting people for your own advantage," said Persephone, glaring through her tears.


    Santiago gripped her shoulders and forced her to look at him."Why the comparison, Persephone Marino? Why the fucking comparison between me and Alessandro? You knew from the very beginning that there was no difference between us. You blame me for all the bad things I do. For once, why don''t you blame your father for making me what I''m today? To beat him at his own game, today I have to become just like him. So, don''t you fucking compare us again."


    His icy blue eyes were melting not because of warmth but rage. Taking shallow breaths, he controlled his rage. He didn''t want to hurt her in any condition. She was precious to him. Yes, she was precious to him just because she was gonna be exchange for Lorenzo in the future. Plus, he was not the man who would ever hurt any woman physically.


    But it didn''t mean he wouldn''t punish her for defying his orders. Persephone Marino would learn what it meant to defy or provoke this Villain.


    "Why are you doing this?" She asked him in a whisper. "Why must you be a bad man? If you are not a bad man, why don''t you seek redemption, Villain?"


    Santiago stared at her as if she had grown horns. "After calling me names for the unethical business that I do, you wish for me to seek redemption? Are you crazy or what? Do you think I''m the type of man who has lost his way? To clear all your impressions of me which say that I am a ''good man'' let me tell you, I chose this life for me and the people following me. I don''t care what you call me or what you think of me."


    He didn''t just stop there, he made all the doubts running in her heart true. Santiago Vitello was a villain thorough and thorough. There was no redemption for a man like him.


    "Do you know why I''m here talking out with you in this scorching heat?" Santiago contained, oblivious to the storm raging in her heart. "The man inside wants you. He is ready to give anything to have for a brief period."


    And this broke Persephone''s heart. However, she didn''t cry, she just sadly smiled.


    "You want me to go to him, Villain?" Persephone asked him in a soft voice as if she wasn''t the one who was cursing him a moment ago. "Or would you like to play hero this time?"


    "I never claimed to be a hero, Persephone. I told you the first day I saw you that I will break you," Santiago said with an indifferent expression. Only he knew what was the effect of her words on him.


    ''Look what I have done to you. I have broken you, Persephone Marino. I did what I told you. I never asked for your trust. You bestowed it on me as a charity.''


    ''But why do your crestfallen expressions make me want to destroy this world?''


    ''Just what have you done to me?''


    "Villain!"


    Persephone called out his name in a soft voice. He looked up to see her staring blankly behind him.


    "Let''s not see each other''s faces until the day you decide to send me back to my father."


    "You are forgetting the deal you made with me," Santiago said in a hard voice.


    "Deal? You get to deceive me from the beginning. And I don''t get to avenge myself by breaking the damn deal?" Persephone said with a light snicker. "But if you still don''t agree, feel free to force yourself on me. After all, it''s your territory and I am a weak and frail woman at your mercy."


    "Get out of my sight, woman. I wish never to see your face."


    "Trust me, you won''t."

 Chapter 42 - Coward Or Strong?

    A few hours later¡­


    Persephone was sitting on the edge of the oversized window facing the ocean when the lights suddenly went off. Looking out of the window, she realized that it wasn''t just the villa which was facing the electricity issue, instead the whole island had plunged into the darkness.


    Thankfully, she was not afraid of darkness. Or else she would have died here in this dark and lonely place.


    ''Five minutes,'' Persephone said to herself. ''I have five minutes to get out of here if I want to leave this hell.''


    Villain might have saved her from the hell Nicolas was about to put her in, but he gave her more pain than the latter.


    Until this day, she had never thought that she would ever try to escape from him but today, he had left her with no other option instead of fleeing.


    She had no idea why Villain sent her back to the villa when he could have locked her anywhere on this island.


    [Sorry, Villain. I have to leave now or I would never be able to face myself. As much as I hate you, I still love myself more.]


    Call her coward but she didn''t care. At the end of the day, he proved to her that he was her captor, her tormentor, not her ally, or worse her well-wisher.


    All the care and tenderness that he had bestowed on her had been nothing but a cruel faux like her boldness.


    Taking advantage of the darkness, she left the villa and reached the area where the way to different wings started. She took deep breaths before closing her eyes and tried to remember the way to the port.


    Oh, you think she was only exploring the island for the past few days? Come on, she had Marino blood flowing through her veins. No matter how much she hated Marinos, she would always appreciate the intelligence that was passed on to her by her father.


    "Hurry up, we are leaving in five minutes." Persephone heard a man speak in Sicilian as soon as she made her way to the port area while saving herself from getting caught. She had successfully dodged several flashlights on her way. Perhaps, Heaven was on her side today.


    [Ah, I should take Papa to force me to learn Sicilian. Although it was mainly because,


    Nico''s side of the family was from Sicily...still I am not stingy with gratitude. ]


    "Don''t you think man we should wait for light to come first?" Another man shouted.


    "Are you crazy?! Boss asked us to leave at the exact time no matter what calamity had befallen us. We must reach there on time," Third man who came with a huge flashlight spoke, but still not enough to see Persephone hiding behind them.


    "Load the barrels now, Georgy." Persephone heard them say. "We don''t have fucking time to waste especially when American Navy is after our asses."


    "But how are we supposed to load the barrels when the stupid Caro placed empty and field barrels together?"


    "For once use your damn brain, Georgy. Even a dumb one knows that a filled barrel is heavy and empty is not," Caro growled as he came to punch this sorry excuse of a human being. Georgy had been trying to provoke him for a long time now. He must teach him a lesson now.


    Their leader grasped Caro''s shoulder in order to stop the childish fight. Taking advantage of the situation, Persephone decided to hide inside one of the empty barrels.


    It was a stupid plan and she knew it. If she got caught at their hands, she would face the most brutal aftermath. But if she didn''t try to run from here, she was going to regret it for the rest of her life.


    Even if she died of lack of oxygen supply inside the empty barrel, she would not come out until she left this island for one and for all.


    ______


    "Did you find the reason for the sudden electricity shutdown?" Santiago asked his subordinate. He had assigned a very important task to his men when the whole island suddenly tumbled into darkness.


    "Boss! It''s a nationwide electricity outage," His subordinate replied. "And since we were using the generators during the day, we are out of fuel now. The solar system is not working too due to some technical problems."


    It was said that the country was facing some issues related to power supply for a few months due to the upgrade in the system and the prime minister had been ignoring it because of incoming elections. But who would have thought that the problem was so dire?


    More reasons to get rid of the prime minister!


    And persuade Callum to think over Leonardo''s suggestion!


    "Make sure the boys reach their destination without any hitch," Santiago said while remembering the mission which still couldn''t be stopped due to a sudden power outage.


    It was not easy to get their hands on some high-quality petrol. But since those fuckwads plundered oil in his territory and without his permission, he stole back from them. Even if it was going to cost him his life if he got caught.


    But for money, he was willing to take any risk. After all, it was only money which would never betray you. And he and King Leonardo were going to make a lot of money from this bargain.


    "Should we inform His Majesty that the ship has retired to the destination?"


    Santiago nodded. "Inform him as soon as possible. And also make sure, the boys won''t end up killing each other before completing the mission."


    "Sure, boss! Any other order?"


    Santiago took a moment before saying, "Inform Alpha and Beta to guard my Villa. And make sure, she is alright. I want her in one piece. No harm should be done to her."


    As for her punishment, he would think about it later.


    And if his Red thinks that she could get rid of him so easily, then she has another thing waiting for her.


    ____


    Note:


    We will be setting monthly missions yay!


    100 top fans and 400 collections -- 2daily chapters + 5 extra chapter at the end of the month

 Chapter 43 - Leave The Island

    [ Day 6 ]


    No one had any idea that Persephone had escaped from the island last night when everyone was anxiously running here and there due to sudden power outage. One could call it fluke or a blessing of the heavens depending upon their belief.


    The guards who were standing outside the villa didn''t dare to go in and check up on Persephone as no one was allowed to enter Santiago''s ocean villa.


    Due to their misconceptions and lack of communication, Persephone had run away from their clutches.


    Ah, what a game heaven was playing with our Santiago and Persephone?


    But this question troubling this author-- Was Persephone safe wherever she was right now? Or she had fallen in bigger danger than the Villain?


    ____


    On Santiago''s side.


    The knock on the door stirred Santiago from his sleep.He had his head placed on the top of the table, his neck was stiff and his head was aching badly due to lack of sleep. Thankfully, this time he could say that it was not his little captive responsible for his sleepless night but work.


    Again, someone was pounding on the door heavily.


    Rubbing his eyes, Santiago got up from the chair and went to unlock the door to allow whoever was knocking on his office door to come in.


    Opening the door, he unlocked the cellar and brought out a whiskey bottle out of it.


    "You are not drinking this directly after waking up."


    Shell shocked, Santiago veered around to find Killian leaning against the door, his hands tucked in his pockets, hair disheveled and eyes red.


    ''Nash! You fucking snitch!''


    "What the hell are you doing here, Killian?" asked Santiago as soon as he got out of shock. Well, more like growled instead of asking.


    Killian snickered as he realized that his friend was not very pleased to see him right here. Well, he could share his opinions all he wanted as long as he promised to keep his dick a mile away from Persephone Marino.


    "Can''t you see?" Killian said suggestively. "I''m here to babysit your grown up ass."


    With this said, Killain picked up his bag which Santiago failed to see until now and then placed it on the table. And poured a glass of whiskey from the same bottle which Santiago had taken out from the cellar.


    "Killian,I''m asking you once again what are you doing here?" Santiago asked him. "Because as much as I know, you do not like the idea of spending a second of your precious time here on this island?"


    To be honest, Santiago had not taken Nash''s words seriously when he said that he would ask Killian to come here and keep an eye on him. He thought Nash was just bluffing. But who would have thought that the asshole was not bluffing this time! He literally called Killian and snitched on his little affair.


    "Just like I said before-- babysitting your ass, Santiago. What crawled up to your ass that you think fucking Marino''s daughter was a good idea?"


    Killian''s voice was so indifferent while asking the question that one would not imagine that he was seething in anger this time. This mission wasn''t just for Santiago, he had a very huge part in it too.


    "Get out. Don''t preach, Kill. I''m not in the mood to hear your criticisms."


    If Santiago thought that pouring his frustration on Killian would stop the latter from saving him from the grave mistake he was about to commit, then he was wrong. Very much wrong.


    "What a coincidence! I''m also not in the mood to criticize your actions. I''m just here to protect you from dying," said Killain as he took a sip of his drink and sat on the chair.


    "Tell me, Santiago, do you have any kind of feelings for her? If, by any chance, you have developed any, get rid of them or¡­"


    "Or what Killian?" Santiago''s words were supposed to intimidate Killian but too bad, he was nonchalant to his intimidation.


    "Or I will kill her with my own hands," Killian said seriously. He would not flinch while killing her. He admits killing the girl was not part of the plan.but if her death could save Santiago from going berserk, then so be it. He took a deep breath before adding," Because our mission is more important than any Persephone, especially one which is not your real Persephone. Can''t you see she is Marino''s daughter, not the one you were looking for?"


    "Touch her and see what I do to you." Hearing from Killian''s mouth that he would kill her broke something inside him. Yes, he hated her but not enough to see her die. Hell, he was so pathetic that he couldn''t see her hurt. And neither did he possess the power to hurt her. Wasn''t it the season why Persephone Marino was still in his Villa not locked somewhere? He wouldn''t admit that he had been delaying her and Giselle''s punishment.


    "You are making a mistake, Santiago."Killian could not take it anymore.


    "I don''t care."


    Taking deep breaths, Killian said to Santiago sit and he agreed.


    "Tell me if you are believing Persephone Marino as your Persephone?" Killian seriously asked his friend.


    Santiago paused before closing his eyes. He imagined a young girl with the most chubby cheek and those big green eyes hidden by her red curls laughing with him even at her worst. Then, he imagined her tending to his wounds while blowing on them believing it would lessen his wounds. She was his sunshine in dark days. An angel for whom he would do anything to see her smile at him just for once more.


    Then, his thoughts went to a woman with long dark hair and piercing green eyes which told him the stories of her deception.


    No, he was not thinking of both of the Persephone''s as one.. If Persephone Marino was his Percy from his childhood ,then God save Nicolas or Alessandro from his wrath.

 Chapter 44 - Make Her Life Hell

    Three words. Yes, three freaking words. If someone were to tell Santiago that one day three words were going to change his life, he would have chopped you off into tiny tiny pieces and then fed your now mashed flesh to whales.


    But Fate, the cruel bitch would pull the carpet from under your feet when you would not expect it and you wouldn''t even realize until you had fallen on the floor, and the pain in your ass was the proof of your flipped destiny.


    Like those romantic / cliche stories, those three words were not '' I love you'', ''I miss you'' or even ''I hate you'' but...


    "Sir, she escaped."


    Yes, you absolutely guessed it right. Persephone Marino had successfully run away from his clutches. But the suffering on Santiago''s face was not that of a captor who had lost his precious captive but that of a lover who was still unaware of the fact if his beloved was alright or not.


    However, Santiago being Santiago would never admit that he had started feeling something for Persephone even to himself. This was because he was still unaware of the changes happening to him. But these changes were not enough to make him show his redemptive side. Not like it existed in the first place.


    "How did she escape?" This question was not asked by Santiago who was still shell-shocked but by an angry Killian. It was not every day one would see an angry Killian instead of an indifferent one.


    "We have no idea, sir," the guard who was posted outside the villa to keep Persephone secure spoke while avoiding their eyes. Great, you should be afraid of your death.


    "You are kidding me?" Killian snarled at him. "She ran away from right under your nose and you have the audacity to say that you are not aware?"


    Santiago who had now composed himself and his scattering emotions looked at the guards and said, "You have ten minutes. And I want every single piece of information as to how she ran from the island. Who helped her and¡­ inform your families that you won''t be returning home for the next few years and also that you are not sure if you ever would¡­"


    "Boss, please punish us for our mistake. We are ready to bear any kind of punishment but please do not send us away from here." They begged and wailed like miscreants who were about to punish but only if their loud voices were ever going to change the outcome. Right now, they only have one option and that was -- to find Persephone at any cost.


    "Do not show me your faces before you have any news on her," snapped Santiago.


    Once they left, Santiago also was in a hurry to leave his office but was stopped by Killian''s voice.


    "Did you set the in-skin GPS tracker I told you about before?" Killian asked him. Santiago stopped in his steps when he heard the question. Of course, Killian told him to arrange a GPS tracker inside Persephone''s skin in case she would try to escape. But he didn''t. He didn''t know why he refused Killian''s suggestion back then. And now he was repenting not doing that.


    "Dammit! Santiago, what the hell is wrong with you?" Killian couldn''t help but snap. He had an urge to open his friend''s brain and check out the thoughts that were going inside his head.


    Never had he ever fathomed that a mere woman named Persephone Marino would have such an intense effect on Santiago. By God, if he had known, he would have never let Santiago head this mission.


    This mission was not just to catch Lorenzo. It was much more than that. It was the key to finding the most important thing/person of his life.


    "Killian, head the boys. I am leaving." Santiago didn''t reply to Killian''s question, instead, he said those words in a hurry as he left the office.


    Killian watched Santiago sprinting to the South of the island through the window, where the port was located. The only location used to enter or exit the island.


    "Persephone Marino, pray that we find you alive. I swear on the only thing that matters to me that I will make your life hell. And trust me, no Santiago would be enough to save you from my hands." This was Killian''s promise to himself. He could break anything but never his promises.


    ____


    "What was the last means of transport that left the island?" Santiago inquired as soon as he reached the port. The only place he believed that Persephone had used to escape his island.


    The workers had never seen Santiago so anxious. However, his anxiousness was making them nervous. They were wondering if they had done something wrong?


    A courageous worker came forward and said, "We were not on night shift, boss. It is said that a special ship left the island last night according to your orders."


    Dammit, why didn''t he think this before?


    Persephone certainly had taken the advantage of a power outage last night. Since she knew that it was her only chance to flee from his clutches, she used it intelligently.


    But there was one more question which was troubling him-- if Persephone had used the ship which was supposed to deliver oil to the empire, then why did nobody notice her?


    As far as he knew, Caro and his team were best at what they did. How come Persephone used that ship without their knowledge?


    At the same time, Santiago''s phone rang.


    "Boss, we checked all the cameras but we didn''t find her anywhere captured by the camera. It appears as if she hadn''t left the island at all. If not for the fact that her glimpse was seen in the CCTV, we would have thought that she never left the villa too."


    "How did she dodge all the cameras?" asked Killian who was standing with Santiago''s subordinates.


    "Perhaps, she knew where cameras were placed," another man said.


    "That''s not possible," Killian said again, not believing his words.


    But Santiago knew better. His Red played him. She was not exploring the island only as she used to say and pretend. Instead, she was looking for ways to leave this place from the very beginning.


    He believed that he had seen all through her facade but no, she proved to him again that she was Persephone Marino, a calculative and an extremely tricky woman. And he was nothing but a toy in her hands. She pretended all along that it was him who was making her dance on his strings. When in reality, she was just feigning to be who she was not.


    "Kill, make sure you handle everything here. If you find any trouble, ask help from Nash," said Santiago. "I do not know when I will be back, but I can assure you that when I come back, I will come with her. And we will teach our little pawn a lesson that a pawn could never be the queen in chess."


    "Don''t worry. I have everything under my control." Killian didn''t know what else to say. Just a few minutes ago, Santiago was ready to end him if he was thinking about harming Persephone. But now...


    He wondered just what changed in a couple of minutes. However, it was for good. As long as Santiago knew what was good for him, all was fine. Even his temporary infatuation with Persephone.


    ____


    A few hours ago¡­


    "Boss, we found a woman in the oil barrel!" A short man who was looking like a cheap gangster shouted.


    "Ahh!" The boss, who was a man of average height and looks, placed a finger on his mouth to shut him up. "How many times have I told you not to share any kind of important news with me in front of Caro and his lousy crew?"


    "Sorry, boss." The first man said. He brought his mouth near his ear and whisper-shouted. "But boss there is a woman inside this barrel."


    The boss whose name was Jeno Costas was a small-time gangster working under Villain with his tiny crew. Hierarchy wise, they come a lot below Caro and his crew. And this reason was enough for ''Flamingos'' which was the name for Jeno''s crew to despise Caro and his crew. They had done a lot of cheap tricks to make Villain throw them out but nothing worked.


    A third member of Flamingos came and nodded, "Boss, what are we gonna do with the woman? It seemed like she was asleep. We can''t give her back to Caro and his lousy mates. You, as the boss of Flamingos, had every right to claim that woman as yours. I assure you boss that she is a beauty and you will like her."


    "Little three, abduct the sleeping beauty. And make sure no one sees you. I, as the boss of you all, have everything to take that woman as my new mistress before Caro claims her as his." The cheap boss proudly declared without worrying about the death which was awaiting him.


    __ ___


    Sorry for single chapter. I just returned home from a long journey and my electronic devises were out of battery and so I had nothing to post today. Forgivee for the errors. Ugh.. Gotta go, I have yet to write another chapter and then post it before next hour.

 Chapter 45 - Scandalous Women

    There are always few women in our community that we people categorize as ''scandalous women'', despite knowing their truth. Ginevra Scuderi or Ginevra Russo was one of those women. She was cast out of her community which was known for producing ''fine Italian women'' or ''spineless and meek cows'' after she married out of her community. Though her husband was Italian which was her only saving grace and it was also the only reason why she was allowed to come back to her parent''s house once in a while.


    Ginevra crushed the remaining cigarette against the railing of the balcony and refreshed her mouth so those fine ladies wouldn''t call her uncouth for smoking which was a man''s habit.


    "Why do I always find you here?" Nico''s voice rang in the empty foyer. His sister had a habit of running away to this spot whenever she was invited to these family meetings.


    "Stop inviting me to this pathetic place and you won''t find me here at this spot again," Ginevra said, turning to face her brother. She didn''t want to come to this meeting but when her mother called her and said this meeting was to express their grief for the sudden abduction of Persephone, she couldn''t help but come here. What could she do when her mom loved organizing these social activities to remind people of their status!


    "Come on, Gia. Stop talking like you hate meeting me," Nico said with a small smile as he hugged his sister.


    "You know that''s not what I mean," Ginevra replied, hugging him back. "You are the only reason why I occasionally come back to this dark world. Although I hate Scuderis, I still love you more than I hate them."


    Ginevra paused for a moment before asking, "How are you, Nico?"


    "I will be fine," replied Nico honestly.


    "Good to hear that."


    None of them spoke for a few minutes. They just stood there in silence mulling over what life had in store for them.


    "How is Stefano?" Nico was the one to break the silence. Stefan Scuderi was Ginevra''s husband, the man she married against her parent''s wishes.


    "I''m divorcing him," Ginevra said nonchalantly.


    To say Nico was shocked would be an understatement. His jaw literally dropped on the floor as he heard what his sister said. This girl had married that man when she was only twenty years old against her everyone''s wishes. Why would she want to divorce her husband when she was getting everything that she desired in her life?


    "Why?" The question escaped Nico''s mouth painfully.


    "Because he is wearing me out now," Ginevra said. "Don''t worry, the divorce is mutual. None of us cheated on each other. We had always known that we are not in love with each other and were together for mutual benefits. Now that we got what we wanted, it''s time to end this relationship."


    "Gia, are you sure about your decision? You know mom and papa will not help as you--"


    "Oh please! Who needs their help? I''m getting enough alimony to last the next two lives without working."


    Both of them fell into a long undisturbed silence. Ginevra stared at her brother''s face unblinkingly. He had gone through hell and she understood it. She also knew that he would be blaming himself for Persephone''s sudden abduction. She never liked her for Nico. Don''t get her wrong, she loved that girl to the core but she just felt that Percy and Nico were never meant to be together. However, only if her stupid brother was intelligent enough to see that.


    "I think you should go back to the ladies before mom comes looking for you," Nico reminded her. He also wanted to tell her that she didn''t need to give those women a chance to badmouth her again but knowing her personality, he refrained from say his thoughts aloud.


    "Carina Marino and her daughter are sitting with our mother," Ginevra said, struggling to control her emotions. "Every time I see their faces I have to control myself to not hurt them. I do not wish to breathe the same air as them, Nico."


    "Gia, you have to leave the past behind. Carina is Persephone''s mother--"


    "Don''t," Ginevra''s tone turned chilly. "That woman is only Don Marino''s wife, not Percy''s mom. Percy''s mom was Penelope, not Carina. Do not insult Penelope by calling that woman Percy''s mom."


    "Your thoughts would never change anything, Gia. Percy has recognized Carina as her mother now. And Carina and her children are not bad to her. They treat each other with genuine love and care. Everyone can see that, but why can''t you? You have to accept the fact that Sofia and Salvatore are Percy''s siblings---"


    "Shut your mouth, my dear brother, before I do something that I will regret later." Ginerva wasn''t angry but livid. It was as if she had lost her rationality. "They are not her fucking siblings. Do you get it? Lucien was!"


    Nico smiled sadly. "Yes, he was. But now? Where is he? He is dead, sis. You have to accept the truth. It''s been more than a decade now."


    "Out of my sight, Nico. I do not want to see you." Ginevra punched the wall. "Damm! I shouldn''t have come back to this place at all."


    Nico watched his only sister leaving through the foyer. He sighed while leaning against the wall and closed his eyes. He couldn''t understand why his sister hated Sofia and his mother. He wasn''t lying when he said that Carina and his children loved Percy genuinely. When Penelope died and Carina who was Alesaandro''s favoured mistress at that time took her place, she cared for Persephone and Lucien genuinely. However, if losing Penelope wasn''t enough of a blow of fate, Persephone lost her brother too a few years later.


    Marino residence was a residence of secrets and mysteries and Nico was not ready to peek at them. His only aim of life was to marry Persephone and create a warm home with her, the home she longed for.


    ______


    Note:


    You can buy the privilege to read at least 3 chapters in advance. Happy Reading!

 Chapter 46 - Drama In The Future

    Meanwhile, Ginevra was sitting beside her mother glancing at Salvatore pouring his affection on Emma Costa, his current fiance. If there was one person who Ginevra hated to the core, it was Emma Costa. Even more, than she hated Marinos.


    Carina and her children had coveted everything that belonged to Penelope''s children. And Salvatore didn''t even spare the fiance of his deceased half-brother. Yes, Emma Costa was the woman who was initially engaged to Lucien. Ginevra had loved Lucien with all of her heart and she was adamant to fight for it but before she could make a place for herself in Lucien''s heart, he was killed. She would never forget the day Lucien was murdered. That incident was the beginning of her horrors.


    "I just hope that Percy comes home soon. I couldn''t even fathom what suffering she might be going through." Ginevra heard Sofia saying to her mother while sniffing. Well, this was the end of her forbearance.


    "Really, Sofia?"Ginevra asked her with a mocking smile. " Ah, stupid me. Here I was thinking if Percy is not found, you will have to sacrifice yourself for your family."


    "Mrs. Russo, apologize me for asking but what do you mean by that?" Sofia was sad for Persephone''s disappearance surely, but it didn''t mean she would endure Ginevra''s hurtful words. She still couldn''t understand why would she always pick fights with her?


    Ginevra blinked her eyes innocently. "Don''t you know, dear that if your half-sister is not found, your family has to compensate my brother by giving him another woman as his bride?"


    Her words were enough to tell Sofia that Persephone was just her half-sister, not her real sister. And she should stop this act of loving sister!


    "Ah, here I was thinking that the party was boring but it wasn''t the party that was boring, instead it was the absence of my dear granddaughter that was bothering me," Another loud and cheery voice rang increasing the tensions inside the room.


    This cheery voice which was a little too cheery for this mournful atmosphere belonged to Isabelle Scuderi who was Ginevra''s grandmother. Isabelle was another woman who belonged to the category of scandalous women as she was just twenty years old when she married Nicolas''s widower grandfather for power and wealth or this was what these ladies said. She was the most disliked woman in their community but that woman still shined like their hate couldn''t stop her. I short, she was short of fucks to give!


    "Isabelle, you think we''re hosting a party here?" Ginevra''s mom said with a stoic face. This woman hated Isabelle the most among the crowd.


    Isabelle formed her mouth in a perfect ''O''. "Is it not? Forgive me for not knowing it, my dear daughter-in-law! But you see the buffet and expensive wine was whispering different tales I my ears. I took this decoration and the number of people gathered at our mansion as they were here to celebrate an occasion." She paused for a moment and then said, making everyone deadpan,"So, if it''s not a party, are we hosting a funeral? Does my lovely and wealthy husband stopped breathing?!"


    The ladies gasped hearing Isabella''s words. Ginevra had to say that this grandmother of hers, who was younger than her in age and had a talent of making people speechless with her uncanny manner of speaking. She never failed to make the events in Scuderi house bearable for her.


    Carina smiled despite wanting to slap Isabelle for calling this event a funeral. It was like she was jinxing the life of a person who was her husband in reality.


    "Isabelle, would you like to have more wine?" Carina said, trying to put a stop to Isabella''s wild behavior.


    "Sure, why not!" Isabelle gave a wicked smirk to her.


    ____


    "You love infuriating my mother, don''t you?"Ginevra said to Isabelle once they were alone.


    Isabelle flashed her an innocent smile. "So, what if I do? Are you gonna complain to that woman?"


    Ginevra didn''t reply, just rolled her eyes at him.


    "I can''t tolerate what these women are doing," Isabelle said after a long time. "Organizing this event to show the world that they are worried about Percy. Scoff. With these kinds of ideas, your mother makes my blood boil. And Carina Marino, what is wrong with her? How can she allow Lara to organise such an event for expressing how saddened she is because of her daughter''s abduction. "


    "Again, Percy''s mom is not Carina," Ginevra corrected her.


    "Ah, dear, don''t you feel tired of correcting people again and again?"said Isabelle with a yawn. Glancing at the table again, her attention was caught by Sofia who was sitting beside her mother wearing a green dress which was bringing the green of her eyes beautifully. "I don''t know why but whenever I look at that lovely and young woman, she reminds me of you. But I have to see if she will change her fate or will be sacrificed to fate just like you."


    "What do you mean by that?"came the quick reply.


    "Sofia. That girl reminds me of you, Gia. She had fallen for the forbidden man just like you did back then. But I have yet to see if she would do what you failed to do many years ago or will she sacrifice the only thing that her heart desired,"Isabelle replied while staring at the lovely Sofia.


    "Forbidden man? Nico?" Ginevra whispered in shock.


    "Stop reacting as if you don''t know," Isabelle scoffed, waving her hand. She then twirled her curls with her finger and flashed her a huge smile. "That girl has been in love with my dear grandson for as long as I can remember. I wonder what else she would sacrifice for the love of her sister.Sigh. Love surely brings great disasters to you."


    "Imagine what would happen if Sofia took a step towards Nico and Persephone returned? As much as I know Don Marino, he would do everything in his power to make Persephone marry my dear grandson. Ah, are we finally going to see a rift between these sisters? Whatever! I''m gonna get popcorn because I can smell a lot of drama happening in the future."


    These words uttered by Isabelle were going to change a lot of things in the future!


    Santiago and Persephone were now nothing more than Captor and captive, Nico was not ready to let Persephone go at any cost, and Sofia, that girl was suffering because of her unrequited love!


    What does future hold for four of them?! Or there was something more to this equation than we could see?


    _____


    I just mentioned our second female lead for one of our dark horses! Guess who''s for who?!


    And do tell me in comments what kind of fls would match with Callum, Nash and Killian''s personality!


    Of course, we will be having their lovelines! What kind of a romance writer would I be if I fail to write a good romance for second male leads!

 Chapter 47 - Sleping Beauty

    On Persephone''s side.


    "Why are you doing this to me?" A crying Persephone asked the people who had deceived her. She tried to move but wasn''t able to as she was tied to a chair.


    "Young lady, accept our conditions and we will free you," one of Jeno''s men said. He was the same man who had advised Jeno to seize this woman before Caro or his crew could discover her.


    They had told her that if she agreed to be Jeno, that sick man''s mistress, then she would live in luxury all her life.


    Persephone didn''t know whether to cry at her pathetic fate or laugh at her rotten luck, after escaping one captor she was seized by another. But if she had to choose one, she would choose Villain a thousand times over this one because she believed that Villain would never force him on her without her will. The level of trust that she had in Villain was insane. That man betrayed her trust yet she was praying to see him for once.


    "Albert, boss has asked you to send Maria in and help his sleeping beauty change into something beautiful," Another man came inside the door.


    The place where Persephone was bound to the chair seemed like an old godown where many discarded machinery parts were placed. Anything could be used as a weapon but she just needed to be free from the rope that was tying her hands.


    Albert or the man who was threatening Persephone earlier gave her a look and said," Accept our boss''s goodwill or you will die at our hands."


    "It''s sin to force an unwilling woman," Persephone mumbled.


    "Sin? Unwilling woman?" Albert snorted as he came towards her holding a small crystal bottle. He forcefully opened her mouth and dumped the content inside her mouth. She had no idea what he made her swallow but judging from his overconfident body posture, she understood it couldn''t be anything good.


    "Let''s see if you are unwilling or not!" The man carefully said. "Bitches like you will beg him for more once he touches you! Who knows, the boss will like to share you with all of us once he is done with you!"


    Persephone could feel the changes occurring to her body. Suddenly, her body felt as if it was on fire. She was having trouble breathing. Her head was swirling. Her vision was blurring. Tears streamed down her cheek but she managed to hold her body reaction but for how long would she have to endure all of this?


    "Call Maria and tell her to get her ready. Boss is impatient for his sleeping beauty!" Albert said while leaving the room. He even ordered all of the other men to leave the room too as it wasn''t acceptable for them to eye the boss''s woman.


    Minutes later, a woman who was probably in her early thirties came with a dress and other accessories to adorn her.


    "Ah, so you are the woman that Jeno is gushing about?" The woman said in scilician but with a weird accent. Anyone hearing these people could recognize that they speak scilician but in a very varied accent. "What a gorgeous young lady you are! Are you perhaps a local?!"


    Persephone somehow managed to shake her head. Her face was crimson and it appeared as if she was in great discomfort.


    "Then where are you from?" Maria questioned her gently.She wanted Persephone to lower her guard.


    "N-not from h-here,"Persephone said in a broken voice."They kidnapped me. Want me to serve their boss despite my unwillingness."


    "My dear, you probably don''t know but Jeno is smitten by you. If you give in, he will treat you like a queen. He is the richest man in our locality after Caro. If he chose you as his woman, everyone in the locality will bow their head to you," Maria said to her. "What else do you want?!"


    "Richest man? He looks like a thug to me? What world do you live in? He is nothing but a rap*st to me who would force himself on an unwilling woman," Persephone said to her in utter disgust.


    Maria untied her hands and started changing her clothes. Since she was vulnerable due to the drug inside her body, she didn''t fight with Maria about changing her clothes. She let her change her clothes silently. Maria had picked an A-line white colored long dress for her. She wanted to tell her that white was not her color but she didn''t because she hated everyone and everything.


    "What country are we in?" Persephone asked Maria who was changing her clothes.


    Maria thought that Persephone was not in her senses due to the drug that Albert had made her swallow, so she gently told her the name of the country they were in.


    "Maisea Empire."


    Truly, Persephone had never heard about this country name. She didn''t even know if this country even existed or if the woman was lying to her.


    "What language do you speak here?" Persephone then asked.


    "The locals speak Masilian which is a dialect of scilician but our official language is Greek and Italian," Maria answered while braiding her hair. She then paused and then asked her,"Do you know any of these languages, young lady?"


    "My mother was born and raised in Greece but her parents were pure Italian," Persephone said with a fond smile. "My father is Italian too. So, I know Italian more than I know English. But since I was engaged to a man whose family was scilician, I was taught everything about Sicily from its culture to the language."


    "You said your mother was greek? Is she not alive now?" Maria asked her.


    Persephone nodded her head in reply. "She died when I was very young.. She taught me to read and write in Greek but I''m not fluent in speaking Greek since I have not spoken it for a long time."

 Chapter 48 - He Appears

    "You know many languages. It comes across like you have been to school," Maria said to her. It was a big deal in their community to send their girls to school.


    "Do people from here not go to school?" Persephone weakly asked her. She was talking to her because she didn''t want to fall unconscious.


    "We are poor people. We can''t afford to send our girls to school here. Moreover, our locality doesn''t allow girls to study as their only job is to marry a husband and become a good wife to him by bearing him children," Maria answered in a neutral tone. "However, our king has taken many initiatives to make sure every child in the empire gets education. Still, we poor people can''t afford it despite the fact that education is cheap in our country."


    "King? Is your King named Leonardo?" Persephone mumbled.


    "Young girl! You can''t call him by his first name. It''s insulting to His Majesty," Maria chided her. Persephone understood one thing that she was in that perverted King''s empire somewhere.


    "Look at your reflection in the mirror. You look like a goddess descended from heaven,"Maria proudly said to her. She couldn''t believe that someone could look this beautiful in a plain white dress.


    Persephone stood up on her feet as she took the mirror from Maria''s hand. Throwing the mirror on the ground, Persephone bent down to pick the mirror which had broken into two segments.


    "Maria, do you know what my name is?" Persephone gently asked the lady. "Persephone. Remember the name."


    Before Maria could say or do anything, the shaky Persephone had pointed the broken mirror segment at her neck. Maria froze in horror as she realized that she had let her guard down.


    "Walk ahead quietly and show me the way to leave this place," Persephone said in a threatening voice. "Try to over smart me, see how I slash your pretty neck."


    "You are making a mistake," Maria said with a small voice. "Jeno will punish you badly if you do something like this."


    "To hell with your Jeno. Do you think he will survive?" Persephone said through clenched teeth. "He dared to touch Villain''s woman. He will not spare any of you."


    "Stop bluffing, Young woman."


    "Show me the way, Maria or¡­"


    "Okay. Okay. Do not hurt me, I will show you the way to leave this godown."


    They walked a few meters away from the godown when two people in dark blue uniforms appeared. They seemed different from the men who had kidnapped her.


    "What''s happening here?!"The cops saw Persephone pointing a broken shard of glass at Maria''s neck and came running to save her.


    "P-police?"Maria''s eyes widened with fear.


    "Leave her or we will shoot you. You are taking law in your hands," A cop warned Persephone.


    Looking at the pointed weapon at her, she threw the glass shard and then, she also fell on the ground with a thud. Drugs had taken the reign of her body. Her body wasn''t in her control. It was burning. She felt like dying.


    "Arrest her!" The cop shouted at the other one.


    "Sir, she is drugged," The cop who reached to arrest her found her drugged.


    "Catch the other one too!"


    __


    Meanwhile, Santiago had deployed his men on every nook and corner of the Maisea empire. He knew that Persephone was somewhere on the land of this country because Caro had unloaded the ship on the port here.


    As soon as Santiago reached the port, he caught Caro by his collar and punched him in the face.


    "Where is she?" He growled.


    "Boss, who are you talking about?!" Caro said in a shaky tone.


    "The woman who used your fucking ship to escape my island. Where is she? Have you hidden her somewhere?" Santiago roared. He was resembling an angry lion right now. He was so mad that he himself didn''t know how he was stopping himself from wreaking havoc.


    Caro furrowed his brows. He didn''t recall anything about the woman his boss was talking about?! He wasn''t crazy to help a woman from escaping Villain''s island.


    "I swear, boss, we have not seen any woman. We left the port after we arrived. It was Jeno and his group who were supposed to unload the barrels."


    "Where is Jeno and his crew?" Santiago questioned them.


    Someone who heard Santiago shouting at the workers came running to where he was standing. He had heard Santiago asking about the whereabouts of the infamous Flamingos.


    "Boss, Jeno and his crew left their job midway and left. The job was done by the other group today," He informed a seething Santiago.


    "Why did they leave, Jameson?"Caro asked the newcomer.


    "Said something was wrong at his home. So, his crew left with him. You know the troublemaker Flamingos, they don''t do anything without their notorious boss!"


    Santiago had a hunch that Jeno was the one behind the disappearance of his Red. He ordered the workers to take where Jeno lived. They took him to a very dirty locality which was notorious for producing criminals and thugs in the country.


    Santiago kicked the door to the room where his man said Jeno would be currently found. As soon as he broke through the door, he saw the room adorned with cheap red flowers and a weird scent hanging in the air.


    Now, he just knew that this soon to be dead man was responsible for the disappearance of his Red.


    "B-boss?" Jeno trembled as he saw numerous men clad in black had pointed their guns at him.


    "One question Jeno and the answer will tell if you survive or not," Santiago said in a very low voice.


    Jeno felt a shiver down his back as he looked at Santiago''s blue eyes which were as cold as the arctic. Those eyes could kill him with a blink.


    "Did you touch her, Jeno? Did you touch my woman?!" Santiago asked as he grasped his greasy hair in his hand and Jeno trembled under his hold. He had never seen death so near.


    "N-No, I didn''t."


    "But you were planning to, weren''t you?" inquired Santiago.


    "I-I¡­"


    "Collect the information and kill all of them except for him. I will show him what it means to touch MY WOMAN!"


    Touch him, you may live.. But touch her, you will die the worst death possible.

 Chapter 49 - Arrival Of Lorenzo

    "Why are you here?" Don Marino''s defeated voice was heard in the dimly lit room. The man presently standing there wearing an expensive Italian suit was not the most feared leader of the New York mafia but a defeated father and a powerless don. He used to be the man who would decide the destinies of people with a single wave of his hand but now, he was the useless father who couldn''t even protect his daughter from the enemy or it was what he was trying to demonstrate but the second man knew better than to accept this facade.


    "Why can''t I be here?" The man sitting on the lounge chair said with a mocking grin. He stroked his curly dark hair and leaned against the chair. It was clearly visible to Alessandro that the man standing in front of him was taunting him but it was nothing new and he was immune to his taunts. Even the great Don Marino had weakness and that was this man occupying his throne.


    "You didn''t come when I asked you to but why are you here now?" Alessandro snapped.


    "Still so fierce, Aless," The man said with a fond smile. "Stop scowling. Your handsome face will develop age lines. As for why I am here¡­ a little birdie told me that your daughter was taken away by a nameless and faceless bastard."


    "Lorenzo¡­"


    "It''s Enzo for you," Lorenzo corrected him with a creepy smile.


    Alessandro took a deep breath to calm himself down. Why must he deal with this maniac today?!


    "And where were we?... Oh, yeah...a nameless and faceless Bastardo had stolen your girl from her wedding right under your nose. What a shame! You are losing your touch, Aless."


    "If you are here to sprinkle salt on my wound, then you are free to leave just like you arrived," Alessandro said to him in a hard tone. He didn''t know why Lorenzo was back after so long but he couldn''t be back here for just anything.


    "Your fierceness shows your Bambina is still alive," Lorenzo said nonchalantly. What! He loved getting on his nerves.


    "Do you not care about her at all?"Alessandro snarled. "She is something to you too!"


    "Of course, I care about her...a lot. She is the daughter of the woman who I hate the most. What a misfortune that the same woman happened to be my own sister," Lorenzo said with a slight disgust in his voice. "Let''s not worry about my dear niece. If she was so easy to kill, she would have died years ago with her mother or later with her brother."


    "If you are not here for my daughter then why your sudden appearance?!"


    Lorenzo tsked. "Who cares about your daughter?! I''m here because of ''her''."


    Alessandro scrunched up his brows. "Her?"


    "The little girl for whom your ''perfect'' son betrayed his family. The same girl who he was supposed to kill¡­"


    Alessandro''s heart stopped beating when he heard Lorenzo talking about Lucien. That girl was the reason why his son was dead today. Well, his son would have been killed even if it wasn''t for the girl. Lucien Marino was supposed to be a ''pretty prince'' not a genius who was sent to this world to surpass his father. Lucien''s extraordinary capability and thirst to dethrone his father took his life.


    "What about her? Did you find leads about her? If you did, kill her before she poses a threat to us." Alessandro was merciless in his approach. Sparing an enemy''s child today meant creating an enemy for yourself later.


    Years ago, Luca Palmero, Alessandro''s then consigliere betrayed him for his half-brother. To wipe out the mole and test his son''s allegiance, Alessandro ordered his teenage son to kill Luca and his whole family. The teenager Lucien killed Luca Palmero, Emilia Palermo (Luca''s wife), Killian Palmero (Luca''s son) but he declined to kill Alicia Palmero who was barely a kid back then.


    Lucien was given death as the punishment for the offense of not killing the girl. Even when he was tortured to death by Lorenzo, he didn''t open his mouth as to where he had hidden that girl.


    Lorenzo and Alessandro had been hiding this secret for decades. But if anyone from his family got to know about this secret, they wouldn''t take it before dethroning him.


    And the one to dethrone him wouldn''t be anyone but Salvatore Marino, his son, or Nicolas Scuderi, the best friend of Lucien.


    "I want you to locate Persephone at all costs, Enzo."


    "Why? Suddenly started caring for your daughter?" Lorenzo asked indifferently while playing with his curly hair. "Don''t you have one more?"


    "I need her to marry Nicolas Scuderi. This way he would be dancing in my palms," Alessandro informed him.


    "Even if you don''t find Persephone alive, you still have that naive daughter of yours¡­ What was her name? Ah, Sofia¡­ Get her married to that Scuderi boy. She has got your genes." Lorenzo was a freak and Don Marino had no suspicion about it. Heck, he had seen with his own eyes the extent of Lorenzo''s insanity. He wondered what it would be like to have Lorenzo as your enemy rather than an ally. Trust me, it was a pure nightmare.


    "There is a difference between Sofia and Persephone. Nicolas proposed marriage to Persephone because she is Lucien''s sister. It''s not a hidden secret that bastards are frowned upon in our society. Although they have accepted Salvatore as my successor, it was merely because he was my only male child. His being born as a boy was his only privilege. As for Sofia, Nicolas will not accept anyone other than Persephone."


    Actually, Don Marino planned to make Nicolas underboss once his son took over the outfit. It wasn''t because he liked Nicolas or anything like that. But merely to keep Salvotre''s power in check. He wanted his son to be a puppet on his strings. Only through Salvatore, he would be able to control the over-smart Nicolas. And through Nicolas, he would control his rebellious daughter.


    It wouldn''t be wrong to say that Don Marino loved power and prestige more than his family.


    Carina, Persephone, Sofia, Salvatore -- all of them would be discarded as he did with Penelope and Lucien.


    ______


    Do you guys like the new cover of the book? If you guys have more suggestions for the cover, do tell me in the comment section.

 Chapter 50 - Perverted King Again

    On Santiago''s side.


    Santiago couldn''t describe what he was feeling when he found Persephone unconsciously lying on the white sheets attached to IV. She was sleeping serenely when he occupied the bench near her bed. Caressing her face softly, he saw her tear-stained cheeks.


    [She is not an easy one to cry. Those bastards will pay for making her cry!]


    He had an urge to wake her up and ask her what she was lacking with him that she chose to take such a drastic step. Was he not keeping her safe? Was he not feeding her? Was he not showering her with enough luxuries? Not only this, he even agreed to accept her ridiculous wish of dancing with her every night. Still, she preferred to run away from him.


    If the cops had not found her on time, he couldn''t even reckon what those people would have done to her! Just thought was enough to force him to commit mass murder.


    Presently, he had shut his brain off. All his focus was fixed on the woman lying unconsciously before him. Santiago didn''t move for the whole night. He kept on sitting by her side. He took care of her for the entire night.


    It was his duty to keep her safe and secure. And he would make sure that she would have a peaceful sleep.


    ______


    Next day.


    Persephone''s eyes fluttered as she woke up from a deep rest. Adjusting to the sudden blinding brightness, she placed her hand on her eyes. But as she moved the hand, a pang of pain crept up from all the way from her wrist to shoulder. On moving her eyes, she saw an IV drip poked into her skin.


    Hospital!


    [Yeah, the policemen must have sent me to the hospital!]


    [I gotta admit that the perverted King has great police officers protecting the civilians!]


    Not even for once, it crossed her mind that she was already caught. And her plan of eloping was busted! Or she was back into Villains clutches!


    Persephone creepily smiled, thinking of a new life that she was going to live... away from her wicked father and that vicious captor.


    That''s it.


    Bitches, she was going to live a very free life now!


    Ah, poor Persephone almost had a heart attack as she heard a very familiar voice. And this was how her novel dreams shattered into million tiny tiny pieces.


    "Stop smiling. You are creeping me out."


    Persephone found a very cranky Giselle looking at her. She was wearing a modest gray dress and her always open hair was pleated into a loose braid. She didn''t look like the royal princess that she used to look like in the past. Ah, her condition made her look like a fallen princess.


    Oh, fuck! The vicious Villain found me again. Nooooooo. He busted all my planning. My poor heart couldn''t take it anymore. God, kill me. Oh, please kill me. Sob. Sob. Why must I be the victim?


    "Your funny expressions tell me that you have realized that your little plan of escaping has failed," Giselle told her funnily. "Not only did you attract his wrath but also dragged me into this mess."


    "Stop bitching, Giselle," Persephone said irritatedly."I can''t believe my super plan flopped."


    "Super plan?" Giselle snorted. "More like a death warrant!"


    "Fuck off, Gissy."


    "So you finally spread your poisonous fangs, little Percy. Knew from the start you were a poisonous bitch in the disguise of a sweet naive girl."


    Persephone didn''t mind her calling her a bitch. Could being innocent and sweet or even naive feed you? She was once one, but look at her where she is now!


    "Here." Giselle passed her a package without wasting any time arguing with her."Boss said to give it to her as soon as you are conscious. Judging from your face, it doesn''t look like you need any rest now. So, wear it. We have work to do."


    "What do you mean?" The shocked Persephone asked her. Her eyes bulged out as she noticed the room where she was staying."And where are we?"


    "Come on, Persephone, do you really think that Villain will forgive us for the rules we broke?" Giselle gave her a mocking look. "And as for your question where we are -- we are currently somewhere in Avolire Palace. Before you ask what Avolire Palace is, it is the official residence of His Majesty."


    "Holy shit. He is really a freaking King," Persephone uttered in utter shock. "But why are we here?"


    "Because we are new ''maids'' that boss has sent to serve a royal family member," Giselle cleared her doubts. "And before you imagine something else, let me tell you that it was the punishment that he had selected for both of us."


    "How is this a punishment for me?" Persephone asked. Serving a royal family member as a maid was less of what she had imagined.


    "Do you know what''s your biggest flaw, Persephone?" asked Giselle as she leaned on the bed. "Your petty arrogance. Your ''I''m too good for everyone'' attitude. You think we all are beneath you. Sure, I am not a clean or decent woman in your language. But look at me giving you a damn! Villain knew this better than anyone and so he punished you by forcing you to serve the most bratty royal family member. You have to hear and suffer all the insults that will be inflicted on you."


    "But how is it punishment for you?" Persephone whispered. Villain had struck where it hurt the most. Her pride. She had to swallow her pride and endure everything.


    Giselle gave a self-deprecating smile and said, "The person we will be serving is the only candidate for the next queen."


    "What!!!"


    "He made you serve that King''s new wife---"


    "Shhh!" Giselle shut her mouth with her palm. She glared at her and said, "Are you crazy?! This is not your country. This is Maisean Empire. People worship their king like a God here. You will talk about him with the honor that he deserved as the King of the land."


    "Whatever! I can''t believe that we have to work as maids to survive."


    "Do you think we have a choice?"


    "Dammit! Just pray that I won''t pull that brat''s hair if she pisses me off!"

 Chapter 51 - Destroyed Cities For Her

    "You have destroyed Lorata[1] in a single night, do you even know what explanations I had to prepare for the council of ministers?" King Leonardo asked Santiago who was serenely savoring the cup of tea. He was getting infuriated with each passing moment as Santiago was merely replying to him with a smile.


    Leonardo couldn''t believe that this man who was now getting on his nerves flipped the whole city in a single night. It wasn''t that he misused the powers of the law protection that was enraging him but the reason behind his sudden moment of loss of control. He was furious because he did it for Persephone Marino, the woman who he claimed to hate the most. And the same woman who he had to use in exchange for Lorenzo.


    Glancing up from the teacup, Santiago gazed at the angry King who could announce capital punishment for him anytime if he didn''t provide him any justification.


    "Why do you think I was forced to make this decision?" questioned Santiago in a mellow voice.


    King Leonardo scoffed, "Isn''t it clear that the Marino princess was taken away by Jeno and you erased the whole city in a single night?"


    Santiago shook his head while sighing. "Your Majesty, why must you underestimate yourself? Do you really think I will make such a huge decision for a woman who is nothing to me?"


    King Leonardo narrowed his eyes on him. He wondered what his fox was thinking. Whatever it would be, it couldn''t be any good. Still, he said, "Elaborate."


    "The city Lorata has a reputation as the crime capital of the empire. The poorest city with the highest rate of unemployment. Despite the fact that our country is one of the biggest advocates of women''s rights and education. The city''s reputation is proof of how crime against women and children is neglected there. The Prime minister has ignored the bad stats of the city for as long as he was in power. Now you want Callum to be one of the candidates for the upcoming elections, why not use this so-called crisis as an opportunity?"


    King Leonardo was rendered speechless after he heard Villain''s elaboration. Of course, he wanted --no-- needed Callum to fight for the post of Prime Minister, and he was ready to do anything to achieve his goal...but still¡­


    "PM Joseph is going to use this situation against you, Your Majesty. He will convince people that you''re becoming a tyrant day by day. And the proponents of democracy will use this opportunity to overthrow Monarchy and bring democracy to the Maisean Empire. The power-hungry Joseph will become God in people''s eyes if you let this happen. But if Callum uses this opportunity to end the organized crime in Lorata for once and for all with your help, it will not only help you and him but also the innocent people. Why must people of your empire suffer at the hands of power-hungry politicians?" The questions asked by Santiago shook King Leonardo. He knew that what Villain was saying wasn''t wrong but he was just worried that Joseph would be successful in manipulating people for votes. After all, Callum had yet to give him an affirmative reply.


    King Leonardo sighed, "I see, you know what you are doing." He paused for a moment and then said," Andreas said you will be seeing the accommodation of Lady Sabrina Hawthrone. Have you made a list of who will be serving her during her stay in the Palace?"


    The cup in Villain''s hand quivered but the King failed to notice that. Composing himself, Santiago said, "I have, Your Majesty. Would you like to see the list?"


    King Leonardo waved his hand. "No, I trust you. But¡­"


    "But?" Santiago raised his brow.


    "I will be making another list."King Leonardo grinned devilishly. " We can''t let a ridiculously handsome thirty years old and absolutely single to sit on the post of the Prime Minister?"


    "And how would you convince him, Your Majesty?" Santiago inquired.


    Before he could reply, Andreas, King''s personal assistant, came running.


    "Apologise, Your Majesty. But it''s an emergency," Andreas said, the fear in his eyes evident.


    "What happened?" King Leonardo stood up. There are only a few people who could be counted on hand who could bring fear of such intensity in Andreas''s eyes.


    "Her Royal Highness--"


    "Is she alright?" Before Andreas could reply, King Leonardo had already run out of the room. Andreas'' jaw twitched in disapproval of His Majesty''s behavior.


    "What has happened?" Santiago asked after King''s sudden retirement.


    "Her Royal Highness has locked herself in her room and is not responding to anyone," Andreas told him.


    Santiago could understand what would have happened. Lady Sabrina must have taken permission from His Majesty to meet the royal princess and the prince. Although the princess was intelligent and smart for her age, still her overprotective nature over her father dominated her reasoning. After all, she was just a five years old kid.


    ______


    "What''s happening?" Persephone asked Giselle. Currently, they were standing with the group of the maids who would be serving Lady Sabrina in Luna Pavilion. It was the residence of the royal princess or this was what she had heard.


    The woman called Lady Sabrina was standing in the front with her personal maids. She and Giselle were standing with their heads down with the other group of the maid.


    Even though Lady Sabrina was smiling with that Colgate smile, she could tell they either the lady was fuming inside or saving her face from the embarrassment.


    "I didn''t know your King had kids too?" Persephone threw the question at Giselle nonchalantly.


    [This girl! Did she even know where we are standing]


    Giselle had a dire urge to slap this crazy girl for calling King Leonardo her King. More than that, if she was given an opportunity, she would have thrown out that bitch called Lady Sabrina by pulling her hair.


    "Gissy?" Persephone whispered again. "Whose murder are you planning?"


    "Shut up, crazy woman. Or else I will seriously plan your murder," Giselle whispered through clenched teeth. "And stop calling me Gissy. I have a damn name."


    "What a killjoy!" Persephone muttered. "BTW, you didn''t tell me if the King really has kids?"


    "Why don''t you ask him?" Giselle hissed.


    "Great idea." Persephone started moving but Giselle dragged her back from her collar.


    "Stop being a pain in the ass."


    "Huh?" Persephone looked at her in confusion.


    At the same time, the announcement of King''s arrival was made. The dull eyes of Lady Sabrina started twinkling again. It was as if spring had returned after a long autumn. She couldn''t describe her happiness at all.


    "What''s happening here?" King Leonardo asked the Princess''s butler. "And how come no one opened the door with the spare keys?"


    "Your Majesty, Her Royal Highness declared if anyone entered her room without her permission she would go on hunger strike," The trembling butler said. "And¡­"


    "And?" The king asked.


    "And if His Majesty was informed of this matter, she said that she would¡­"


    "She would?" King Leonardo asked, his thread of patience breaking.


    "She would flee from the Palace and no one would ever be able to find her," the shivering butler said. Who didn''t know of the stubborn princess who could make the great King Leonardo dance on her palm?


    "Very well," Leonardo growled.


    "You all are fired," King Leonardo said next while looking at the staff of Luna Pavillion. He took a pause and then announced in a loud voice. "Princess Beatrice, your butler, and maids have been fired. You need not worry no one would hinder your hunger strike or whatever you are currently doing."


    Before King Leonardo could say anything, the door to the Princess room opened, and out came a, the cutest little human Persephone had ever seen, red wild curly hair, striking hazel eyes and the attitude that could even put King Leonardo to shame.


    The little princess didn''t even spare her father a single glance, with a too genuine smile, she gazed at Lady Sabrina and the latter swore that she felt goosebumps over her skin.


    "Greeting to Her Royal Highness, Princess Beatrice of Maisea Empire," Lady Sabrina forced the greeting out of her mouth. She couldn''t believe that she was insulted by such a little human.


    Princess Beatrice returned the greeting as per etiquette with a smile and then looking between her father and Lady Sabrina , she said,"Lady Sabrina, since my father has fired all of my maids and Butler, would you mind ''providing a few of your maids''? You have ''yet'' to become my stepmother but see my father has coerced me to ''request'' maids from you?"


    [So fierce]


    Persephone had to grasp Giselle''s hand to prevent her from falling. Damn, she is a five years old kid? What do they feed these kids?


    On the other hand, Giselle had tightened her grasp on Persephone''s hand as she looked at a certain father-daughter figure. She had to force herself not to cry here.


    __ ____


    [1] Lorata: A fictional city.. All the cities and the names in the Maisean Empire are fictional along with the empire itself.

 Chapter 52 - Princess Beatrice

    Lady Sabrina was put in a tight spot. She could neither offend the Princess nor her father. So, she glanced at the King to lend her some help but the King turned his gaze from her.


    [Since you so badly want to become the Queen, handle the brat yourself.]


    [Why must I waste my time in getting rid of the woman eyeing the position of Queen when I have two genius brats to deal with her!]


    Understanding, she would not get any help from anyone, she smiled and said," Sure."


    [Let me be the Queen first, then I will deal with you ugly brat! Hmmph!]


    Wickedly smiling, Princess Beatrice announced, "The four maids standing in the last line. Come out, you are given an opportunity to serve the royal princess."


    Giselle froze when she discovered that she and Persephone also fell in those four maids. Villain would kill both of them if they dared to leave Lady Sabrina. Worst, King Leonardo would skin her alive if she went anywhere near him or his family.


    But Persephone on the other hand was over the moon. She would not have to serve that big brat named Lady Sabrina. A lady with a beautiful face but possessed the ugliest heart.


    Now that Lady Sabrina had permitted the little princess to choose maids from her group of maids, King Leonardo didn''t do or say anything. Moreover, he ordered everyone except for those maids to leave the premises including Lady Sabrina.


    After everyone left except for those four newly appointed caretakers of the princess, King Leonardo said, "Tell me, Bea, do I fail to teach you manners? Is this my upbringing?"


    Princess Beatrice felt extremely uncomfortable under her father''s sharp gaze. Everyone could see the guilt and hurt flashing in her eyes. But they could also understand the predicament of the little child. She was not ready to share her father with anyone!


    During this period of time, when the Princess and King were conversing with each other, Persephone saw Giselle''s face turning pale and ashen. It appeared as if she could faint anytime.


    "Are you okay?" Persephone asked her anxiously.


    "Take me from here," Giselle whispered while stumbling.


    "What happened to her?" Another one asked them worriedly."Is she sick? Oh Lord, it seems like she is about to throw up."


    Since this woman spoke a little loudly, naturally King Leonardo heard her. Without glancing at them, he coldly said," All of you. Out."


    .....


    "Are you fine now, Gissy?" Persephone asked her concernedly as she saw her gulping water.


    Giselle nodded.


    "What just happened inside?" She asked her. "Don''t lie. I noticed that it was a panic attack."


    "Percy, can you look for boss?" Giselle asked her."Please."


    Persephone nodded. "Will you at least tell me what happened to you just now?"


    Seeing Giselle''s hesitant expressions, Persephone didn''t press on it. If it was not for Villain or perhaps a bit because of her, Giselle wouldn''t be in this condition. Yeah, it was surprising but she was seriously feeling a bit guilty. She didn''t know what triggered Giselle''s panic attack.


    Thinking of meeting that Villain again, Persephone gritted her teeth in anger and the bitterness in her heart toward him grew deeper.


    Just because of that filthy human being, Giselle and the rest of the girls were stuck in dirt.


    "Gissy?"


    "Hmm?"


    "Do you not resent him?"


    "Who? boss?" Giselle inquired. Seeing Persephone nodding her head, she weakly shook her head. "I can''t blame him for my misfortunes ever. If anything, I consider him the Messiah of my life. He saved me, Persephone. Even if I become his slave for the rest of my life, I will never be able to repay what he had done for me."


    To be honest, Persephone was thinking that Villain had manipulated her(Giselle) and this was the only reason why she couldn''t see his real face.


    But it was far from true¡­


    "I know that you don''t believe me," said Giselle weakly. "But there will come a day, when you will realize how wrong you were about. He is not a bad man."


    Upon seeing Persephone''s expression, Giselle''s heart slightly ached. ''When would you stop seeing the world from the lenses of black and white? He may call himself a Villain but he is a hero to me.''


    "Any idea where will I find Villain?" She asked Giselle who shook her head.


    [Dang, how will I look for him now?]


    [Although I do not want to confront your ugly face, I still have to look for you...for Giselle.]


    "Wait for me in the room, okay?"


    Persephone was talking about the room where she woke up this morning. The room was now assigned to her and Giselle.


    ...


    On the side,


    Santiago was leaning against the chair, his eyes closed and a smile playing on his lips as he heard the reports.


    "Sir, would you like someone to give her the right directions?" His subordinate hesitantly asked.


    "Why? Suddenly pitying her?" Santiago asked, his eyes still closed.


    "No. No." The subordinate panicked. He loved his life. He had heard what torture his comrades had to go through for letting this woman slip through their hands. Still, he felt pity for this young and beautiful woman." Sir, she has been looking for you for the last four hours and no one seems friendly to her¡­"


    "Who told her to have this attitude?" Villain retorted.


    Poor Persephone had been wandering around the Palace for the last four hours in search of Villain. She had asked everyone about him but everyone would give her hostile gazes and she would have no option but to retract.


    Not only this, someone had shown her wrong directions a few times, resulting in reaching the same place where she had started the journey.


    If not for Giselle, she wouldn''t have entertained his obnoxious attitude but desperation calls for desperate measures.


    Sitting by the borders of a huge fountain, she drank mouthfuls of water before taking deep breaths. Due to hot weather, she was sweating profusely. Her face turned red due to the glaring sun, her hair which was tied into a bun was about to slip out of it anytime soon. And the thick and ugly maid uniform which she was wearing wasn''t helping her much.


    On the other side, Villain seemed to have opened his eyes and was now staring at her face on the computer screen. Did he feel pity seeing her disheveled state? No. Did she feel something when she left him alone on the island?


    Damn, why did it sound like he was sulking? He was just punishing her okay!!


    Who asked her to use him as a pawn?!


    As Persephone was walking to the west side, she collided with a hard chest in a very slow motion like in movies. The person with whom she collided felt a gust of wind blowing past them, loosening her wild dark curls making her delicate pale and flushed face heavenly to him. The file in his hand flew in the air, scattering the paper all over them like rose petals scattering over them.


    "A fairy," The gorgeous blond man murmured.


    Persephone''s eye fell on something behind his head and she calmed herself. She looked at the man who had caught her by her waist and quickly stood on her feet.


    "I''m sorry," She quickly apologized. Weakly smiling at him, she bent down to pick up the scattered paper. She kept on handing him the scattered paper one by one with an apology and he continued to stare at her, lovestruck.


    "You do not have to apologize that many times," the gorgeous hunk said."And what kind of man would I be if I let you apologize to me?"


    [You damned man, you already let me say sorry for at least fifty times and then say what kind of man you would be? Where is your freaking conscience? May you rot in dog shit. ]


    "Ah, I noticed you are not a native?" The man said again, trying to start a conversation.


    Persephone shyly shook her head while averting her eyes. His lips curled up slightly, and a feral expression appeared on his face. His eyes were still gazing at her face and there was an air of seduction around him.


    If it was anyone else, she would be flat before his charming and gorgeous bearing but she was Persephone, it took a certain kind of Villain to seduce her.


    "No," Persephone said shyly in Italian.


    "Ah, an Italian woman," He said with a grin. "What a surprise!"


    "Are you lost, Mia Cara?" He asked again as he leaned over to inhale her sweet scent.


    "I-I¡­"


    ¡­.


    Santiago''s subordinates swore that they saw smoke coming out of his ear. The girl was courting her death. They were pitying her in vain! Not only the girl but Captain Gabriel would face Boss''s wrath too!


    As Santiago saw Captain Gabriel leaning towards Persephone, he felt blood rushing to a certain part of his body. He clenched his fists tightly to prevent himself from punching the damn computer screen.


    Not being able to control it anymore, Santiago stood up and rushed out of the room.


    His subordinates looked at each other before gulping and going back to their work.

 Chapter 53 - Eight To Escape You

    "Are you lost, Mia Amour?" The flirtatious Captain asked her in a teasing tone.


    Before Persephone could answer him, she heard someone clearing his throat. Someone who she had been dying to see since this morning. Just kidding.


    "It seems Captain Gabriel is too free these days?"


    Captain Gabriel stiffened as he heard Santiago''s voice. Shit. Where did he come from? He was about to covet a certain beauty. Why must he throw cold water on his hot plans? Wasn''t it enough that he had been working nonstop since the last forty-eight because of him?


    "Mr. Vit--"


    "You may leave, Captain Gabriel," Santiago said without giving him a chance. Glancing at her, he said in a cold tone, "And you come with me."


    Satisfied with him, she nodded.


    Walking behind him, she turned her head to look at Captain Gabriel who was weirdly staring at them, and winked at him. She mouthed him, ''Thank you.''


    Captain Gabriel cursed when he realized that the woman used him to catch Santiago''s attention.


    Nonetheless, he was more than intrigued by this tiny gorgeous Italian woman.


    ¡­


    When Persephone walked into the Santiago private room which he had been allotted by the King himself, she was left gaping at the luxuriousness of the place.


    Santiago turned back and captured her between the wall and his chest. Staring into her eyes, he asked, "What do you think you were doing?"


    Persephone was stunned for a moment. There was a hint of dazedness in her eyes. Picking up her hand, she slowly trailed the bride of his nose and as she was about to touch his lips, Santiago grasped her wandering hand.


    Jolting out of the daze, she gulped down her nonexistent saliva and murmured an apology before looking down.


    What Santiago didn''t understand was this empty feeling when she turned her gaze off his face. Was he disgusting her again? Did she hate him so much that she couldn''t even look into his eyes? Was it the reason why she was seducing that man?


    If Captain Gabriel wasn''t related to His Majesty, he had certainly gotten rid of him. Why must she attract all kinds of flies to her?


    "I was looking for you all over the palace but no one knew where you were," Persephone murmured while looking at the ground. "It was not my intention to catch the attention of the man who you saw earlier. I just used him to get to you."


    "You have an indescribable talent of using people as your pawn, don''t you?" Santiago asked him in a very controlled voice.


    She could understand that he was angry with her and why wouldn''t he be? She took advantage of the power outage and fled out of the island. But it was not her fault that the man standing too close to him was a criminal just like her father.


    "Am I not a pawn in your game, Villain? Are you not using me to get to my father?" Persephone looked at him and angrily said.


    "That''s the real you," Villain said, pinching her chin. "The shy woman from earlier was a facade too, wasn''t she, Persephone Marino?"


    Persephone didn''t reply; she just turned her eyes from him. Yes, that woman from earlier was fake too. She had noticed the CCTV camera installed behind Captain Gabriel. And knowing Villain''s nature, she was aware that he had eyes on each and every movement of hers. He would never let her talk to an unknown man due to security reasons. He didn''t want her to escape from him again. And yes, her plan worked. It merely took him five minutes to appear before her.


    It wasn''t scheming, just a survival instinct. He couldn''t blame her when she was doing everything in her power to escape his cruelty. He was a vicious man and wouldn''t stop until he got what he wanted. Sadly, it wasn''t Persephone that he wanted.


    "Yes, she was," She replied in a mellow voice. "But tell me what could I do? You have held me captive, Villain for whatever reason I don''t know. If you have the right to hold me as your prisoner, then I have all the right to escape you." She paused, searching for a tiny flicker of sympathy on his face, and unsurprisingly, she didn''t find any. It was good that she didn''t find him pitying her because if she did, she would have lost all the reasons to fight and if one day, she stopped fighting that would be the day when she would stop breathing. " I just wanted to find you but you are so angry with what I did that you refused to let me find you. You were aware of the hostility that I had to face while looking for you but still, you didn''t come to confront me. You like seeing me in pain because I am your enemy''s daughter."


    "What do you want?" Santiago said, ignoring everything she just said. He would never let her know that her words affect him too. He would never tell her that he didn''t like seeing her in pain. He would never let her know that all the foreign feelings that come rushing to him wherever she was in his proximity had nothing to do with her name. He would never let her know anything.


    "Send Giselle back to the island, " Persephone said without wasting any time. She knew that the palace was the reason for her panic attacks. "I''m ready to face any punishment, just send her back. Please."


    Santiago laughed wickedly. " Beg me, Red."


    Her heart twisted hearing his words. Tears came rushing but she resolved to never let them fall because of him. Her pride was bigger than any temporary bad time. But for Giselle, she would swallow her pride and beg him. It wasn''t because she cared for Giselle, it was just her conscience screaming at her not to hurt anyone in the process of surviving. She had already been the reason for the death of two people, she couldn''t bear to be the reason behind one more.


    Swallowing her pride and hiccups, she whispered, "I beg you. I beg you, Villain. Send her back to the island."


    "Loudly."


    "I beg you."


    "I beg you to send her back."


    "I beg you not to punish her because of my actions."


    "Weren''t you the one who said that she deserved the punishment that she would be facing?" asked Santiago through gritted teeth. "Are you going back on your own words?"


    "I was wrong," Persephone whispered.


    "Get out, Persephone Marino. And do not let me see your face again. As for Giselle, let her learn what it means to face the consequences of her actions for once in her life."


    ______


    When Giselle was perched on the ground while leaning against the railing in the harsh sun, she failed to notice that a small figure had stood before her to stop the sun from assaulting her ashen face.


    "It is not advisable to sit in the sun for longer intervals of time," He said, making himself noticeable to her.


    Giselle slowly looked up to see a boy tenderly looking at her. His bronze skin and hazel eyes were shining in the sun. She had a sudden urge to run her fingers in his thick dark brown hair but she controlled herself when she glanced behind him and noticed two bulky men standing behind in knight uniforms. Understanding who he was, she quickly stood up to greet the prince of the Maisean Empire.


    "Greeting to His Royal Highness, the ever shining sun of the great Maisean empire."


    Prince Nero''s lips twitched hearing such a cheesy greeting. Things people do to impress the prince.


    "If you are sick, shouldn''t you go to the infirmary first?" He asked her. He wondered why people ignore their health. Weren''t they taught that health is wealth?


    "I-I¡­"


    [Giselle, speak something. Why are you making a fool of yourself in front of Nero?]


    Shaking his head, Prince Nero turned to his knight. "Sir Julius, let''s take this lady to the infirmary."


    "Your Royal Highness, please allow the guards to take the lady to the infirmary," His knight spoke.


    "Sir Julius, I would like to see the medical system supporting the staff and workers of the palace myself, " Prince Nero said, leaving no room for arguments. He couldn''t tell his knights that he felt a weird connection with this lady. They would call him a softie if he told them.


    ''Still, a big softie, ''Giselle sadly smiled.


    "Do you not know the way towards the infirmary?" Prince Nero asked in a voice that didn''t belong to a five years old kid.


    Suppressing the brewing anxiety inside her, she replied with a soothing smile, "I just arrived today. And will be leaving soon. So, I didn''t think that it was necessary to remember the way to the infirmary."


    Hearing that she would be leaving soon, the kid quickly said, "Why would you be leaving?" Clearing his throat, he said in a controlled voice, "I mean, do you not like working in the palace?"


    _______


    Note:


    You guys might be wondering why this palace life? Sox let me tell you guys, the characters will play a high role in post captive scenes. Persephone is going to find a great friend in Giselle.. But just like Rome is not built in a days their friendship won''t be created in a single day either.

 Chapter 54 - Back To Negotiate

    Hearing that she would be leaving soon, the kid quickly said, "Why would you be leaving?" Clearing his throat, he said in a controlled voice, "I mean, do you not like working in the palace?"


    Seeing that the knights were a little away from the prince, Giselle said in a low voice. Only enough for two of them to hear. "You know that you are allowed to act according to your age sometimes?"


    "You know nothing," Prince Nero said with a shake of the head. "I have to be a mature one to let Bea not bear the burden of being a royal princess."


    Realizing that he had said too much, he took a step back, "Take care of yourself, lady. I hope you will treasure your health."


    Giselle closed her eyes, unable to bear seeing his retiring footsteps. A five-year kid had built walls as tall as a fortress around his heart. Was living the life as a prince worth every sacrifice made?


    ______


    "Percy, I am telling you that I am fine," said Giselle with a sigh. She had been telling this stubborn young woman that she was fine since she had returned from the infirmary but Persephone wasn''t ready to agree with her. She was hellbent on cursing Santiago and his upcoming nine generations for making the lives of ''innocents'' hell.


    Giselle shuddered wondering if he heard what Persephone had to say about him and his black business, what would he do? Would he intensify their punishment or would he kill Persephone for not shutting her mouth?


    Whatever, Gisselle feared her life. She wasn''t afraid of death, she was afraid of dying at the hands of Villain.


    "That man with a black heart must be tormented by the grim reaper, "Persephone said, gritting her teeth. She shoved a handful of peanuts in her mouth and said while chewing," If he was a peanut, I would have crushed him beneath my sharp teeth."


    "Can you let this matter slide?" Giselle asked her hopefully. "If he doesn''t agree to lessen our punishment, then don''t worry, we will figure it out ourselves."


    "I don''t understand you, Gissy," Persephone said while chewing. "You would rather tolerate that bitchy Sabrina than work for the cute and innocent princess."


    "There is nothing innocent about that little devil," Giselle murmured.


    "Did you say something?" Persephone felt as if Giselle was murmuring something.


    "No," She shook her head.


    [Must be cursing that damned Villain eloquently.]


    "Since you don''t want to work for the royal princess, I will surely help you," Persephone said. "Don''t worry I won''t ask you that the reason behind your decision is that perverted King."


    "Percy!"


    "Sorry, I will not call him with such a name in public but let me soothe my burning insides by calling all of the men dogs and bastards."


    "I wonder what men have done to you to make you hate their kind," Giselle said, rubbing her forehead.


    "The question is what they have not done to me to not make me hate them," Persephone shrieked. Shoving another handful of roasted peanuts inside her mouth, she munched on them angrily. "All my problems arise with men. Starting from my scumbag of a father and ending with my hot as sin captor."


    "Your captor? Who is he?" asked Giselle curiously. And hot as sin Captor?


    Persephone became silent as she realized that she had said too much.


    "No one," She said with unusual calmness. She didn''t look like the woman who was cursing men a moment before but like a woman who was about to do something evil.


    "Giselle, have you brought your clothes with you?"Persephone asked her hopefully.


    Giselle had an inkling that this young evil woman was up to something devilish again. Not wanting to be a party to her evil plans, she clearly told her, " I''m not going to be the party of whatever evil you are planning. I must remind you Persephone that Boss is not a very patient man. You must not provoke him again and again."


    "To hell with your boss," Persephone exclaimed. "I''m not planning something evil. I just need clothes that look better than this ugly uniform."


    Bringing out her suitcase, she said to Persephone, "Here are the clothes. Do whatever you want to do but only after I go to sleep."


    "No problem."


    Poor Giselle failed to notice the signature smirk of Persephone Marino which said that she was up to no good.


    _____


    With a devilish smirk, Persephone was staring at her beautiful reflection in the mirror as she twirled around. Currently, she was wearing a black and white mini polka dots summer dress. Since it was Giselle''s dress which was supposed to end at her thighs, but due to Persephone''s short height, it was stretched slightly above her knees.


    Her curly and unruly hair was straightened with the help of a straightening iron. Only Giselle could pack all her make-up and beauty products for the job of a maid.


    Whatever! She examined her flawless makeup in the mirror. It was neither cakey nor invisible. It was just perfect.


    Sigh, why was achieving no makeup look more difficult than other makeup looks?!


    [She was out to seduce a villain, Bitches. If he made her beg for Giselle, she could do the same.]


    Walking out of the room, she strode to where Santiago''s room was situated. Thankfully, it was only a five-minute way to where she and Giselle were staying, or else she would be caught by someone in this unusual attire.


    As she twisted the doorknob, she realized that his room was still unlocked. It was almost midnight. Why was he awake? Was he doing some illegal things here in this palace? Or was meeting his¡­


    Realizing where her stupid thoughts were heading, she shut down her brain''s thought process and entered the room. Earlier, she had only seen a little glimpse of his room, and now that she was here again, she realized that she could adjust a two-bedroom apartment into a single bedroom.


    "Why do I already know that you will be here?" Persephone heard the villain''s irritated question. So he was annoyed with her presence? Very well, she wasn''t dying to get a single glimpse of him either!


    She veered around to see a shirtless adonis standing a few inches away from her but why the small distance seemed as if he was miles away from her? His sturdy chest was smooth and droplets of water were appearing as if someone had sprinkled crystals on his tanned skin. Controlling the urge to wipe water droplets off his chest, she balled her hands in a fist.


    [So, unoriginal and predictive, Persephone. Say something. Break his sexy jaw with your witty retort. Do something. Stop eying his kissable lips. Do not gaze at his abs. He is dangerously handsome. Open your damned eyes and retort.]


    "Yes, Red. Retort. I''m waiting for your witty retort to break my sexy jaw," Villain said with an amused glint in his eyes.


    [Dang, did I just think out loud.]


    "No, you didn''t. It''s just that I can read everything you think in your eyes," Villain said, making her uncomfortable with his proximity. Did he mention she smelled like ocean and sunshine?


    "Are you here to negotiate with me for your new friend?" Villain asked her again. His voice sounded harsh. It was true that he was furious with her and wanted her to beg him for forgiveness but it wasn''t wrong either to say that her crestfallen expressions were enough to make him restless for several nights. Perhaps, he didn''t realize how much she affected his mood.


    Earlier when she begged him for Giselle''s freedom, he was supposed to find solace, not immense agony. Her whimpers and the bowed head were enough to ignite a painful fire in his heart.


    "N-No," Persephone said to him. She was again trying to be brave in front of him. But only she knew how much she was shivering inside. Closing her eyes, she said in one go. "I''m here to demand the dance you owe me. Be a man and don''t go back on your words. So what if our deal is canceled?! You still enjoyed it for a few days and accepted one of my wishes. So, you better fulfill it."


    Villain took a step towards her as he glanced at her from down to up. Of course, she had planned something. Look at her clothes and readymade face.


    Snaking an arm around her, he picked her tiny body up with a single arm. Her eyes were still closed when she realized that he had picked her up in his arms. She did a happy dance in her mind when she realized that she had been successful in her first attempt.


    But her happiness didn''t last long.


    ''Splashh!!!''


    Persephone opened her eyes as she felt like she had fallen into the sea. Opening her eyes, she saw herself in a swimming pool. Looking up, she saw Villain looking at her disgustingly.


    [The nerve of this man! He had tossed her in the swimming pool like a sack of potatoes.]


    "So ugly," He murmured as he scrunched up his nose and bent down to grasp her arm. Pulling her to his side by her arm, he grabbed a dry towel and gently scrubbed her face to get rid of ugly power.


    "You!!"


    This disgusting man!


    How dare he!


    It took her hours to reach the perfection of a professional makeup artist!!


    "No need to seduce me by putting flour on your face. Just come naked next time," Villain said with a straight face.


    "Damn you, Villain. Who the Hell was trying to seduce You?! Persephone shrieked and Villain swore that the entire Maisean empire heard her screams. But he didn''t shut her mouth. If the whole Maisean Empire heard her, it meant Captain Gabriel also heard her? Wouldn''t it be better if he knew to whom this woman belonged?


    " You, "Santiago said seriously.. "But I must tell you that it didn''t work with this thing on your face."

 Chapter 55 - "Tell Me, Red, Do I Have To Kill Him?"

    "Why must you do this to me?" Persephone was on the verge of crying. Her clothes were dripping with water, her make-up was ruined and her hair was a tangled mess. "Giselle will kill me for ruining her clothes."


    Santiago scowled at her. Pulling her to his side, he glanced at her coldly from head to toe.


    "Why did you borrow clothes from her?"


    "Remember you kidnapped me from my wedding?" Persephone''s innocent voice was filled with derision.


    "I do remember. But if you remember it so well, then why do you try to run away from me?"Santiago asked


    "Villain, you can''t blame me for escaping when you run a brothel on the island. Do you know how disgusting your profession is?"Persephone sneered. "Not only this, you told me that the old perverted man wants me. From the time I met you, I have been kidnapped twice and also twice I almost got r*ped."


    Persephone shivered as a gust of wind passed through her. "Rest assured, I will not run away from you anymore. Not because I don''t dare to, but because I am tired of escaping my fate. I will accept whatever it will throw at me. Even enduring an infuriating captor like you." Or marrying Nicolas after going back to New York.


    "Why do you always fight everything, Red?" Santiago asked her in a mellow tone. She shuddered as she felt his warm breath on her neck. Pulling her close to his chest, he nibbled on her ear and neck.


    "B-because I want to live. Not for myself but for someone else," Persephone managed to utter the words. She closed her eyes as she felt his warm lips trailing the nape of her neck to her bare shoulders, leaving nibs and bites on the passage.


    Santiago paused as he heard her words. "For who?" Yanking the thin strap of her wet dress with his index finger, he pulled it down her shoulder. Tracing the tattoo on her left side of the chest, he murmured, "For him, right?"


    Jolting out of the daze, she took a step back and came out of his arms. She had promised herself that she would never go back to his arms again. And look at her already breaking her promises because of this man.


    But who would he be if let her leave just like this? He was Santiago Vitello, the hunter who lured his sinful prey to his cave to surrender not to let them go back. Persephone Marino was one of a kind, she had come to him on her own accord and he would be damned if he let her go back... ever. He would take and take and take until she would be nothing but an empty shell. A shell that would need him to survive.


    "Tell me, Red, do I have to kill him?"Santiago murmured as he took a step forward.


    The fire in her eyes died as she heard his words. A numbness spread to her body. Yet, she found herself replying to his question," Even after dying, he is still alive in my heart like a never extinguishing flame. Tell me, Villain, how would you kill him when all the biggest forces of the word failed to kill him here?" She ended her last sentence by pointing at her heart.


    Santiago could not understand what this burning kind of pain he was feeling when he heard her words. That man, whoever he was, still lived in her heart even after dying. He was the fuel to her blazing personality. And here he was, he had everything a man needed to live a life of a king, yet at this moment he, Santiago Vitello, was the poorest man he had ever known.


    He mocked himself as he realized that he was actually jealous of a dead man. He also realized that the ring Persephone was talking about, must be given by him. More reasons to throw that damned ring into the sea where she would never find it.


    Seeing that she was walking towards the door, he called out after her, "Where do you think you are going?"


    Persephone didn''t look back but she did pause in her footsteps. "I''m going back to my room."


    "Do you not want to achieve your goal?" He was asking her if she didn''t want to take what she came here for.


    Thinking that he was ready to grant freedom to Giselle, she immediately turned to face him. "Are you ready to grant freedom to Giselle---"


    "Giselle? Who Giselle?" He furrowed his brows, feigning confusion. "I''m asking about the dance that I owe you."


    Clenching her hands in a tight fist, she controlled the urge to claw his face with her sharp nails. He was having fun tormenting her, wasn''t he?


    "What? Do you not want to dance with the owner of a brothel now?" Santiago asked her in a mocking tone.


    "Sure, Villain. Sure. "


    _____


    "Prime Minister Joseph, it seems like the situation is getting out of our hands. We have lost hundreds of millions of dollars in a single night. " The man sitting in front of PM Joseph said.


    PM Joseph was a tall and fit man in his early fifties. He was looking out of the window with a cigar in his mouth, was holding a pen in his hand whose tip was getting crushed against the paper.


    He would never forgive Santiago Vitello for ruining his plans. The City of Lorenta was his golden goose. But that ardent follower of His Majesty swallowed his golden goose in a single night.


    Behind the veil of poverty and backwardness of Loretta city, he was running several illegal businesses worth hundreds of millions of dollars.


    "How did he get hold of our illegal businesses?" PM Joseph asked calmly. Anger and frustration didn''t suit his face. He was a humble and kind-hearted politician in the eyes of people. Nonetheless, a politician indeed.


    "He didn''t," the man quickly said. They all would be surprised to know that whatever Santiago did had nothing to do with the political agenda.


    The pen in Joseph''s hand paused and he looked up to see his associate uttering nonsense again. He asked again to confirm if he had heard something wrong," He doesn''t?"


    "Yes, PM Joseph, he has no idea about your side businesses."


    Joseph slammed his hand on the table. "Then, what the hell did he achieve by destroying my business? What was his intention?"


    The man hesitated to speak first but then thought that it was necessary to save his life right now. So he immediately confessed what he knew.


    "There are rumors. I mean there are several rumors floating in the area that Santiago Vitello did this for a woman. Apparently, a gangster in the west of Loretta tried to take away Vitello''s woman. In retribution, he destroyed the entire city. He set an example for everyone not to eye his woman."


    "A woman?" Joseph chuckled. "A woman indeed. Who else but a woman would be the cause of a man''s ruin."


    There was a woman in his life too who was the reason for his restless nights. But he would deal with her after the elections.


    "What are the orders, PM Joseph?" The man straightened his back and asked.


    "You have twenty-four hours to bring that woman to me. His Majesty is planning something to stop me from winning the election this year. But what would be His Majesty without his four pillars of strength?" Joseph laughed loudly. Shaking his head, "The disappearance of the woman will keep Vitello busy with his personal matters. And so, he will not shove his leg in political matters."


    The four dark horses were King Leonardo''s pillars of strength. And the public had also acknowledged the fact.


    "But Mr. Vitello had cleared many times that he had no interest in politics," The man said with furrowed brows.


    "You perhaps don''t understand His Majesty. He can be persuasive sometimes."


    The man nodded understanding what Joseph was saying. "I will bring the woman to you within the time limit."


    Joseph hummed in reply. "Any news on Duchess of Orin?"


    "She has not responded to our messages. She is making her stance clear by her silence that she will not marry you."


    "Ridiculous!" Joseph growled. "Did she not know that in the entire empire no one would marry that woman? I''m doing a favor to her by marrying her but no...her pride is bigger than the consequences she would be facing after rejecting me."


    ___


    Duchess of Orin, Calliope Wilding, the wife of the late Duke, Orlando Wilding. She was married to Orlando Wilding when she was eighteen. Orlando Wilding wasn''t a noble, he was a Sicilian businessman who once came to do trade with the empire. Since he was a very rich and influential man, Calliope''s father, the then Duke of Orin, gave the hand of his only daughter to the wealthy businessman and passed his title to his son-in-law after his death, a few months after the wedding.


    It wasn''t uncommon in noble circles to give the hand of their children to someone wealthy when you have the title but not wealth.


    Orlando Wilding (38) died two years after his marriage in a plane crash, leaving his twenty years old young wife, a widow with all of his wealth. Since Calliope was his only family and they had no children, she became the sole owner of his wealth.


    [And, yeah, Calliope Wilding is Callum''s heroine. ]


    PM Joseph was obsessed with Calliope. He wasn''t a noble but he was a very influential man in the whole of the country. He knew that after marrying her he would be not only getting the title of duke but also the immense wealth that Orlando Wilding has left behind.


    ____

 Chapter 56 - Exotic Fruits Amd Persephone

    "Persephone, please pass the flour container," A voice said anxiously and Persephone looked around as her head started spinning.


    Seeing the hustle-bustle in the royal kitchen, Persephone had an urge to cry her heart out. She was never taught how to cook. Worse, she didn''t even know what thing was called what!


    Last night, Villain didn''t make any promise to her. Nor did she expect him to free Giselle of duties of a maid. But he did. Not only was Giselle stopped from working for Sabrina and the royal princess but also she was told that she would be working in the royal kitchen strictly and she wasn''t allowed to wander in the palace.


    Thankfully, the containers had a name tag on them, or else she feared what she would have done. Handing the container of flour to the chef, she heard someone calling her. She turned to find the head chef''s associate asking her to cut some fruits.


    [Dang, how do I tell them that I have no experience in using knives?]


    [Sob. Sob. I regret the time when my mom (Carina) used to drag me to the kitchen to give cooking lessons. But I was so hopeless in the kitchen that even she threw me out.]


    "Sure, where are the fruits?" Persephone asked them with a smile.


    "In the storage. Go to the storage, Milli will hand you the basket of the fruit that you need to help her in cutting."


    She entered the storage room and found a young woman dragging the big fruit basket. "Oh, the chef sent you? Come help me to remove their outer covering. Rest I will handle."


    " You mean I don''t have to cut them for the salad?" Persephone asked her hopefully.


    "Do you have any experience?" Milli asked her directly.


    "No."


    "Then, just remove the outer covering."


    Although Persephone was left alone in the arena of sharks and had no experience in dealing with these new people who were looking with eyes full of hostility, she still was trying to be useful to them. It was not because she was looking for a way to elope again, but because she had abandoned all hopes of running from Santiago. She knew that this was his territory and no matter where she went, he would find her. Additionally, she had been assaulted twice.


    As Persephone was helping Millie to carry the basket to the other side, she heard Millie talking to her.


    "Are people trying to create problems for you?"Millie asked with sympathetic eyes.


    "How do you know?" Persephone was shocked to hear that.


    "Your accent." Millie sighed. "Are you perhaps Italian by any chance?"


    "Yeah¡­" Persephone realized something. Whenever people would ask her if she was native. She would just reply to them that she was Italian. And what she thought was a surprise in their eyes wasn''t surprise in actuality but hidden disgust.


    "Locals hate mainland Italians for a number of reasons," Milli told her. "As long as you hide your Italian accent, you will be fine."


    Persephone had nothing to say. So, she just nodded.


    When Millie removed the cover of the basket, Persephone was amazed to see a number of weird fruits lying in the basket.


    "What are they?" Persephone couldn''t help but ask.


    "Umm...fruits that you are supposed to cut."


    "Are they exotic fruits?" Persephone questioned while studying the purple, violet, and green fruits.


    "Exotic?" Millie frowned. She had heard the word for the first time. "I do not know what exotics fruit means. But these fruits are indigenous to our country. They are harvested this month." Pausing, she saw Persephone poking her fingers at the fruits like a kid playing with something fascinating. "I will show you how to cut them once, okay?"


    Persephone nodded excitedly.


    She was initially worried that she wouldn''t be able to do this but with the simple method that Millie had taught her, she quickly engaged in the task.


    "Cough Cough. Milli, what''s this smell of dead rotten rat?" Persephone had tears in her eyes from coughing. She had stopped breathing from her nose in fear that she would puke right here.


    Milli grinned. "Welcome to the Maisean Empire."


    Ah, Persephone understood that it wasn''t the smell of the dead rotten rat but the ''fruit.''


    Sniffling tears, she continued with her work while cursing King Leonardo and his fetish with smelly fruits.


    ¡­.


    "I''m done. Can I please leave to get rid of this smell?" Persephone asked her hopefully.


    Milli laughed at her but nodded in the end.


    She had to agree that this woman who Santiago asked her to take care of, was kinda cute, and amusing. Especially, when she thinks no one heard the innovative curses she had spelled on Villain and His Majesty.


    As Persephone exited the room, she collided with a hard chest.


    "Fuck off, you filthy human being¡­"


    Upon hearing her colorful words, Captain Gabriel burst out laughing. He had to admit that this fiery fella was getting fascinating by each passing moment.


    When Persephone saw her yesterday''s pawn laughing at her, she felt a little uneasy. However, she quickly hardened her expressions and tried to be as casual as possible.


    "Don''t you think that your vocabulary has taken a U-turn since yesterday?"Captain Gabriel asked her, thoroughly amused.


    "Pawn *Cough Cough* Sir, can you please let me go? I''m smelling like dead rotten rats, "Persephone tried to negotiate with a smile. But damm, this man was not ready to move.


    "Pawn?" Gabriel said, raising his brow. "Nevertheless, you smell of roses and sandalwood to me, Mia Amour."


    Behind Millie was getting nervous with each passing moment, she knew that she would be fired if she didn''t shoo this pest called Capital Gabriel from Persephone.


    She sighed only in relief when she saw Villain behind Captain Gabriel.


    "Did the armed forces headquarters shift to the Royal kitchen?" Santiago''s voice not only brought shivers to Persephone''s back but also the high and mighty Captain Gabriel.


    "Mr.V---"


    "Scram!"


    Just as Captain scarmed, Villain said with a frown as he took a step back and covered his nose, "Why do you smell like a dead fish?"


    "Damm, Villain, can you at least say something romantic like him?" Persephone sulked. A real man would never put forward the flaws of a woman in public.


    "I heard he got an STD from sleeping around. Do you wish for me to share them with you?"Santiago blinked at her.


    Behind them, Millie blushed like a teenage girl.


    When Persephone noticed Millie''s red face. She sighed and said pointing towards Santiago," Trust me, he ain''t anything special. Always sleep with a man like Gabriel who will at least say a few mushy words to boost your womanly ego. But men like this villain? Tsk. Tsk. We women should commit suicide."


    "PERSEPHONE MARINO, do you want me to remind you what''s so special about me?"Santiago growled.


    Persephone laughed evilly and took a step forward. Showing him her smelly hands, she ran towards," Oh, Villain, why don''t you show me?"


    "Do not come near me, You smelly woman." Santiago ran away from her. Lord knows how much he hates these fruits. And now he was running for his life from this evil woman.


    People were staring at them but did they care?


    Hell, no!


    "No, no, no. I want you to remind me again what''s so special about you?" Persephone wasn''t going to stop. She would avenge all the sufferings inflicted on her.


    "Olfactory Cortex in my brain must be cursing you," Santiago said, huffing


    Before Persephone could find Villain, he disappeared as soon as he turned left. But who was she? She was Persephone Marino, and she would find him again and make him smell what this dead fish smelled like¡­


    She checked almost every room to look for him on this side of the wing but she didn''t find him anywhere. As she entered the last room on the row, she felt a shiver down her back as she heard someone closing the door behind her. Since the sunlight coming from the door was the only source of light inside the room. The room turned pitch black as the door was closed. She felt someone covering her mouth with a handkerchief.


    The last thing she saw was the silhouette of two people trying her up.


    ____


    "She is unconscious. How will we take her out of the palace? " The first man asked.


    "We came here in disguise of workers, didn''t we? Where is the carpet they told us to take out? " The second man inquired. "Wrap the carpet around her body. She is tiny. We will manage."


    "Quickly man! She smelled worse than shit ''


    ____


    Outside, Santiago was busy on an important call. When he was done with the call, he saw Milli coming out of the storage room where kitchen commodities were held.


    "You did good," Santiago told her. "Make sure she didn''t cause any trouble for herself or others. And keep looking out for her."


    Millie nodded.


    "Where is she?"Santiago questioned her when he didn''t find his evil Red.


    "Umm...she was looking for you¡­"


    "Okay, I will be leaving. If you have any problems related to her, call me immediately."


    When Santiago was heading to the main wing of the Palace, he saw two workers carrying a huge carpet towards the exit.


    "Where are you heading?"Santiago asked them.


    The workers froze but they managed to calm themselves down. Santiago knew that this was the effect he had on everyone. Everyone was afraid of him. So, their reaction was nothing new.


    "There, "One of them replied while pointing at the load carrier vehicle standing far from them. "We are replacing the old things on orders of our manager."


    "Carry on," Santiago said and walked away but he stopped for a moment before he smelled something similar to dead fish.


    ''It must be red who has put this dirty smell on me.''

 Chapter 57 - Kidnapped Again

    "Wait! You two!"


    The two kidnappers felt their bodies stiffen as someone called them from behind. They couldn''t stop themselves from feeling that they had been exposed. If they were exposed, they couldn''t even dare to fathom the punishment that they would be going through. Stealing Vitello''s woman was akin to suicide already. But this job was going to earn them at least two to three grand USD which was a huge sum in their currency. Moreover, only after taking the risk, they could earn some big money.


    The manager swiftly walked and stood before them. Scowling he said, "You two just picked up the carpet and left the rest of the stuff in the storeroom?"


    The manager was already annoyed with his lazy workers. It was already a big deal that their company was managing the grand event that was going to be celebrated in the palace in a few days. Therefore, they couldn''t imagine making any kind of mistakes. One mistake and they would be out of the industry.


    The kidnappers realized that they were still not caught. They still had the opportunity to take this woman out of the Palace. "We will pick the stuff after placing this carpet in the load carrier. Manager, the carpet is very heavy so please let us place it first."


    "No, put the carpet here and pick the other things first. I do not trust any of you as you all have the tendency of slacking off. " Of course, he was not going to let them get away from his eyes. "Are you hearing me?"


    "Yes, manager," One of them immediately said. Turning to his partner, he continued, "Let''s just keep this carpet at the side. We have done a hard job of rolling it. Let''s not have someone undo our hard work."


    The second one naturally added. Flattening the carpet meant losing the woman. And losing the woman meant getting their head slaughtered.


    "Why does this carpet smell so badly?"The manager asked, covering his nose in disgust.


    "The carpet was damped and you know the odd stuff that had accidentally gotten poured on it in the storeroom. We shouldn''t waste our time." The second one instantly changed the course of the topic. Even they were disturbed by his disgusting smell. What could they do?


    "Finish your work quickly."


    ___


    Three hours. It took those two kidnappers disguised as the company workers three freaking hours to do that shitty random work. During this time, Persephone who unconsciously wrapped inside the heavy and thick carpet was breathing shallowly. She could sense that she was confined in a small space and this was also the reason why she couldn''t breathe properly. The sweat and this darn stench were killing her. Still, she couldn''t open her eyes or use her hands or feet to get out of this confinement.


    A duct tape was pasted on her mouth to shut her. But it seems that those idiot kidnappers didn''t know that duct tape actually didn''t work to stop the captive from screaming. They had watched way too many Hollywood movies. Moreover, she could tell that these kidnappers weren''t professional like her father''s men in NYC or Villain''s men here.


    After all, she was a woman with experience in kidnapping. Not once, but twice. It was the third time she was getting kidnapped.


    "Alpha, the carpet is still here. Let''s pick this quickly and leave."


    "Hurry up, little Gama. We must not be caught."


    "What''s this disgusting stench?"


    "Lord knows¡­."


    "Let''s just leave."


    Persephone could hear two men speaking to each other. She felt like someone had picked her up in the air and was now walking.


    [These pallbearers (not exactly) of mine are now scaring me.]


    She wanted to scream but her slightly unconscious body wasn''t permitting her. Perhaps, it was her brain that was still conscious which was telling her that she was getting kidnapped... again.


    Damm, she should be given the Guinness world record for getting kidnapped for the maximum time in just a limited amount of time. Oh, yeah, look at her for breaking world records.


    As they walked a few steps, Persephone heard Villain''s voice from afar.


    She struggled to scream but no voice was coming out of her mouth. But she was hellbent on screaming¡­


    And so she did¡­


    "Villain!!!"


    It was a muffled scream but she did.


    "Little Gama, increase your speed. This bitch is awake."


    "Villain!"


    They kept on walking fast as she continued screaming.


    _____


    "Mr. Vitello, everything is alright?" A soldier dressed in a military uniform asked Santiago who seemed to have stopped giving them orders. They could tell that he was distracted.


    "Do you hear someone calling for me?" Villain asked the soldier with furrowed brows. He swore that he heard Persephone calling for him or his brain was playing games on him again?


    "Umm...No." Soldier awkwardly replied.


    "You all can take a short break. We will discuss the security arrangement after thirty minutes. His Majesty''s security must not be neglected during the celebration." Villain walked towards his resting room wondering if he had really heard Persephone''s voice. He couldn''t help but think what he must do to get her out of his thoughts. That sneaky little thing had crawled into his dreams, thoughts, mind¡­


    Little did he know that it wouldn''t be long till she would sneakily crawl into his heart too or perhaps, she had already entered her heart.


    "Yes, sir!!" He heard the soldiers behind him say.


    As if on cue, Santiago''s phone rang. His expression turned frigid all of a sudden as he heard the content of the call. The guards surrounding him could sense the bloodlust which he was emitting.


    "Villain!"


    He again heard a muffled scream but when he looked here and there, he saw that there was nothing in front of him but two workers loading the load carrier vehicle.


    Persephone had gone missing again! He didn''t know what to do with her. He was going crazy now! Had she not learned her lesson? Did she forget what happened last time? Why must she put her life in danger time and again?


    Closing his eyes, he smelled a familiar stench and subconsciously followed the stench and he reached near the vehicle which had just turned on.


    His phone rang once again.


    "Check all the cameras. Make sure you find her soon. I need Persephone Marino at all costs."


    "Villain! Help me."


    Another low scream again. But this time, he was sure that he heard it. It was his Red''s voice. She was screaming for help. But where was she?


    "Red, where are you?" Santiago shouted, his expression pained. He was glancing here and there, looking all lost and pained.


    His eyes focused on the same load carrier once again.


    ''The stench¡­ that was Red. And she had to be in that vehicle.''


    Shit. Shit. Shit.


    "Get me a car now! " Santiago shouted to a soldier patrolling the palace. A moment later, an army jeep stooped in front of him. He slid into the driver''s position and said, "Give me your gun. Inform the police to stop car number XXX. I want that woman to be safe by my side. Do you get it?"


    "Yes sir!!"


    ¡­.


    "Sir, we lost them," the military man sitting beside Santiago informed. "They weren''t even stopped by the police. It seems that we have to take help from the military."


    "Officer Collin, take the military vehicle back," Santiago said as he stopped the car and got out of it. "Inform his majesty not to involve state forces at any cost. This is a conspiracy. I repeat this is a conspiracy to frame him. It''s your responsibility to protect our king and people."


    "Yes, but let me help you, Sir," The officer tried to negotiate with Santiago.


    "No," He refused. "I will manage ahead."


    Santiago walked for a few meters and then slid into the black range rover parked by the road. He lost Persephone''s car. Even the police failed to stop the kidnappers. As a professional criminal, Santiago could say, it was a bigger conspiracy. If it wasn''t, the kidnappers wouldn''t be able to pass twenty police check posts with ease.


    He dialed a number and immediately the rest of the dark horses were connected to a conference call, "Bloody rain."


    Bloody rain was the code word for plan B.


    "What are the orders?" Nash''s calm voice was heard.


    "Nash and Callum, engage Marinos with small battles. Make sure they can''t reach Maisea with their full power. Russian, Irish, Mexicans, or I don''t care who you make your ally for the time being. Nicolas and Alessandro must not reach here."


    "Killian, keep our men ready. Make sure they trace her location before she enters and non traceable area."


    "On it, San," Killian grunted.


    "And keep His Majesty along with the royal prince, princess, and the Duchess of Orin safe. Joseph had lost his bloody sanity. If he fails to get Persephone, he will surely go for these three.. Innocents must not suffer because of our personal problems. "

 Chapter 58 - "My Dear Enemies, Watch Your Back, Killian Palmero Is Coming For Your Heads."

    "Shit! We really did easily cross the check posts?" First kidnapper excitedly said to his companion. When their boss said that police wouldn''t be an issue that they couldn''t handle, they literally thought that the other party was bluffing as this mission directly involved the most untouchable family in the country.


    But little did they know if the victim was somehow associated with the royal family, then, the mastermind behind them was the PM Joseph itself.


    "Yeah, since we have changed the car here, you need to handle this girl well, and please do something about this stench because, if you don''t, I will die of lack of oxygen. I can''t breathe in here," He said, his hand pinching his masked face.


    After losing Santiago and his men, they immediately changed their car. They were to change cars five more times before they reached their destination. To tell the truth, their plan was exceptionally good.


    "Well, we can''t do anything about the smell," the second man said. "What do you think is so special about this girl that we were offered a huge amount?''


    " What does it have to do with us?"The first one said, "She can die or live for all we care. As for who she is? I don''t care at all about her identity as long as we get the money that we were promised."


    "Hmmm¡­. Did you send her picture to our boss?"


    "Oh, I forgot. Why don''t you send it?"


    The second man clicked a picture of Persephone''s sleeping face and sent it to their boss.


    ___


    Meanwhile, on the other side, PM Joseph and his lackeys were waiting for updates on the woman from their men. From their spies in the palace, they had heard that Santiago Vitello was hunting their men like a dog sniffing the bone.


    He was waiting for Santiago to involve armed forces in his personal mission. His goal wasn''t to just kidnap the woman for nothing, he aimed to see Vitello and his three men losing control over the woman, resulting in their negligence over His Majesty''s security during the Moon festival which was going to take place a few days from now.


    With one shot he would win the upcoming election, and with another, he would convince people to throw Monarchy out of the country as the king is incompetent.


    "PM Joseph, have you ever thought why would Mr. Vitello tried to protect this woman?" His assistant had a thoughtful expression on his face. "If she was really his woman as Winnie is trying to say, why would she need to work in the Palace as a maid? Vitello had enough money to last his three generations without bothering to work. It doesn''t fit well with. Moreover, there are other rumors too¡­ For instance, she was on the run¡­Jeno''s men found her in an oil barrel. Don''t you think all of the incidents are way too suggestive?"


    "What do you mean by that, Brad?" PM Joseph asked him curiously. He knew that he couldn''t ignore what his assistant just said. He was paying this man to think and see what was not naked to his eyes.


    "I mean nothing ambiguous, PM Joseph. I am just trying to ask you to let me investigate this woman first¡­ Who knew that she was a criminal or something of great importance on the run?"


    "You are trying to say that you want to look for her in the underworld?"PM Joseph managed to let out.


    Only the men sitting in this room knew how much the word ''underworld or mafia'' was frowned upon in this country. Decades ago, Italian Mafia organizations had looted and plundered their rich country, caused a civil war, and killed almost every member of the royal family. It was only after the long member of the Maisean Royal family, King Leonardo emerged with four of his friends and changed the narrative of the country.


    As for Vitello''s woman, PM Joseph contemplated for a moment as to what would happen if the woman was really of great importance?


    With a sigh, he said," You have time till this evening, find out anything you can with the help of her picture. And make sure the spies in the palace can send us every important or unimportant news. I will make this bloody royal family crumble. It''s time we end it for once for all."


    _____


    "Santiago, We have sent you Persephone''s last location. We can''t find out anything else, " Killian''s rough voice rang in his ear. "This place is at least sixty kilometers away from the capital. If all the tracking signals are blocked by barriers, it means the kidnappers have reached their destination."


    "Alright, I get it." Santiago drove faster as soon as he received the location. "Killian, don''t do something reckless believing my life is in danger. The enemy is looking for an opportunity to attack us as we lose our focus and control. You three pretend that nothing is wrong. Don''t come out of the island. Control everything from there. Blend our men with His Majesty''s and army. Most importantly, do not give Joseph an opportunity to strike. "


    "Santiago, if His Majesty''s life is important, so is yours. The place you are going is a dead end. People don''t return after entering that forest," Killian said in a hard and tired voice. Although he was trying to reason with Santiago, he knew deep inside in his heart that Santiago would never agree with him. "Let her die, she is of no importance to us if you die.


    "When we went on this mission, we knew that we could lose our lives. But we still went ahead with it, didn''t we?" Santiago paused for a moment before saying, "Kill, if I don''t manage to come back alive with Persephone, I want you to go ahead with the mission."


    "Damn you!!" He heard Killian banging the table in anger.


    "Kill¡­"


    "Shut up, Santiago. I will do no such thing if you are dead. I will hunt your soul in hell and bring you back here to torture the hell out of you," Killian growled. Yes, there are moments when the calm and composed Killian would lose his control. But pray that you aren''t the reason behind his loss of composure.


    Closing his eyes for a second, Santiago smiled and said, "If I don''t come back, I want you to know that¡­ I want you to know, Kill, that Lucien Marino had not killed her. She is still alive somewhere. He had hidden her from his father before he died. Don''t you dare to follow me here to die¡­ Complete the mission and look for her¡­ she is waiting for her brother to come and rescue her."


    ____


    "Dammit it!" Killian threw any object that came into his view. He was going berserk. How could Santiago do this to him? They were brothers for God''s sake. He knew that he wouldn''t let him go to that death valley alone. He would insist on going with him. Wasn''t it why he had an ace with him since the beginning? Dammit, he was called Villain for a reason.


    Killian had no idea when Santiago had received the latest update on his sister''s case. But was it the right time to tell him? He had intentionally informed him now¡­


    "Since you really want me to not follow you. I will not come for you, Fucker. Even if you die there."


    But he knew that he wouldn''t hesitate to sacrifice his life for him¡­


    "My dear enemies, watch your back, Killian Palmero is coming for your heads."


    _____


    "Boooom!!!"


    Nash grinned as he watched Alessandro Marino''s contraband worth millions turning into ashes in a few minutes. The burning smell of money¡­


    Wow, this was his second favorite smell after blood.


    "We were told to incite a fight between the Mafia houses, not to attract attention," Callum said from behind. His body was unusually stiff and his face too tense.


    Nash shrugged as if it had nothing to do with him. He simply loves the sound and smell of destruction¡­ People might call him a freak¡­ but it was what it was¡­


    "Did our men manage to find that duchess?"Nash asked him. They had heard stories of the Duchess of Orin but no one knew what she looked like or who she was¡­. She was way too reclusive¡­. People call her cursed as her mother died when she was born, then her father and husband too, a little after her wedding. Some even said that she knew black magic and voodoo stuff¡­ Some socialites that he had the opportunity of fucking informed him that Duchess of orin was an ugly, fat woman¡­ and he totally believe it. Or why else would she disappear from public eyes?


    "No," Callum said, his face even more tense. "I need to go back to Maisea tonight. Killian had lost his sanity¡­ he is screaming and breaking things¡­ punishing our men¡­ That''s not the Killian we know.. Plus, I need to find that Duchess at any cost and keep her safe with the royal family."

 Chapter 59 - His Death As Her Freedom

    To Persephone, this third kidnapping was not like the other two in the past. One would ask what changed this time. She could simply reply that she was 110%sure that Villain would come to save her.


    She was still the most precious treasure in his treasury. Not only this, but his objective involving her was yet to be proved.


    So, yeah, here she was chilling in the enemy''s turf.


    It was already late in the evening when Persephone and her new kidnappers reached their destination after changing more than five cars and. By now, Villain might have launched the search operation all over the country. After all, he was acquainted with the king, and after combining his and the King''s power, it wouldn''t take him long to reach her.


    Although it was dark outside and she couldn''t watch the surroundings when she was brought inside this wooden hut, she could still tell that they were somewhere in the middle of the wilderness. The buzzing sound of insects and cold air touching her skin was enough to divulge that they were far away from the city.


    Currently, Persephone was tossed inside a cell. The but might look small and withering from outside but who would have thought that the same place held such a visionary cell inside it.


    However, she was too lazy to struggle against them. She just knew that Villain would come and these idiots would die mercilessly at his hands.


    Moreover, what was the benefit of acting like a heroine? They were in God knows which secluded part of the world and she was a drugged, weak and not to forget unarmed woman against an army of skilled fighters.


    Her stomach rumbled much to her planning of laying low. Her cheeks turned scarlet as a man laughed at her.


    "Is this little bitch hungry?" He laughed along with his comrades and Persephone had to grow a thick skin to endure the temporary insult. After all, her life was more important than these few slurs.


    "Rambo, do not tease her," Alpha said as he appeared in front of her with a glass of cheap whiskey. "What would we do if her man takes our teasing seriously and decides to kill us for saving her honour?


    Persephone ignored the jibes and tilted her head to gaze at the moon. There was a small window in the corner of the room apart from the cell and door. She could clearly see the moon shining outside proudly and bravely.


    " Honor?"Another man appeared with a bottle in his hands. "I heard she is his mistress. What honour does mistress even have? She should jump in the ocean and die. Women like her who are ready to spread their legs are disgrace on the name of the woman."


    A smile tugged on her lips as she heard their jibes. Did they expect her to retort? Well, she was too numb to these repeated taunts. What do you think about how she survived in New York by hearing these same comments?


    Wait for the right moment and then strike. Don''t lose your control and then eventually your life¡­


    Have patience and forbearance ever had any side effects?


    Leaning against the cell wall, she let sleep overpower her. In her dreams, she was back to the time when she would visit young Santiago in his prison secretly. She used to wonder what kind of monster would keep him there against his wishes¡­ but when she got to know that the man was no one else but her father¡­ she had lost all of her trust in humanity.


    In her dreams, she saw her younger self kissing her younger lover''s wound to shoo the pain away.


    If miracles existed, she would have chosen to go back to that time.


    "Wake up! Wake up!"


    Persephone opened her eyes to a familiar pair of warm blue eyes full of concern staring down at her. In a daze, she caressed his face. Tears streamed down her face as she believed that she by any miracle had gone back to that time.


    Currently, it wasn''t Villain staring at her with those deadly icy blue eyes but her Santiago whose eyes were the ocean of love and affection.


    "Red, wake up from the daze. We have to leave now," Villain said once again, hoping it would wake her up.


    As if someone had poured cold water on her, she discovered that it wasn''t Santiago but Villain who had come for her.


    Although it hurt her to know that he wasn''t Santiago, it also brought an immense amount of joy in her heart that he had indeed come to protect her.


    "How--" The words stuck in her throat and wasn''t able to utter them out.


    As if understanding the thoughts running in her brain, he said,"Laters. First, let''s get you out of this ugly prison."


    Santiago helped Persephone to come out of the cell and after that they left the hut quietly.


    Santiago looked back once again as his eyes turned even more alert. They were currently standing in front of the hut where the kidnappers were lying asleep. Turning back to Persephone he said,"Run. Don''t come back looking for me. Two hundred metres from here in the south, you will find a creek. Wait for me there and if I fail to come back before dawn¡­ then run, Red. Don''t look back for me or anyone. Live the life you always wanted."


    To say Persephone was shocked would be a lie. She was scared. She was trembling right now.


    "What do you mean?" Her cold eyes moistened.


    "Consider my death as your freedom, Red. If I am dead, my men will stop looking for you. You will be a free bird. You need not to go back to New York, if you don''t want to."


    Persephone felt as if life had left her body as she met his dead serious eyes.


    "What if I ran away before you could reach the creek?"


    "Same, Red. Your freedom.. From me and your father."

 Chapter 60 - Mastermind

    Santiago ran back to the hut where the kidnappers were sleeping. Never had they ever thought that a slight mistake on their part would land them in such huge trouble. Now they were waking up one by one.


    "Boss, the girl is not here," Little Gama exclaimed as soon as his eyes fell on the empty cage.


    Alpha who was positioned outside immediately came inside. His mouth hung open as he saw the empty cell. Dammit, Gama wasn''t lying.


    "How the fuck she managed to get out the cell?" Alpha hollered. "Who the hell was keeping the key?"


    Rambo, who was snoring loudly, slowly opened his eyes as he heard his comrades shouting at each other. He opened his eyes only to find Gama and Alpha staring down at him with dark faces.


    "What the hell are you staring at me for?" Rambo asked them. He was a man in his mid-fifties but due to his tall and bulky figure, he still appeared as if he was in his mid-thirties.


    "The girl escaped. How will you explain this?" Alpha shouted at him angrily.


    Rambo hissed as his eyes landed on the empty cell. Standing up quickly, he examined his pockets to find the key and instantly took it out to show his comrades who were accusing him of betraying them.


    "If the key is here¡­"


    Alpha paused as he realized what it meant¡­


    However, the angry Rambo dashed towards the left where a delicate-looking young man was resting. Clasping his hands in the thick and lush hair of the young boy, he growled, "Emanuel, did you help the bitch to escape?"


    Emanuel looked up to see the angry look on his father''s face. He gulped the non existent saliva.


    "Did you help her or not?"


    "P-papa, I--I¡­"


    A punch landed on Emanuel''s face as he stuttered to talk. "How many times have I told you to be fucking man? Why do I have the misfortune of raising a pussy as my son? Grow a pair of balls before calling me your father."


    Emanuel was eighteen years old this year. Since he was born and raised in America by his single mother, he hadn''t met this father of his before he came to take him back with him after his mother''s death. His father hated him because he was different from other men. Just because he liked men, his father made it his life mission to make him a real ''man''.


    When they received this mission today, his father ordered him to join him as he would experience what it was to be a real man.


    But how could he watch his father and bunch of bullies who he called comrades to play with the life of an innocent young woman? He might not have a sister but he knew what it meant to lose one.


    This, he helped the man from earlier in rescuing the woman on the condition that he wouldn''t hurt his father. Although his father was a monster, he still was his father and his only family.


    Rambo looked at his son who was averting his guilty eyes. This reaction was enough for him to know what deeds his son had done!


    Alpha raised his gun and pointed it at Emanuel''s head, "Rambo, we can''t let your son ruin us!!! He has to fucking die."


    In the end, Rambo just coldly stared at his son. It wasn''t his fault that his son was a weakling and an imbecile.


    "I don''t care if you kill or torture this imbecile." Rambo''s cold words hurt Emanuel more than the wounds he had received. He closed his eyes waiting for death. As Alpha was about to pull the trigger, a gunshot rang piercing through Alpha''s head.


    Before other men could take out their weapons, four more were lying on the ground.


    Emanuel opened his eyes to see a man dressed in black standing at the door, holding a rifle.


    "Who are you?" One of the men among the group of soon-to-be-dead asked.


    "Your death," Villain replied coldly.


    "Come over here!" The man''s voice was deep, Emanuel thought he sounded colder than before. His gaze landed on Rambo who was staring right back at him with wide eyes. "Your son begged me to spare your life. But it seems that I have to break my words. You don''t deserve to live."


    Bang. Bang. Bang.


    Rambo wasted three of his bullets for nothing. He doesn''t know how but the man''s agility left him dumbfounded. One moment he was standing in front of him and the other, he was behind him, a weapon pointed at his head.


    "D-don''t shoot me, I will tell you who the mastermind is," Rambo said with slight hesitation.


    Santiago snorted coldly. He eyed the fool, who was initially talking as if he was the bravest man on the planet, then laughed dryly.


    "Why would I want to know about the mastermind?" Santiago asked him directly.


    Rambo met his son''s gaze, pleading with him to save his life. Despite seeing his father on the point of the bullet, Emmanuel''s heart wasn''t racing, his face wasn''t showing any kind of fear or concern. He was calm, too calm¡­ he didn''t know why but his heart had just given up on his father.


    "Would you mind that I am different from other men?" Emmanuel inquired.


    "Different? How?"


    "I-i like men¡­"


    Santiago frowned. "Why would I? Isn''t it normal?"


    Emmanuel shook his head. "Would you take me under your wing?"


    "Kid, you have a chance to run. You are not made for this world."


    Emmanuel stared at his father in response. "I wouldn''t never be the same. This man has changed me."


    "Since your son wants you dead¡­"Bang.


    Santiago looked at the mess he had created in the room. Every single man was dead.


    "Pick the ammunition. We have more men to kill."


    "Are they outside?"


    Santiago chuckled. "No, but if I guessed it right, they would be here in a few hours."


    "Oh¡­"


    "Can I ask where the young lady is?"


    "Probably, on the run."

 Chapter 61 - Caught By A Vixen

    Slowly, the color of sky was changing. The hues of red were piercing the darkness like hope emerging from the thick clouds of gloominess.


    Santiago and Emanuel were walking towards their destination, carrying the ammunition, the small weapons along with the packed food they could find in the hut to survive the deadly wilderness. Since none of them had ever been to this side of the country and had no idea about what kind of danger they might be facing later, they were prepared to deal with them the best they could.


    They were now walking towards the south where Santiago had asked Persephone to wait for him until dawn. He truly had no idea if he would find her there or not. After all, Persephone had a tendency to run away as soon as she got the chance. It didn''t matter to her if her decision would land her in big trouble.


    "How much do we have to walk to reach the creek?" Emanuel''s voice jolted Santiago out from stupor.


    "Just a few more minutes," Santiago answered in a tired and lazy voice. "Walk faster. We have to reach there before dawn or I am afraid that we won''t find her there."


    "I don''t think she will leave you alone behind," Emanuel said with a look of confusion. This man had taken the risk of saving her life at the cost of his own. So, she wouldn''t leave him alone behind, would she?"


    Santiago sneered,"Clearly, you don''t know her well."


    Emanuel shrugged innocently,"Of course, I don''t know her like you do. After all, she is your woman not mine."


    Emanuel''s words made Santiago pause in his footsteps. He glanced at the young boy and said,"She is not worthy to be my woman."


    To be honest Santiago''s words didn''t surprise Emanuel.He had long acknowledged that he was a little crack in his head. After all, what same man would put his life in danger for a mere woman?


    They walked and walked and walked and then...they finally reached their destination, the creek.


    But just as expected Persephone Marino wasn''t there!


    "She is actually not here," Emanuel said, staring at Santiago to find at least a flicker of surprise but it wasn''t there. "Why would she run away from here? Do you think other men approached her before us?"


    "No, I don''t think so. If they had entered the forest, they still wouldn''t have been able to reach the creek before us" Santiago placed the weapons on the dry land near the big rock. All around him, he could see big and small trees, bushes and tall grass.


    "Then, why did she run away?" Emanuel was still confused. Someone tell him the backstory also.


    "Apparently, I am her very first kidnapper. And as old school as it may sound, you don''t follow your captor but escape him," Santiago said and walked to the other direction after gesturing to the dumbfounded boy to look after their stuff.


    "Red!" Santiago shouted and his deep voice echoed in the forest.


    "Red!"


    His voice echoed in the dense forest once again.


    "Villain?!" She shouted back.


    He heaved out a long suffering sigh as he heard his voice.


    "Where are you?"


    "On your right." Persephone''s voice came from.his right.


    Santiago walked towards the source of the voice. And when he reached there, his eyes widened as he beheld the scene playing before him.


    Persephone Marino aka his damnation was naked and swimming in the cold water. Behind her on the two huge rocks, she had placed her clothes or the maid uniform. The water of the creek was so clear that he could see the tiny pebbles lying on the bottom and also¡­ her naked body.


    His body felt hot even though the wind at that time of the day was cold.


    "Stop staring," Persephone uttered. "It''s creepy."


    An unknown look appeared on his face."Persephone Marino! What same woman would jump in the freezing water when she knows that she is getting hunted in this deadly forest? Are you crazy or what?!"


    "I don''t know about the enemies after us but I can say that if I didn''t bathe I wouldn''t surely end up dying because of that horrifying stench" Persephone smiled and immediately grabbed to get out of the water. "Moreover, I know my knight will save his damsel in distress."


    "You have a misconception here, Red. You may not be a damsel in distress but I am surely a villain in distress right after the moment I met a walking and talking definition of trouble," Villain replied, his gaze focussed on her wet face. No, he was not staring at her tanned and smooth naked body. Yeah, he definitely was not!


    "Oh." Persephone snorted. "If you know I was trouble, then why did you drag me with you to your nasty world?"


    "Are you sure that you want to argue with me in this condition?"Santiago shamelessly ogled her.


    "You!!" She was at a loss for words. Still, she did nothing to cover her body. What was there to be ashamed of when they had done more dirty things than this?


    "Why don''t you go back? I have to wait for my clothes to dry," Persephone said and Santiago looked back at the uniform to find it wet. She had rinsed it in water to eliminate the stench. And it really worked for her. But now the problem was lack of clothes¡­


    "You are too silly," Santiago uttered. He couldn''t help but poke her head to remind her that she was nothing but another dumb woman he had the misfortune to come across. "The temperature here is certainly lower than the capital. It''s dawn for God''s sake and you were swimming in the cold water. And in a few minutes, you will start shivering. Is it a new way to die, woman?"


    "What die?" Persephone looked horrified. " You stupid man! Don''t you ever use die and Persephone in the same sentence."


    Santiago didn''t say anything. It is normal for him to see this reaction from her. Apparently, this woman hated death more than anything else in the world.


    She looked at her adonis again. When she was dying to think about various ways to cover her body, her eyes fell on him. She couldn''t wear leaves like tarzan to hide her private part but she could borrow his shirt for a few hours right?


    Moreover, her stockings and tights along with undergarments weren''t wet. She could still manage.


    "Don''t¡­" Villain warned her.


    "What?" Persephone feigned innocence.


    "Don''t even think about my clothes. I didn''t give you the super intelligent idea of jumping in the water."


    She smiled seductively and blinked those long eyelashes at him. "Please, Villain. You are the most dangerous yet handsomest man in the world. Won''t you pity me?"


    "Please---"


    "I don''t care."


    "Don''t be so cold hearted."


    "I said no."


    "How about a blowjob in exchange for a shirt?" This was her last resort.She grabbed his arm and started massaging it . She was shameless and she knew it. No need to remind her.


    "Persephone Marino! Are you a nymphomaniac or what?!" Was this woman seriously thinking she could bribe him with a blow job? Like seriously a blowjob? Well, she wasn''t wrong either¡­


    "You call it nymphomaniac behavior?" Persephone snorted. "I call it survival tactics!"


    "Did you forget that you told me that you would rather die than let me touch you? '''' Santiago fired back." If I remember correctly, you said I disgust you." She pursed her lips and started looking down at her feet. He was such a petty man. Continuing, he said,"Plus, where is your dignity as a woman? Is this how a dignified woman should behave?"


    A bewildered look flashed on her face as she stared at him. "Dignity? What is this concept? Can it feed me? Can it put clothes on my bare body? Can it give me money to survive? Most importantly, will it give me freedom to make decisions for my life?"


    "Okay, you made your point," Santiago said at the end.


    "Mister!!"


    Emanuel''s voice echoed.


    "Who''s he?" Persephone whispered.


    "A boy I saved from those goons, " Santiago answered while looking back.


    "Oh, I found you. Wait, I will be coming to you," Emanuel said loudly.


    "Damm," Santiago cursed. "Wear some fucking clothes."


    Persephone shrugged innocently. "I am a poor woman at your mercy."


    "Jesus Christ. When I said you were trouble, I was wrong. So fucking wrong. You aren''t a trouble. But my damnation," Santiago muttered while removing his coat jacket and then his black shirt before handing it to her. "Make sure, you don''t appear naked before him. Or I will kill both of you."


    Persephone inwardly grinned but outwardly she just shook her head like a good girl.


    Santiago headed to Emanuel leaving an elated Persephone behind.


    "Umm...you were gone for a long time," Emanuel said as soon as he saw Santiago coming towards him. "I thought some wild animals caught you."


    "A wild animal may not have caught me but a vixen sure had."

 Chapter 62 - Weapon Down, Vitello

    "How long would we have to walk?" Persephone asked.


    "I don''t know. I have never been to this part of the country," Santiago answered. "But we can''t stop until we see any sign of civilization. The forest is on the bank of the river. So, it''s clear that we will find humans sooner and later."


    Three of them were walking for about six hours but still, there was no sign of human civilization anywhere. Worst of all, the forest didn''t appear to end somewhere. If you ask Persephone she would say that it wasn''t a forest but a maze. All the paths were leading to nowhere.


    "Miss Persephone, we can''t rest," Emanuel said anxiously as he saw a huffing and exhausted Persephone sitting in the middle of the path. She was taking deep breaths, her legs and waist were aching like never before, and not to mention, her feet were stiff and throbbing.


    It was very difficult for her to walk a long distance because she wasn''t the one to cultivate her body with the necessary exercises. She would rather sleep until 11o o''clock than run early in the morning.


    "Miss Persephone, stand up and walk, " Emanuel said again as Persephone laid on the ground.


    Santiago, who was walking ahead of them, turned back to find her spread on the ground.


    "What happened?" He immediately asked.


    Persephone held up her hand to gesture to him to keep walking and she was just tired.


    As Santiago was about to help her to stand on her feet, they heard a gunshot.


    She stood up instantly and hid behind the huge tree near her. As per Villain''s orders, if they were abruptly attacked, she had to hide if she couldn''t assist them in fighting. Emanuel and Villain took their positions behind the rocks which served as bunkers for them.


    The first round of gun fires ensued for half an hour. When they made sure all of them were taken down, they immediately ran from that place. Before running from there, they checked their bodies to find something useful on them. They found some compass, ammunition, maps, first aid, etc with them.


    "We have to tread carefully," Santiago said to both of them and they nodded in return.


    Persephone glanced at Santiago who was sweating badly. She realized that his left arm was bleeding.


    "Don''t worry. The bullet just passed through it. Nothing serious," Santiago said as if hearing her thoughts.


    Persephone just nodded. She had no words to say to him.


    Looking at Emanuel, she found him walking limply. "Are you alright, Emanuel?"


    "I will be, Miss Persephone," Emanuel beamed. "The main road is just two kilometers from here."


    They carefully treaded according to maps. And as per those maps, they reached the road.


    But if they thought it was the end of their long journey, then they were wrong, very much wrong.


    "Hello, Love birds."


    Santiago and Persephone found at least twenty people surrounding the exit of the forest. This was the only way to come out of the forest and if the kidnappers guessed it right, they would surely try to follow the maps stolen from their men. And look, their mind-blowing brain had guessed it all right.


    Persephone gasped as she saw the pointed weapons at them.


    She looked back to find that Emanuel had yet to come out. So, she purposefully shouted, "Why do you want to capture us? What wrong have we done to you?"


    Santiago''s ears hurt hearing her shrieking like a madwoman in the middle of nowhere. But of course, he understood what she was trying to do. It was good that Emanuel was left out of it. He was innocent in this matter.


    "Someone shut her mouth. She screams like a madwoman," the leader of the group who was leaning against the black range rover lazily said.


    "What do you want?" Santiago questions them.


    The leader''s lackey sneered, "Do you think we need something from the likes of you?"


    "Perhaps, you do," Persephone thoughtfully said.


    "Boss, this woman needs to be taught a lesson. She doesn''t know that she shouldn''t talk between two men," The leader''s lackey, who was dressed in an awful yellow jacket and red pants, said.


    Persephone blinked her eyes feigning innocence, "You are a man?"She then gasped and turned to look at Villain with an expression that said she was genuinely surprised. " Villain, look he says that he is a man."


    "Yeah, it looks like it," Santiago lazily replied as he looked at armed men and then at the crazy girl beside him.


    "Boss! Look, they are insulting us!" The clown in bright yellow and blood-red stomped his feet on the ground dramatically and complained to his boss with a pout.


    "How cute!" Persephone clapped.


    "Boss¡­" The clown cried once again.


    Persephone moved ahead and looked at the clown and excitedly asked, "Hey, cutie, what''s your name?"


    The supposed cutie turned his face to throw a tantrum. To be honest, he was a kid in a man''s body.


    Persephone poked his arm and asked, "Tell me cutie, what''s your name?"


    "Covrado," He said after a while.


    Persephone had a thoughtful expression on her face. Looking at Corrado and his boss, she again asked, "Covrado like Avocado?"


    The boss was getting irritated with Covrado''s childish behavior. If he could, he would have shot him a long time ago. He was already vexed by the fact that all their men who had entered the forest had not come out alive. And now they were left with only twenty people. There was also some news that due to the worsening conditions in the capital, the city would be experiencing a curfew soon. So, only they had twenty people to capture these two, which didn''t seem to be a big problem.


    As for the real big problem, that was this clown bickering with the girl was more of a problem than capturing those two.


    Santiago watched how the armed men were distracted by Persephone and Covrado''s bickering. He slowly and carefully took a smoke bomb out of his musette bag.


    It didn''t even take him to throw the smoke bomb where the group of armed men was standing.


    When Persephone was walking ahead to stand near Covrado and his boss, she had counted the number of steps it would take to go back to Santiago''s side. Holding back her breath, she immediately stepped back just how she walked ahead in the first place.


    Santiago grasped her hand tightly and ran back into the forest. It would take at least a few minutes before the smoke would disappear. Until then, they would take their positions to protect themselves from their attack.


    Inside the forest, the view was a little clearer. Turning to Persephone, Santiago said, "Climb on the tree."


    "What?" She asked him.


    "I will help you climb the tree. Hide there. No Matter what happens. Don''t come down or get caught, do you get me?" Santiago asked her.


    Persephone had no choice but to agree with him.


    As Santiago was about to help her to hide on the tree, he heard her say.


    "Wait."


    He looked up to see a peck landing on his cheek. "Defeat the fuckers."


    He nodded. "Don''t come out even if I get caught, okay?"


    Persephone seemed to hesitate a bit but nodded in the end.


    The army of lazy boss infiltrated the forest. Santiago, who was hiding within the trees, shot every single person that came into his view. Since he was hidden from them, it was easy for him to shoot them. Moreover, it wasn''t the first time he was getting hunted by an army of skilled and armed people.


    He had hunted almost fifteen men of the enemy. As he was about to shot another one, he felt the coldness of a revolver against his neck. Since he was hiding behind the trees, not on them, he was discovered by the boss.


    "Weapon down, Vitello," The man''s voice was lazy and soft. He sounded as if he was sent here forcibly. His languid body language and expressions were making him more scary. "I have to admit that your woman is quite smart. Maybe, too smart to be good."


    "Tell her to come out and we will spare you," He then added.


    Santiago sneered. "Since you know my name, you would have at least heard about my reputation."


    Boss aka the lazy man chuckled and Santiago wondered how could a man chuckle so lazily? "You are nothing but a psychopathic motherfucker who is given the honor of a national hero. You and your there dogs are worshiped by the ignorant and innocent public. If they know the jobs that you carry for another psychopath that they know as their King, trust me they would kill you before me."


    Santiago snorted coldly. "What lessons did Joseph teach you? Democracy and shit? Did he even know what it actually means? You all are stepping stones for him to ultimately capture the throne. Fools.. All of you are fools."

 Chapter 63 - Dead

    "Call your woman out or I will shoot you!" The lazy boss aka Matteo Normani warned Santiago. They weren''t told by their supreme boss to kill Santiago Vitello. So they were only here to capture the woman. But if they had to kill him for ruining their plan, they wouldn''t hesitate to finish him.


    Even if they killed Santiago, Joseph would bear all the consequences. After all, the Royal family was in a big mess.


    "I don''t know what woman you are talking about,'''' Santiago told him calmly. "If you don''t believe me, ask your men to search the forest and see if I am lying."


    "Vitello, do you think that I am dumb? I clearly saw the woman with you. She deceived us and ran away with you," Matteo Normani hissed. Such a little thing had a deadly and big brain. She not only bickered with Covrado to distract all of them, but also helped Santiago to buy the time in throwing the smoke bomb.


    As a result, fifteen out of twenty men were killed. Now only, three soldiers, he and Covrado we''re alive. How he wished that it was that clown to be dead than the useful soldiers!


    "Throw your weapon," Matteo ordered. Since he had his gun pointed at Santiago, it was clear to the latter that he wouldn''t hesitate before pulling the trigger. Santiago threw the weapon on the ground and strode ahead as ordered by him. "Wherever you are, woman, come out. We will spare you man if you come out."


    Matteo didn''t see Persephone anywhere. In the deep forest, all he could see and hear were huge trees and the voices of birds and insects.


    "Since you don''t want to come out¡­. Then, don''t blame me for killing your man," Matteo shouted, his fingers on the trigger. "I will count to five. If you still didn''t come out¡­"


    "1..."


    "2¡­"


    "3¡­"


    Persephone, who was hiding on the tree, was sweating badly. She could clearly see Santiago grinning even when Matteo had his gun pointed at his skull. She knew that the devil wouldn''t think before pulling the trigger. She had seen two deaths in front of her¡­ she was responsible for both. She couldn''t see him die in front of his eyes.


    Again, she would be the reason for his death.


    Even if he was a criminal, a bad man, morally corrupt, she couldn''t see him dying.


    "4¡­"


    Shutting her eyes, he took several deep breaths before opening them. She was ready to show herself.


    However, as Persephone was about to call out Santiago''s name to reveal her location, a gunshot rang, piercing Matteo''s ear forcing the gun to fall from his head. Santiago immediately responded by kicking him in his crotch and grabbed the gun from the ground.


    "Who''s gonna kill who?" Santiago said with a chuckle.


    Matteo tried to kick Santiago but failed to get hold of the gun. At the same moment, the three alive soldiers emerged pointing their guns at Santiago but they failed as he used Matteo''s body as his armor and then shot them in the head.


    Matteo was dead and so were the three soldiers.


    Santiago, who was now relaxing his stiff muscles, looked at the south and spoke, "Come out, Emanuel. They are dead."


    When Matteo had caught Santiago in the bushes, he had seen Emanuel hiding a little away from him.


    Emanuel didn''t come out when Santiago was at the tip of the gun. He only reacted when Matteo was about to shoot Santiago. He had intended to kill the assailant but since he was bad at shooting, the bullet hit Matteo''s ear only. But it was enough to catch him off guard. His moment of loss of controlled was taken advantage of by Santiago.


    Next, Santiago helped Persephone to climb down the tree. As her feet touched the ground, she pulled him in a bear hug. "You stupid man! What if something were happened to you?! Can''t you respect your life by not putting it in danger?!"


    Awkwardly, Santiago rubbed her back. He didn''t know why she burst like an explosive. Wasn''t he just trying to save his life?


    Still, he said, "Your life is more important."


    Emanuel who was standing right beside them shook his head in helplessness. "And they say that they aren''t a couple."


    "I''m telling you, Villain, next time don''t put your life in danger," Persephone said, breaking the hug. Pointing her finger at him, she reminded him. "Do you get it?"


    Santiago nodded only to calm her down.


    "Emanuel, we should check their bodies. Maybe, we will find something useful," Persephone said immediately. It was good that she had watched and read a number of thrillers. And the knowledge was now helping them.


    Emanuel glanced at Santiago to ask for permission. After all, he was their supreme boss.


    Santiago again nodded his head.


    When Emanuel and Persephone were checking the pockets of dead soldiers, Santiago was trying to nurse his bleeding arm. He didn''t inform them that his vision was blurring and he had started feeling dizzy. Although he was strong, his hypoglycemia was not letting the bleeding to stop.


    "I found some money, cards, cellphones, and few other useful things," Emanuel shouted.


    "I found car keys, dude," Persephone shouted in excitement.


    "Let''s leave immediately. I''m afraid more people will come soon" Santiago informed them.


    Emanuel and Persephone started marching behind Villain with the stuff in their hands.


    When they were thinking that all of the enemy''s men were dead, the clown named Covrado emerged with a revolver in his hand.


    "Weapons down. Hands up. Or you all die."


    The three of them froze.


    "Do as I say or you all will die"


    The stuff that the three was carrying in their hands fell down as their raised their head in the air as per the orders.


    "Good. Good," Covrodo murmured. Pointing his gun at Persephone, he said, "You come ahead." Without looking left or right, Persephone stepped ahead. When there was only a few inches gap between the two of them, Covrado leaned forward and slapped her hard. Her lips starter bleeding due to the force of the slap. "This is for using me, bitch."


    "You---" Santiago marched ahead to kill him but stopper when a gunshot rang near his ear.


    "Come ahead and see how I kill your little bitch," Covrado threatened him.


    "Don''t come ahead, Villain. He is a freak, " Persephone shouted.


    Colorado shot another bullet near Persephone''s foot to scare her.


    She shrieked and stepped back subconsciously. To stop her from jumping like a rabbit, he shot another bullet behind her feet. "Stop jumping or another bullet will be targeted at your head."


    "Why are you doing this?" Tears streamed down her face. "Why am I getting targetted?"


    Covrado laughed evilly. "It is your fault for messing with my godfather. You are to be blamed for your misfortune."


    _____


    Hundred of kilometers away¡­.


    "Your Majesty!!" Sir Andreas''s anxious voice was heard inside His Majesty''s private chamber.


    "What happened?!" The King could guess something grave must have happened to affect his assistant this much.


    "The country''s in chaos right now. PM Joseph is dead," Sir Andreas said with a bewildered expression.


    "What?!!!" King Leonardo was left stunned.


    About thirty minutes ago, PM Joseph was found brutally murdered in Prime Minister''s residence. The security cameras were not working. He was found naked, his balls brutally crushed with a sharp weapon, his neck was stabbed by what seemed like a fork, his chest had marks of teeth and his head was banged on the wall again and again. From the looks of the corpse, it couldn''t be said that the killer was professional.


    "It couldn''t be any of the dark horse," King Leonard murmured, collapsing on the divan.


    "They can''t be. It was a messy kill," Sir Andreas found himself replying. "The public is going berserk. The royal family is getting blamed for his murder. Curfew is needed to be imposed to control the destruction, Your Majesty."


    "Call an emergency meeting immediately, " King Leonardo ordered. "And keep my children safe as soon as possible. No one other than their appointed knights and trusted maids to come near them."


    Sir Andreas nodded. He hesitated before asking, "What about Miss Giselle?"


    "What about her?"King Leonardo furrowed his brow.


    "She was last seen in the infirmary."


    King Leonardo cursed Santiago before saying, "Keep her safe with my children."


    "And inform Callum, Nash, and Killian immediately."


    _____


    A woman dressed in a white wedding gown could be seen running in the middle of a pistachio orchard. Black tears were leaking out from her eyes, dark hairs were peeking out of what seemed like a fancy bun, splashes of red were marring the expensive ivory fabric.


    "Your grace¡­." A whisper escaped Jane''s mouth as she saw her mistress running towards her in a bloody attire.


    "I killed him, Jane. I killed him. I have become a murderer in law''s eyes."


    "Shh¡­"the old servant they the basket full of green pistachios on the ground and embraced the woman in her arms.

 Chapter 64 - Negotiation Fails

    "Look...we can negotiate and come to a middle ground," Santiago said to Covrado. Although Covrado was carrying the gun, it couldn''t be denied that he was equally frightening and foolish. But it was this foolishness of his which was making him a very dangerous enemy currently. He could shoot all three of them and get away with consequence because he had the privilege of being called ''dumb.''


    Covrado sneered. As a petty and narrow-minded man, how could he let this woman, who made a fool out of him, get away just like that?


    He was the boss''s son. No one ever dared to talk back to him, much less make fun of him. But today because of this woman, he was mocked by the mere foot soldiers and not to mention that smug and lazy Matteo.


    Starting now, he would kill this woman along with her lover and their accomplice to avenge his mocked honor. Yes, they had stained his honor.


    "Even if you all beg me, I won''t spare you," Covrado hissed. "You made a fool out of me and expect me to forgive you? One just doesn''t step on a tiger''s tail and get away with it. He has to bear the consequences. You have awakened a sleeping dragon and now this deadly dragon will burn you with the fire of his wrath."


    Persephone sighed as she looked up to see Covrado once again,"Mr. Avocado *Cough* Covrado, if you''re the dragon then who is the tiger?"


    She asked the question in such a serious manner as if this particular question was going to make her score full marks in the boards. Even Avocado *Cough* Covrado was left speechless.


    Emanuel closed his eyes in despair. He just realized one thing: Miss Persephone doesn''t value her life.


    "You are deliberately fiddling with me," Covrado rightly accused her.


    She indeed was¡­ but what are you gonna do? Can you stop her?


    "Why would I?" Persephone gasped. "It was a genuine concern."


    "I''m telling you not to argue with me or...," Covardo threatened her, pointing the gun at her head.


    "Or what?" Persephone instigated him. "Or you gonna tell your mommy that some adults bullied green green little avocado?"


    Covardo was fed up with bullshit. This woman was clearly provoking him. Now, he was gonna shoot her to stop her from irritating him. But as soon as he placed his finger on the trigger, someone threw soil on his face. Few particles of soil entered his eyes, making the revolver drop from his hand. But as he could pick it up again, Persephone had the same revolver pointed at his head.


    "Little Avocado, who''s the tiger or dragon now?" Persephone asked him with a grin. As she twirled the revolver in her hand in a fancy manner, something passed on her brain which was missed by all the three men standing near her.


    Nevertheless, she didn''t drop the facade of being a mafia queen right now.


    Woah, she was going to experiment being a Dona on the first human being.


    Now, now, it was Covrado''s turn to tremble.


    "Y-you...do you even know who I am?" Covardo wasn''t going to stop throwing his name. He was one of those people who loved to show the weight of these words ; do you know who my father is?


    "Just a dumbo who thinks wearing glaring yellow and bloody red is going to make you a new fashion expert," came the swift reply. But it wasn''t Persephone who replied, rather it was Emanuel.


    Emanuel walked to him proudly and fearlessly. He smirked while looking at Covardo''s made face which was now melting (Apparently, the thick foundation on his face melted due to sweating.)


    Rolling his shirt sleeves, he added,"Miss Persephone, shoot the clown between his legs first."


    Persephone hesitated a bit but under Emanuel''s smug face and Covrado''s weeping face, she made a disgusted expression,"Eww, kiddo. I didn''t know you were into these things."


    "Miss Persephone, you are thinking too much. I just wanted you to shoot this dragon''s little tail. Even I wanna see how much fire he has," Emanuel said.


    Her gaze fell on Santiago''s silent figure. She noticed that his arm was still bleeding. Nodding to herself, she said,"Emanuel and Villain, collect all the things. We will leave."


    When Emanuel was collecting the necessary things they would need later, Santiago ordered Persephone to shoot Covrado or let him shoot him.


    Seeing that she was hesitating, Santiago said,"Shoot him, Red, or he will emerge as a formidable enemy later."


    Yet, she wasn''t shooting him.


    "Villain, let''s run first, "Persephone again said.


    "Persephone, kill him or let me kill him."This time Santiago''s voice was firm and hard. There was no way he was going to let him live.


    Emanuel who was standing right beside them nodded his head in agreement. " Yes, he had to die. Miss Persephone, you are too kind to spare this phony dragon''s life."


    Santiago had an urge to add that she wasn''t as kind as he was thinking but stopped himself as it was neither the right place nor time.


    "Yes, please spare my life," Covardo begged. Even the high and mighty boss''s son was ready to bed for his life.


    Snatching the gun from Persephone''s hand , Santiago pulled the trigger.


    "Emanuel!!! Runn!!!" Persephone shouted as soon as Villain realized what just happened.


    Ladies and gentlemen, the revolver was empty. Apparently, little avocado had fired all the bullets while showing his superiority. He was a bad shooter and had almost no knowledge about weapons. But Persephone, who was brought up by Marino Family, who eats and shit weaponry knew just by the weight of the revolver that it was empty.


    Later, Santiago wasn''t in his complete senses when he pulled the trigger. It was only when he fired the empty revolver...he realized that the stupid and crazy woman had been bluffing to buy them some time.


    Persephone and Emanuel ran towards the exit of the forest.


    But just as they were a few meters away, they heard a gunshot.


    However, what was most surprising about it?


    It wasn''t Covrado who was shot, rather Santiago by him¡­


    Persephone and Emanuel froze when they saw Santiago falling on the ground, clutching his bleeding abdomen.


    ____


    On Killian''s side.


    "Mr. K, we have a shocking new," Santiago''s assistant who was now working under Killian said, breaking the door. Pointing his finger at the iPad clutched in his left hand, he shoved the iPad before his eyes. "PM Joseph was found dead in the Prime Minister''s residence a few hours ago. The whole country is currently under heavy curfew. All kinds of phone and internet services have been cut off by the government. We traced Boss''s location a few hours ago...but now all the traces are suddenly gone."


    Killian, who had passed out in his office last night, was still in the same clothes and the bottle of expensive alcohol was lying on the ground.


    A few hours ago, he had too much hangover to stand, but just after hearing the news, his eyes were sharp and brain was sprinting at a fast speed.


    "Send a rescue team immediately," Killian shouted.


    "But boss has ordered¡­" the assistant was about to say something but was cut off by Killian''s glare.


    "What would you do with his orders if he is dead?"Killian shouted again. Lately, he had been losing his temper a lot.


    "Yes, sir."


    "You better be alive, Santiago or I am going to torture that bastard''s daughter till her very last breath."


    It wasn''t just his words but a vow.


    ____


    On His Majesty''s side.


    PM Joseph''s wife had died a few years ago, leaving behind a twenty five years old son. Currently, King Leonardo was negotiating with the Joseph family confidentially. Joseph''s corpse was found by his son, Ronan who had come back from Italy to visit his father as the latter had some news to share with him.


    There were rumors stating that Ronan and his father did not share a harmonious relationship. But both father and son were famous for their amiable relationship before the camera, contrary to the rumors. Then again, they were just rumors as they had no credibility to them.


    "Mr. Joseph, we know that you just lost your father and currently, you are not in a state of mind to take any decision," The King''s advisor who also acts as his assistant for all the political matters began speaking." But you must contain the deteriorating situation outside. The public is in panic. Some elements are taking advantage of the unstable political situation."


    The King was sitting on his chair in his study along with Ronan Joseph and the advisor-slash-assistant.


    "With all due respect, Your Majesty, what you are asking is too much," Ronan Joseph said. He looked too calm for the person whose father was just murdered a few hours ago.


    King Leonardo had to admit that this young man was impressive. Not only did he not let the party take advantage of his father''s death nor did he blame the crown.


    However, he had to admit it too that this young man was more scary and threatening to his position than his dead ambitious father.

 Chapter 65 - Dont Die On Me, Villain

    "Villain! Villain! Don''t you dare die on me," Persephone shouted for the nth time as she gently slapped his face to make sure that he remained conscious until they get some kind of medical help.


    Right now, Emanuel was driving the ranger rover left behind by Matteo and his little army. Even though they knew that using their car was not a good idea as these cars come with GPS which would certainly show all of their locations to the enemy, they still had no other option.


    Villain was dying¡­


    The fucker shot him in the abdomen¡­


    Not only did he shoot him but also successfully ran from there.


    Santiago could see Persephone''s blurred image shouting at him, cursing him to rot in hell if he dared to die, and all the innovative and amusing curses he had never heard before.


    Suddenly, dying didn''t feel painful to him¡­


    He used to always think that one day he would die and there would be no one to cry on his grave¡­


    But he had never felt those words more wrong than today.


    "Don''t die, Villain, please. Just stay with me," Persephone whispered, breaking into sobs as she felt his shallow breaths. Suppressing her sobs, she said, "Don''t you now remember your goal? You still have to screw the great Alessandro Marino over. There is Nicolas too. Make him regret that he failed as a man and so I will use the guilt against him to get out of the wedding."


    "Still thinking about you, Red?" Santiago painfully smiled.


    "I know that I am selfish, petty, narrow-minded and all the bad things," Persephone sobbed. "But so what? You were right. Goodness will not lead you anywhere if not become a hindrance in your path. Where did my goodness take me? My mom is dead, my brother is dead and the boy I genuinely loved as my family is deaf too. Now even you are dying...but you see, I will not let you leave me here to pick my pieces again¡­"


    Santiago knew what she was doing¡­ the stupid girl was boosting his ego. She was doing so in hopes that he would argue or nod with her.


    Stupid girl didn''t even know that he had no intention of dying¡­ but if he ended up dying...he had nothing to regret.


    After all, he never did something to regret.


    Good or bad...he would bear all the consequences¡­


    However, right now¡­ he couldn''t bear to see her crying...yet at the same time, he was feeling something for the first time in years seeing her in tears for him.


    Persephone Marino was bad for his health. She was as addictive as a deadly drug and intoxicating as alcohol.


    Seeing his eyes were about to close, she shook him again. "Listen to me, you stupid and ridiculously handsome Villain, you are not allowed to stop talking to me...if you did--"


    "If I did?" Villain terrorized.


    "Then...then¡­"


    "T-then?"He asked in a broken voice.


    "Then, I am going to marry Emanuel, have his babies and bury you in our back garden, " Persephone deadpanned.


    If Santiago could, he would have laughed at her being so cute.


    Currently, he was not her captor or her father''s enemy...just a man who was dying in the lap of a woman he found attractive¡­


    "Miss Persephone, please keep me out of your threats. I love my life and have no wish to end it soon," Emanuel screeched as he sprinted the car at a faster speed.


    "See, your ''little man'' is backing out," Villain tried to joke. But only if it was working¡­


    "Emanuel, I am going to bury you right beside Villian in our back garden after I marry you and have your babies," Persephone threatened the poor boy.


    "Please, Miss Persephone, I have a lover," Emanuel said while making a crying face.


    "So what?" Persephone said. "I have a lover too. Moreover, I have a fiance back at home. Still, I am sleeping with my captor. What''s wrong if we got married despite you having a lover?"


    Emanuel purses his lips as he had no retort to Persephone''s words. It was either she was so funny or she was too dumb.


    Looking down, she saw Santiago''s closed eyes, she shouted, "Emanuel, drive faster. He is not reacting...and¡­"


    ____


    "With all due respect, Your Majesty, what you are asking is too much," Ronan Joseph said. He looked too calm for the person whose father was just murdered a few hours ago.


    King Leonardo had to admit that this young man was impressive. Not only did he not let the party take advantage of his father''s death nor did he blame the crown.


    However, he had to admit it too that this young man was more scary and threatening to his position than his dead ambitious father.


    Now for what His Majesty was trying to obtain from Ronan was indeed too much. But nothing much that couldn''t be obtained with the right amount of the price.


    However, the question still remained answerless as to what did Ronan want as the price?


    Surely, he wouldn''t do this favor to the crown just for anything¡­ There must be something that Ronan desired.


    "Mr. Joseph," Leonardo called out his name in his trademark business voice. Deep and rough around the edges. He was, by all means, going to stop the destruction created by the dead PM. "I agree with you. What I am asking you is indeed too much...however as the king of the country it''s my first and foremost duty to stop the people from destroying the nation they got after a long struggle." He paused for a moment, his hands placed on the table, his eyes fixed on Ronan''s face, and his face still carrying a gentle smile as if he was talking to his own child. "If preventing the cause of late PM Joseph''s death from reaching the public ear is something that you can help us with...we will abide by all your conditions."


    Ronan Joseph was silently hearing what King Leonardo had to say. When he was taken against his own will to the King''s office, he was angry, too angry that he would have smashed this sly king''s face if not for the fact that he was the king, the ruler of the land.


    He had to admit that the king was not only sly but shameless to the core.


    Convincing him to not announce the cause of the PM''s death in public? Hah, the king had got some nerve to threaten him when he had the king and his supporters by their balls.


    Yet, he wasn''t going to do anything against them.


    The reason was simple: he needed something that only His Majesty could give him, the real reason why he went to his father''s residence.


    If His Majesty could give him complete ownership over that thing...he wouldn''t bother about how his bastard of the father died.


    Moreover, he had more reasons to not announce that his father was murdered and his balls were chopped than the royal family¡­


    Heaving out what seemed like a long and painful sigh, Ronan began, "Your Majesty, politics is what my father or you do. It has nothing to do with me. Although I am oblivious to the so heard hidden rivalry between the royal family and the late prime minister, I''m not so ignorant as to assume what His Majesty and his advisors are trying to attain."


    "It''s good to hear that the PM Joseph''s son doesn''t share his ambitions," King Leonardo said bluntly, making Ronan''s jaw twitch.


    They had heard that the king was known for his blunt and direct statements. But today they experienced what it felt too.


    "Again, my ambitions have nothing to do with my father and politics," Ronan replied calmly. Although his face was carrying an indescribable calmness as if nothing in this world can affect or offend him, he still was seething inside. He so badly wished to rip off this bastard''s face. Smiling a bit, he continued, "I can announce to the world that my father died of heart attack or cancer or whatever...but Your Majesty, you have to promise me to get me what I will request."


    King Leonardo was right when he said that this young man was as frightening as he was calm. Yet, he somehow impressed him. He reminded him a bit of the dark horses, Scary, calm, and shameless. Still, he was nowhere near any of them. Their charm was unspeakable...their auras too suffocating¡­ And their heart made up of gold.


    "Say what you want," King Leonardo sighed. He should have seen this coming¡­


    "Calliope Wilding, " came the reply, making all the guards pointing their guns at him.


    _____


    Note: We will be ending this arch soon. After this, the New York Arc will start and you guys are going to get drama with an endless supply of violence, a pinch of tears, sprinkles of ghosts, and garnishing the love pie with cuteness¡­


    One more thing...Santiago and Persephone''s character will go through a huge change in the second arc¡­ They will get more mature, wise, ''loving'' and obsessive¡­


    Plus, Callum and Calliope''s romance won''t be starting until the next big leap.


    ____

 Chapter 66 - Duchess Of Orin

    King Leonardo was fuming after he received the reply from Ronan Joseph. If not for the royal etiquette, he would have slashed the young bastard''s head.


    Apparently, Joseph men''s obsession for the Duchess of Orin ran deeper than he had the inkling. From his sources in the Prime Minister''s residence, he had heard about the dead Joseph''s obsession with young Calliope but never had King Leonardo ever fathomed that Joseph''s son shared the same thoughts as his father.


    Duchess of Orin, Calliope Wilding wasn''t an ordinary woman. Her late husband was among the most wealthy men of the empire, her father was a national hero who had sacrificed all his life for the welfare of the country and the widowed duchess who had disappeared from the public eye after the death of her husband was a greater character than people knew about.


    Handing Duchess of Orin to Ronan Joseph was equivalent to the Crown''s failure to protect the family of people who sacrificed their lives for the nation.


    And he, King Leonardo of the great Maisean Empire, would never tarnish the crown or fail its responsibilities.


    "Your Majesty," Ronan called out his name with a slight bow. "It seems we don''t have a deal."


    King Leonardo''s eyes snapped to his face as he saw a calm and soothing smile tugging on his lips. However, the smugness in his eyes wasn''t imperceptible to anyone present there.


    "Would you not ask me why I want Calliope Wilding?" Ronan then added.


    "Mr. Joseph, do you even know what you are saying?" The King''s assistant said to the young man whose guys were vexing him. "Calling Duchess of Orin by her name is similar to insulting her. And she is not an object that you can demand or request for. She is a living entity. Someone who had every right to make her decisions."


    Leonardo didn''t have to make any comment as his assistant was doing the job of talking on his behalf.


    Moreover, he had a feeling that if things continued like this ...he would lose his throne¡­


    "Your Majesty, again, I will say the same thing, I want Calliope Wilding, not the duchess of Orin," Ronan turned his eyes to the king and said in a mellow voice. "Of course, you will be mad after hearing my odd ''request''. However, I urge you to see something before making the decision."


    Ronan took out his phone from his pocket and after fiddling with it for a few minutes, he shoved the phone before King and his assistant''s eyes. Leaning on the chair, he watched the expressions changing on their faces drastically.


    He smirked slyly. Of course, he was prepared.


    First one could see the curiosity on King''s face.


    Second, one will see his narrowed eyes.


    And lastly, one will see shock, horror, and bafflement...


    On the phone screen, one could see the Duchess of Orin, murdering the PM Joseph ruthlessly.


    She didn''t even flinch when she stabbed him with a fork.


    Another clip started playing where she was running after murdering the old man.


    Yet, in the whole video one couldn''t see her face clearly but from the body posture and other evidence it was obvious that Calliope had killed Joseph.


    But the question was...what for?


    ***


    The problems hadn''t only landed in King Leonardo''s life, but almost everyone was facing one or the other challenge. It was like fate had thrown different challenges at everyone''s face.


    Killian was stuck between his responsibility and care for the persons he called his family, be it Santiago or his lost sister. He was given the responsibility to handle the mess the royal family was in because of their goal but he was failing miserably at this.


    Callum, who should be on the way to Maisea, was stuck in New York with Nash as their plan had backfired. There was a rumor going in the dark market that the picture of Persephone Marino was revolving there...and someone had identified her as the daughter of an Italian don who was abducted on her wedding day.


    Now, it wouldn''t be long before Marinos would figure it out that someone was deliberately fiddling with them. They were attacked from all sides as it was an attempt to distract them from the real problem or its solution.


    However, when Marino should have immediately taken action to search for Persephone as soon as the rumors flamed in the dark circle, someone else was ready to take action as soon as any news came.


    The person who had posted the picture had gone missing and there was no way to contact him either.


    As to who this person was...it should be a question of another time¡­


    However, it must be pondered over if the said person was an ally to dark horses or an enemy?


    Ring! Ring! Ring


    "Your phone is ringing, Cal, " Nash shouted from his office. Currently, he was sitting in front of a huge wall covered with screens playing the activists on Marino''s side. He could clearly see what dumb Irish or Russians were up to! However, nothing was going in accordance with their plans.


    That Nicolas bastard was too smart to fall into their trap.


    So what if Nicolas is smart?


    They would make someone who was slightly less smart as their pawn. Meaning¡­ Salvatore Marino.


    Though he respected Nicolas Scuderi as his brother-in-law, he was still pissed at him for not getting the deserved respect by the latter as he was the heir to the Marinos.


    So, they were going to take advantage of Salvotre''s insecurities.


    Ah, the damn phone is ringing again¡­


    He wondered which bastard died other than Joseph.


    "Cal! Your fucking phone!" Nash shouted again.


    "Check the caller!" Callum shouted from the washroom. He was supposed to leave for their country but at the last moment, he had to postpone their plan as the situation was degrading both at Maisea and New York.


    Nash''s nasty expression turned ferocious as soon as he saw the caller. "It''s the fuckin'' king again." He wasn''t going to forget how Leonardo disrespected his precious beer bottles. So, yeah, he would always be the fucking/damned King for him. But the king promised to never call his precious bottles names, he could let it slide for this time.


    Callum immediately answered the phone as soon as he came. "Your Majesty." His voice calm and as respectful as ever.


    "We have a situation, Callum, " King Leonardo said as soon as the phone got connected. "Joseph''s death is a messy case. It''s not a conspiracy as everyone is believing."


    "You sound disappointed, Your Majesty," Callum replied in a smooth voice. He didn''t know why but he could feel that King Leonardo would rather want Joseph''s death a part of the bigger conspiracy than something slightly less.


    "Because I am," King Leonardo answered. It seemed like he wanted to snap but his position wasn''t letting him pour his actual emotions in front of him. "His death has put me in a bigger dilemma. On one hand, I have to protect my people from being a pawn in someone''s political interest, and on the other hand, the person I was handed to look after ended up becoming a criminal...yet, I couldn''t do anything."


    "Your words are confusing me," Callum said with furrowed brows. He would prefer simpler sentences than the riddles His Majesty was weaving.


    "Ronan has promised to take care of the public if I agree to his condition, " King Leonardo sighed.


    "Ronan who?"


    "Joseph''s son?" The voice came from behind.


    "Nash," The King answered him.


    "Let me guess, he must have promised you to mislead the public by announcing that his father died of a heart attack or something¡­.and in return you must have to do something absurd?" Nash assumed.


    "Absolutely!" Leonard hissed.


    "So, agree to his condition," Nash told him. If something could control the public from going berserk...it wasn''t a bad condition.


    "Wait!" Callum exclaimed. "Just what did he want?"


    Judging from the King''s expressions it could not be anything trivial.


    "Apparently, he wants Calliope Wilding," King said through gritted teeth.


    "Holy fuck," Nash cursed out loud. "The ugly and fat Duchess? Jesus, what''s wrong with people''s choices? "


    "Have you ever seen her, Nash?"Leonardo hissed.


    "No, but I have heard enough," Nash was quick to reply.


    Leonardo heaved out a sigh. "Callum, you are given the mission to find Calliope Wilding and hand her safely to Ronan. No matter what, the public comes first."


    "But she is an innocent woman," Callum argued.


    "So, is Persephone Marino," came the swift retort.


    "Any news on Santiago?"


    "Nothing."


    "Heard something is not right on Killian''s side," Leonardo inquired.


    "He will be fine," the answer came from Nash.


    ______


    This novel is a contracted work with W e b n o v e l. c o m (remove spaces). If you''re not reading ''THe Villain '' on W e b n o v e l, it has been stolen. It''s very heartbreaking to see pirates profiting from my hard work.. Please support the original author,(tanu_sam).

 Chapter 67 - Doctor OMG

    Meanwhile, Emanuel had parked the car in a slightly crowded place. Although people couldn''t be seen, shops and homes were visible to them. Getting out of the car, he informed Persephone not to leave the car with Villain until he returned.


    What rotten luck!


    They got a car to use for sure...but they weren''t able to use the GPS!


    He was going to look for a clinic or hospital. If they waited any further, he was worried that they would lose Villain.


    Villain had saved him from his father and his goons. So, he would do everything in his power to look for a doctor to save Villain.


    A few minutes later, Emanuel came running. Knocking on the car window, he shouted, "Come out. I saw a small clinic a few meters from here. It''s closed but the doctor is still there."


    Persephone and Emanuel helped Villain to reach the clinic. When they arrived, they found an old man who dressed in greasy clothes and had an unkempt white beard and long white hair was waiting for them outside a shabby little room.


    ''Was this the clinic Emanuel was talking about?'' Persephone thought in her mind.


    "Little boy, is this patient you were talking about?" The shabby doctor named Doctor OMG said. He eyed the big man they were carrying.


    "Miss Persephone, This is doctor OMG. He can treat him," Emanuel quickly said. He was worried that Persephone would reject the treatment seeing the dirty doctor with the weird ass name. Even he would not have taken Santiago to him in normal condition. But they say ''beggars can''t be choosers. It''s either this weird doctor who helps them or they lose Santiago.


    As if reading the thoughts running in Emanuel''s head, Persephone turned to look at the doctor and asked, "Can you treat him? He was shot at two places, lost a lot of blood and it seems he is diabetic."


    "Of course," the doctor rolled his eyes. Was there even something that he couldn''t cure? He was a genius doctor. So what if his medical license was taken away? A doctor was still a doctor with or without the license to practice.


    Emanuel and Doctor OMG spread Santiago inside on the small bed which didn''t look like a stretcher from anyplace.


    As the doctor began to clean Santiago''s wound, he froze when he felt a cold metal touching the back of his head. Slowly, he turned and was more than just shell-shocked when he found the young woman who was dressed in a man''s black shirt and black stockings pointing a revolver at his head.


    "W-what are you doing, Signora?" The doctor stammered, his body was unusually trembling. Dammit! Who wouldn''t tremble when they are pointed at the end of the gun?


    "Dear Doctor OMG, if he dies¡­"Persephone beamed at him. She didn''t complete the sentence as the doctor knew what she was meaning to say.


    " I-i will try my best. You can''t hurt me¡­ I am.trying to save your husband, "Doctor said while on the verge of tears. He had to be her husband. That''s why the woman was going crazy to the extent of killing the doctor who was saving him.


    "Best?" Persephone sneered. "I want him alive. But if you fail to treat him, you will die with him as well."


    The doctor was stammering as he wanted to say something but was stopped by her, "Stop talking and do your job."


    The doctor nodded and with a trembling body, he began treating the patient.


    He was crazy to suggest the young boy take the patient to him. He sure was a doctor but he hadn''t treated anyone for years. His assistant treats everyone on his instructions but today he has to take matters into his own hand. He had to do his best--no-- he had to save the man or else this crazy woman would kill him.


    What a devil!


    Persephone tossed the ''empty'' revolver at Emanuel and ordered, "Kill him if he fails to save him."


    Understanding what she was doing, Emanuel nodded.


    A few hours later.


    "The shot was not fatal but since he has lost too much blood, he needed treatment on time," the doctor said, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "He will survive."


    When Persephone heard the doctor''s words, the first thing she did was check the man''s wound. Clearly, he was stitched by this weird doctor. He was still unconscious but he wasn''t as pale as before. His lips were not as blue as before too. Perhaps, the doctor was not lying. Yet, they couldn''t take any chances.


    Persephone and Emanuel stayed inside that small room all night along with Doctor and Villain. They didn''t even let him leave the room except for a few times when he had to use the bathroom attached to his mini clinic.


    However, he didn''t do anything to run as he was too scared to think straight.


    Plus, his phone was captured by those two and he couldn''t even call the police.


    Persephone and Emanuel could have called the police to ask for help but when they recalled Santiago''s words that someone in the police department was helping the kidnappers, they stopped. They were not stupid either. To have her kidnapped from the royal palace, it wasn''t an easy job. And if the police were mixed with the kidnappers, she wouldn''t be so surprised as she had seen things worse than this in New York. Her father had the police officials on his payroll.


    It was until the next afternoon that there was movement in Villain''s motionless body. Persephone moved like the wind when she heard the doctor saying that he could wake up anytime soon.


    "You''re finally awake," She whispered with teary eyes when Villain''s eyes opened, they looked confused and in a trance. It seemed like he was trying to read the surroundings.


    So sharp even when he was in a coma!


    Santiago observed his surroundings and when his gaze fell upon the old man dressed in dirty clothes and Emanuel pointing his gun at the latter, he was momentarily taken aback. "Where are we?" Before she could reply, he asked again, "Who is this?"


    His voice was so soft and hoarse that the tears brimming on her eye borders trickled down like rain droplets.


    Now Santiago was left stunned seeing her bawling like a kid.


    Glancing at Emanuel to help him out of this situation, he received a light shrug saying to handle her yourself.


    Santiago patted her head in an attempt to console her but it was rather making her cry. "Hey! Why are you crying? Did this man bully you?"


    The man in question (Doctor OMG) was taken aback. It wasn''t him who was bullying her but she was bullying him since yesterday. He wanted to say all of this but stopped when he felt the strong and evil aura surrounding the man with default blue eyes.


    "He didn''t bully me," Persephone sniffled. "You didn''t even ask me how I was?" More sobs and hiccups. "But rather about him?" She accused the poor doctor. "Do you even care about me?" Now accusing the poor and confused villain.


    Santiago: "¡­"


    [Since they were at the doctor''s, should he get her brain tested too?]


    Helplessly, Santiago asked, "What are you saying?"


    Persephone wiped her tears and snot with the sleeve of his shirt and looked at him with big glassy green eyes, "Even I don''t know. Why am I behaving so weirdly?"


    "It''s because you are jealous, Miss Persephone," Emanuel said from behind. Even he, a kid, can see the chemistry and sexual tension between these two idiots but they couldn''t.


    Glancing at Emanuel, Santiago growled, "Why would she be jealous?"


    Doctor OMG and Emanuel glanced at each other before sighing.


    On the other hand, Persephone was left bewildered when she realized that indeed was jealous. But the question was why?


    She was hurt that instead of giving attention to her, he asked about the doctor. Even though what he did was right.


    Could it be that she was mesmerized by his evil yet ridiculously gorgeous face?


    Or she started liking him?


    No, it couldn''t be.


    She hated him.


    He is a criminal just like her papa.


    When Santiago stared into her drifting eyes, he patted her head and said, "You guys threatened the doctor? " With an empty revolver.


    Of course, he didn''t add the last part.


    Persephone gave him an embarrassed smile.


    He shook his head at her. Literally she was crazy and...daring.


    "You didn''t have to do that, you know?" Santiago softly said to her. He gave her an opportunity to run.


    Understanding what he was talking about, she replied,"I couldn''t bear to see you die."


    Closing her eyes, she realized how big of a hypocrite she was. They had killed more than thirty people yet she couldn''t bear to see Villain die.


    She should have killed him herself, shouldn''t she?


    Yet, why was she feeling as if her world had ended when she found him shot?


    Just what was happening to her?

 Chapter 68 - Police Came

    The other day passed too with Villain under the care of Doctor OMG. Although he looked greasy and shabby, they had to admit he had incredible skills.


    The next morning, Persephone was awakened by the knocking on the door. Since the time they had come to this mini-clinic, four of them had spent their time cooped there... except for the time when one of them had to go out to buy food medicine, or other necessary things.


    Fortunately, Villain had his card with him and it made the purchases easy and untraceable. He was carrying his phone too. But no one knew what was preventing him from using it except for no battery of course.


    Not only Persephone but almost everyone had been awakened by the loud knocking on the door.


    The old man stood up rubbing his face and opened the door only to find police standing there.


    "Officer?" Doctor OMG prevented himself from stuttering. Did they find that he was hiding criminals inside his clinic? Oh, God, if they did...he was done for!


    "Orlando Michael Gibson?" The officer called out his name.


    "Yeah?" Doctor OMG gulped.


    "I''m Officer Kane and this is my partner Officer Maddison," Officer Kane announced. "We received the information that you have been treating patients here despite the fact that your license is cancelled. Is it true?"


    Doctor OMG blinked.


    It must be Doctor Rachel who had tipped off the police! Bloody old hag! She was just jealous of his amazing skills.


    Before Doctor OMG could open his mouth, Santiago came wearing a black shirt and jeans, his face carrying an easy smile. "Officer Kane, you must have received some false news. Doctor Gibson has been very helpful to us."


    Officer Maddison narrowed his eyes at the newcomer. The man looked robust, handsome, and quite tall. His accent sounds like that of a capital city''s resident, all posh and chic.


    "Helpful? Care to share?" Officer Maddison asked.


    Santiago smiled thoughtfully, "My wife and I were stuck on the road but no one seemed to have helped us. In the end, it was doctor Gibson who gave us the shelter for a night. However, when we wanted to leave the next morning, a lockdown was announced."


    Officer Kane understood their plight. They must have been on the road when the sudden lockdown was announced. The young couple must have had it tough.


    "Officers, would you at least inform us for how long the lockdown will continue?" Santiago questioned them. He was hoping to get some information from police officers as to why this sudden lockdown and curfew was proclaimed. It couldn''t be the infamous Emergency?


    Officer Kane smiled professionally, "We have no information about it. However, sir, the curfew is imposed due to the sudden death of the PM Joseph. To stop the worsening situation, the government had prolonged the curfew for the week."


    To say Santiago was shocked would be an understatement. Joseph was dead? What on earth was happening in the capital?


    Seeing Santiago''s shocked expression, officer Kane smiled, "Well, everyone is just as shocked as you."


    Composing himself, Santiago said, "Would you recommend some hotel or inn to us? We are currently homeless in the middle of nowhere."


    "Sure."


    After talking for a few minutes, the officers left the clinic.


    ______


    "We have to leave," Santiago said to Persephone and Emanuel as soon as he came across them. "This place is no longer safe for us. And we have no idea how long it will take us to return to the capital."


    "Where will we go?" Emanuel questioned anxiously.


    "A few kilometers from here¡­ there is a ranch owned by an old couple. Since the roads are blocked and there is nowhere people could go...they are accepting lodgers," said Santiago. "We can''t return for we have no idea who is our ally and who is not! We have to be very careful."


    "So, are we leaving now?" Persephone asked them. She was so sleepy that she could sleep even on the road.


    ____


    "Wow," She exclaimed as soon as her eyes fell on the beautiful ranch sprawled on the acres of land. As far as her eyes stretch, all she could see was green pastures with a ranch-style house situated in the middle.


    When Villain said they would be living on a ranch, it wasn''t what she had thought! This place was magnificent. It was beyond her imagination!


    "Your country is literally so beautiful," Persephone couldn''t help but say to Villain who just slightly nodded in return.


    "You guys have your story ready, right?" Persephone inquired as soon as they entered the threshold of the gigantic ranch.


    Emanuel nodded.


    "Let''s go, guys," Persephone exclaimed. She was super duper excited about this.


    _____


    "Tito! We have several guests. Why are you still not done with your coffee?" A beautiful older woman entered the porch wearing a cute pink apron and spatula in her hands. She looked warm and quite inviting.


    "La mia bellissima moglie! Why are you getting so excited? These lasses and lads need not to be spoiled by you!" The man named Tito said in frustration. His wife was getting excited about nothing.


    [La Mia Bellissima Moglie --- my beautiful wife.]


    Persephone and Santiago shared a look before she smiled and walked ahead coyly holding his hand.


    "Buon giorno," Persephone greeted them good morning in Italian with a huge smile. "We heard that a very kind couple has been renting rooms in this ranch. Is it true?"


    Tito and Maria glanced ahead to find a very lovely couple standing before them.


    "Tu sei Italiano," Tito asked excitedly. Although scilician was spoken in the country, it''s almost difficult in this part of the country to find Italian speaking people even though Italian is one of the national languages.


    ''Are you Italian?''


    "Si," Persephone said with a grin.


    "Ah, young lady, this young man is your husband?" Maria spoke pointing at Santiago.


    _____


    Note: The following chapters will be a little fluffy. We have enough bloodshed for now.... Now let''s give our dear couple room to grow their feeling for each each other!!!!

 Chapter 69 - Teasing His Beautiful Wife?

    "Ah, young lady, this young man is your husband?" Maria spoke pointing at Santiago.


    "Hello, Mr. Mayes and Mrs. Mayes, I''m Vito Giovanni and this is my wife Juliet Giovani," Santiago introduced themselves with fake names. "Apparently, we were on our way when the lockdown was suddenly announced. Since we were new to this place, we got scammed by someone claiming that that would guide us to a hotel or an inn." He feigned helplessness and a bit of sadness and continued, "He stole all of our stuff leaving us with nothing but a credit card."


    Even Persephone made a crying face when she heard her ''fake'' husband''s fake sappy story.


    [Give us an Oscar!]


    However, it was working on the older couple.


    "Oh, child, you have suffered enough, " Maria said, hugging Persephone. She could sympathize with the lovely couple.


    It only took them ten minutes before they were allotted a room. As they had no Id cards, the elderly couple asked them to give their photographs in case police inquired about them. They asked for their other details along with the photographs.


    As they entered the room, Persephone threw the small bag that she was carrying on the couch and then fell on the soft bed. It had been four days since she had slept peacefully. As Villain had been on medicines for the last two days, she and Emanuel had been taking turns to guard him from the doctor. Even though the doctor seemed harmless, they couldn''t take any risks.


    "Rest for a while," Santiago told her. He knew that she needed rest but was stubborn enough to show him that she was alright.


    "I''m fine," She said, fighting a yawn.


    "We are safe, Red," Santiago whispered. "Sleep. I will guard you."


    "What about you?" Persephone inquired. "You are still injured."


    He sighed."I will just lie beside you. And if I feel sleepy, I will just wake you up. Alright?"


    Persephone smiled in agreement. In no time, she was knocked out.


    Santiago brushed her hair with his fingers as he laid beside her. He heaved out a sigh. She was innocent all along. Yet, she had to suffer with him. It was his revenge and she had no part in it.


    He sure was an evil man but he was no unreasonable chauvinist. His heart aches to see her struggling to survive because of him. He had put themselves in these deadly circumstances.


    A girl who had been heavily sheltered since the time she was born was thrown into a battleground to survive.


    Sometimes even he wondered what she had done to suffer the wrath of God.


    Later when Persephone woke up, it was almost evening.


    She had slept all noon and nobody had woken her up?


    Immediately, she sat on the bed and found Villain playing with his phone. She had no idea that he was carrying a phone all along?


    If he had a phone, did it mean they would be leaving for the island or the Palace soon?


    Perhaps, she didn''t realize how her eyes began twinkling as she imagined about going back to the island or palace. It was as if she was going back to the safety and warmth of home.


    At this moment, she had completely forgotten that she was Villain''s captive.


    Santiago saw that Persephone had woken up and was staring at him with stars in her eyes. Did he mention that this girl was crazy?


    Whatever! She was a bit adorable too.


    "Mia Cara, you finally decided to wake up?" Santiago teased as her pale cheeks turned rosy.


    Persephone sneered, "Dear husband, is this how a gentleman teases his beautiful ''wife''?"


    Since they were playing the role of loving husband and wife outside their bedroom, why not here too?


    "Ah? Did I ever mention about me being a gentleman?" Santiago raised his brow. "I prefer being a rogue."


    "You are incorrigible," Persephone groaned as she hid her face under the duvet once again.


    "Come on, it''s time to eat," Santiago reminded her that she hadn''t eaten anything other than instant noodles for the last three days.


    Helplessly she threw the blanket and looked at him in a daze, "I am so hungry that I can eat any animal alive."


    Santiago shook his head in amusement. He gotta admit that no moment with this wild girl goes boring. She had her charm. She could make anyone and anywhere shake their head in frustration.


    He passed her a bag and said, "You will find some clothes and necessities for you in this bag."


    "Where did you get them?" She asked. As much as she knew, all the stores had been shut due to curfew.


    "Mr. Mayes had his connection with the store owner. He arranged clothes and other things for us," He replied.


    She paused before asking, "Do we have enough money to spend?"


    He understood what she was thinking. Silly girl! Did she think he had made no arrangement for emergencies like this?


    He showed her a credit card before saying, "I can use this card anywhere without getting tracked. Before you ask further, it''s under the name Vito Giovanni."


    Deciding to ask no further questions, she went to the washroom and took her sweet time to clean her body. Never had she ever thought that one day she would cry in happiness while taking a warm bath.


    Truly, time taught you everything! She must cherish these moments!


    When she returned from the washroom she found Villain kneeling before the bed drawer to get something.


    "What are you doing?!" She ran towards him and helped him to sit on the bed. "Didn''t the doctor say that it will take at least two weeks for you to heal?"


    This man was infuriating!


    "It''s not the first time¡­." Persephone shit his mouth by placing her finger on his lips.


    "You are not allowed to talk at all," She ordered him.. Helping him stretch on the bed, she asked if he had lunch and medicine.

 Chapter 70 - Reversed Roles

    "It''s not the first time¡­." Persephone shut his mouth by placing her finger on his lips. He was talking unnecessarily! Moreover, whenever he opens his mouth, he always spits venom.


    "You are not allowed to talk at all," She ordered him. Helping him stretch on the bed, she asked if he had lunch and medicine.


    "You were sleeping. So, it wouldn''t look good if I would order food¡­"


    Persephone had an urge to pull his hair. She didn''t even know how this man was even walking in his condition. If it was her at his place, she would have taken complete advantage of her illness.


    Who on this green green earth wouldn''t take advantage of his sickness?


    "I''m ordering you not to move unless I tell you."


    And you better sit here. I will get food for us."


    "No matter what happens in the future, you are supposed to give priority to your health!"


    "I don''t understand how people can''t cherish their life?"


    "Are you even listening?"


    Santiago glanced at the adorable angry bird and nodded.


    [How come our roles are reversed?]


    "Aren''t you taking the role of a wife too seriously?" She heard him saying.


    "Of course," She replied with a perfect smile.


    "Enjoy it till it lasts," his sharp retort stung her heart but she didn''t let her smile falter.


    [See, he is back to spitting venom again.]


    She didn''t know who she was mocking¡­ him or her pathetic self!


    ____


    Persephone reached the main courtyard and when she didn''t find Maria anywhere, she thought of asking another person about her whereabouts. But none of them looked inviting or interested enough.


    Until she found one middle woman wearing an apron similar to Maria and was holding a tray in her hand.


    "Signora?" Persephone called out.


    The woman turned around and found a lovely young woman dressed in a warm yellow midi dress calling for her. Her hair was tied in a loose ponytail and her face was devoid of makeup. Yet, she was giving off mature vibes.


    "How can I help you?" Lara asked the young woman.


    "Well, I was looking for Maria. But since she is nowhere to be found, can you help me in ordering lunch?"Persephone asked her with a slight smile. She knew Maria had informed her to order meals on time or they wouldn''t be able to help later as they were facing several problems.


    Lara glanced at her again before saying," It''s not lunchtime¡­"


    "Actually, I have overslept and my husband hasn''t had his lunch. And he is diabetic. Although I want to scold him for doing this first, still it''s better if I save my scolding for later," Persephone began saying. She was so mad at Villain that she had an urge to beat him up with a stick. However, right now, she had to maintain the act of a helpless wife who was so in love with her husband.


    Lara nodded. "Ah, it''s not that we don''t want to take your order." She squeezed out an embarrassed smile before continuing," It''s just that we are lacking staff. The staff that was working in the kitchen ended their shift just a while ago. And other batch will take at least half an hour before arriving. If you could wait until half an hour?"


    Understanding her plight, Persephone came up with a suggestion, "How about you just help me arrange a bowl of porridge and I will help you in return?"


    "Dear, it''s¡­" Lara couldn''t say yes. It was against the policy of their workspace. But the woman in front of her had a genuine emergency.


    "Please, it''s a request. He is already sick and I am afraid that he will faint anytime soon," Persephone begged her. Villain must be here to see her playing her role flawlessly. He should realize how lucky he was to get a ''fake'' wife like her.


    Seeing her acting like this, Lara didn''t have the heart to say no to her. She agreed and took Persephone with her to the kitchen. Both the ladies were working side by side. Even though Persephone had no idea about cooking a meal for Santiago. She helped Lara with other chores that didn''t involve much cooking knowledge.


    "Your husband is a lucky man to have such a caring and loving wife like you," Lara said with a fond smile. It had been a while since she had seen such a loving couple. She had heard through grapevine that the husband of this young woman was quite a looker. The female staff had been dying to have a peek of him.


    "I know right!" Persephone grinned.


    Only if Santiago was here to see her in action. Sigh, he missed such a scene.


    Lara shook her head in helplessness. This young woman was too adorable!


    "How long have you been married?" Lara ended up asking her.


    "Three weeks," Persephone answered immediately. It had been around three weeks since she was kidnapped by Villain, right?


    Perhaps, she didn''t realize how naturally she had been behaving as Santiago''s wife.


    "Ah, newlyweds," Lara said with a knowing smile. She passed her the tray carrying a bowl of porridge and soup. "Go feed your husband first. Then, I will ask someone to prepare food for you."


    "Thank you, Lara. You are really the best," Persephone said as she disappeared.


    "What a sweet mouth she has!" Lara ended up smiling.


    "Who are you talking about?" asked Maria curiously as she entered the kitchen. She hadn''t seen Lara praising just any body!


    "Ah, the Italian young woman who just left the kitchen," Lara answered her. "She was worried that her husband didn''t have lunch."


    Not even for a moment, it crossed Lara''s mind that Persephone and Santiago were not real couple!


    "Do you find them weird?"Maria couldn''t help but ask. " They say that they are married but I didn''t see a ring on their fingers. Could it be that they are lying?"


    Although her husband was charmed by the couple, she had her doubts!

 Chapter 71 - Romeo And Juliet Meets And Villain Gets Angry

    "You are thinking too much, Signora Maria. I saw the ring mark on her finger. Probably, she had removed it or lost it along with her stuff," was Lara''s answer.


    Why would a young woman as beautiful and prudent as her be worried about a man''s health if he wasn''t her husband? She could see in the young lady''s eyes the care and affection that she had for her husband.


    Maria reckoned before saying, "I think you are right. BTW, did you check into the young man who checked in a while later after the Italian couple? What was his name?"


    "Emanuel something¡­." Lara said. "I checked. He was fine with lunch and I had passed his order to Carlo. He will bring all the things that the boy ordered."


    "Aunt Lara, Chiara said you want me to prepare late lunch for someone?" A young man dressed in a t-shirt and shorts appeared. No one would believe that the handsome lad was the one responsible for the meals if they saw his face.


    Lara nodded. "This is the order. And cook according to this. Since we are short of staff, you have to deliver it to the couple staying on the left wing."


    ¡­


    On Santiago''s side.


    Santiago was staring at her dumbfounded. He had sent her to bring food, not this¡­ He didn''t even know what this dark water-like thing was! Were they supposed to eat this? After four days of surviving on instant noodles, she expected him to eat this?


    "Huh?"


    "Red, tell me this is not our food," Santiago had a grimace on his face when he said that. She was charmed by those expressions on his normally expressionless face. He usually was so calm and collected that she never had thought that even he had moments like this.


    All she could say was that he looked ''cute''. And rest of the details she wasn''t willing to share for she was possessive of this scenery!


    "It''s not our food," Persephone agreed with him.


    Relief flashed through his blue eyes but only until he had not heard her next words.


    "It''s for you," she added much to his horror. "You are not allowed to eat anything heavy."


    "You are kidding me?" came a growl of an angry and hungry lion.


    "Stop acting like a kid and finish your food," Persephone spoke like a mom whose kid was throwing tantrums over not eating the healthy food. She scooped some porridge in the spoon and after blowing over it, she held the spoon closer to his lips.


    "I can''t believe I have been treated like a kid by the woman half my size" came Villain''s indistinct voice as he opened his mouth to taste the ugly food. Thankfully, it didn''t taste as bad as he had initially thought.


    He didn''t know why but he let Persephone feed her. In between the bites, he grumbled how awful the food was and how awful she was being by feeding him some animal''s shit. However, she just patted his head when he finished the so-called awful food. She then gave him the medicine before checking his wounds. And in the end, she ordered him to rest.


    Not only was she his fake wife but also a sexy and strict nurse!


    Everything was going smoothly until they heard a knock on the door.


    Persephone opened the door only to find a very handsome young man standing outside with a food tray. Never had she ever found a man so handsome. It must be the effect of food in his hands!!


    Villain saw how his woman was blinking her eyes continuously at the kid standing at the door. Of course, he knew she would only blink her eyes like this when she found something or someone beautiful.


    "Ummm¡­ your food, ma''am," said the young man whose face was now resembling a tomato. Truly, he has never seen a woman as gorgeous as her. He wondered if she was somehow an angel who had descended from heaven to the mortal realm.


    "Oh," Persephone said, scratching her head as she realized that she was indeed staring creepily at him. "Please, come in."


    "Where should I place the food?" asked the young and handsome man.


    "On the table," said Persephone with a blinding smile.


    "My dear wife, what''s taking you so long? Your husband is waiting for you in bed. Come soon. Don''t torment this lover of yours with your absence" they heard someone calling for her in the most romantic way possible.


    Persephone gritted her teeth as she realized what that damn man was doing.


    "Everything alright?" asked the young man as she placed the tray on the table.


    "Oh, yeah sweety. Thank you for the food. " Persephone gifted him with another of her maddening smiles.


    "Love¡­" she heard a desperate cry again.


    [Damn you, man. See how I will kill you once I deal with this beauty.]


    "If you need to order anything, you can just dial this number," The young man informed her.


    "Beauty *cough cough* young man, what''s your name?" Persephone questioned him in a mellow voice.


    "Romeo," the young man replied with a red face.


    Persephone''s heart went all Kyaa hearing his name. This had to be destiny. She was Juliet and he was her Romeo...tell me if it''s not fate¡­


    "What a coincidence! I''m Juliet!" Persephone happily announced.


    [Don''t blame me. I just love anyone who has a beautiful face.]


    Persephone smiled mysteriously as she saw Romeo leaving the room. Happily, she picked up the tray and settled beside Villain on the bed.


    "Didn''t know that you were a pedophile," Santiago commented as he saw her grin practically touching her ear. What was so special in that boy? He wasn''t as tall or built as him!


    Persephone sent a glare in his direction before digging into her food.


    After finishing up everything, she happily walked towards the door holding the tray.


    "Where are you going, woman?"Santiago couldn''t help but growl.


    "What does this have to do with you?" Persephone turned her head.


    "You are going to see that boy again, aren''t you?"Santiago asked her even though he knew the answer quite well.


    "What does it have to do with you?" Persephone retorted.


    "Since you are my wife, I will not allow you to get any closer to another man who is not me," Santiago said as if it was the most correct thing to say.


    "You are unreasonable!"


    "So what if I am? What are you gonna do?!"

 Chapter 72 - Pitiful Villain

    "How long are you gonna pull this long face?" Persephone asked Santiago while munching on the apple. It was affecting her appetite seeing him mad at her.


    [This man is childish and petty, I tell you.]


    Santiago, who was not able to fall asleep, pretended to be asleep in order to show his rebellion. Wasn''t she gonna meet that boy? Tell her to go ahead. Who is stopping her now?


    [Damn, why am I behaving like an unreasonable wife now?]


    It seemed like roles reversed again.


    "Aiyoo, husband, why are you angry with your beautiful and cute wife ¡­." Persephone acted coy and coquettish while running her fingers tenderly on his chest. Who would have thought one day she would be acting like a romance drama heroine just to coax a grown-up man? But you, see the things we do for survival.


    "I will not meet Romeo if that''s what you want."


    Growing more comfortable with her role, she continued, "So what if I have to give up my Romeo for you?"


    "Isn''t the world has always been against Romeo and Juliet since the beginning?"


    "History has shown us how two great lovers were separated¡­ the world has always been jealous of them."


    "They weren''t separated because of anyone but of their own stupidity," Santiago said as he slowly opened his eyes to find Persephone staring down at him, continuously blinking her eyes. His lips unconsciously arched. Tracing the bridge of her nose, he murmured, "Like what you see?"


    Unconsciously, she nodded.


    A laugh generated from the core of his heart making his chest vibrate in the process.


    Persephone wished to dig a hole and hide herself there when she realized what she just did.


    But she has to admit he looked otherworldly when he laugh like that!


    She didn''t need a hypnotist to hypnotize her. He was enough.


    As she was about to create distance between them, she felt his strong and extremely sexy arms encircled around her waist leaving no chance for her to achieve her objective of maintaining distance between the two of them.


    Oh God, she could feel her heart loudly beating against her ribcage. If it continued like this, it wouldn''t be long before Villain learned about the effect he had on her.


    His icy blue eyes were staring at her, unblinking and intense. Even if she wanted to turn her head to stop herself from falling into those blue abyss, she just couldn''t. Perhaps, at this moment, she realized how much she needed to dive right into those burning blues.


    She had always heard blue like ice soothes one''s burning, but right now, all she felt was fire¡­


    The temperature of the room was increasing with each passing moment¡­ her skin was flushed as a blush consciously crept up all the way from her neck up to her face.


    "Did I tell you that you look absolutely tempting while blushing? It can even tempt the preacher to sin," Villain murmured as his finger wandered all the way her freckles were scattered on her face.


    Persephone hitched in her breath as she heard him murmuring against her skin. Thoughtlessly, she leaned over and a whiff of her scent entered his nostrils.


    "You are not allowed to sit this close to that boy," Villain seriously said to her.


    Snap. The energy enveloping them at this moment snapped as she heard his words and came out of the stupor.


    Gently, pushing his chest she came out of his hold.


    Why was she so dumb?


    He was seducing her intentionally.


    He clearly knew that she was weak when it comes to his heavenly looks yet he used this trick on her again!


    He just made his point!


    How could his manly ego let her stay close to any other man?


    "Hey! What happened?" Santiago tried asking her as her mood took a sudden turn. Her rosy cheeks disappeared and her green eyes turned cold and emotionless.


    It was truly magic if one would ask him. How could those eyes which display everything going on in her heart suddenly turned unemotional?


    Whatever it was...but it wasn''t a good feeling.


    Persephone quietly switched off the lights and laid on the corner of the bed. It was not because she didn''t want to touch him or anything like that, it was merely because she was afraid that she would end up hurting his wounds.


    Maybe, a lot part of her wanted him to coax her.


    Call it stupid, but she just want to feel his gentleness once.


    After all, who knows anything about tomorrow?


    Santiago attempted to start the conversation but failed as she didn''t reply to him. She just closed her eyes and refused to acknowledge him.


    With a sigh, he too closed his eyes and started counting sheep, waiting for sleep to come and take him to the dreamland.


    But all he could concentrate on was what made her cold to him?


    Was it his comment about that boy?


    Did he really cross his line?


    ¡­


    It was only around midnight when Persephone was awakened by strange noises, she found Santiago groaning and grunting in his sleep. Seeing him sweating profusely, she touched his forehead only to find him burning with fever.


    Her heart stilled as she realized how selfish she was earlier by acting mean with a sick man.


    She had to remind her again and again that she was not like him, apathetic and cold-blooded.


    Silently, getting up from the bed, she fumbled through the drawer which contained his medicines. Next, she helped him swallow the fever medicine (of course not by mouth to mouth). Doctor OMG had told him that he could occasionally suffer from fever and she need not worry about it as long as she took good care of him.


    "You callous Villain¡­ I can''t even wish you death seeing you so pitiful, " Persephone murmured as she gently wiped the sweat off his forehead.


    She couldn''t make out what he was incoherently mumbling. But she could see that he was in pain.


    Removing the blanket off his body, she touched him to check his wounds. Yeah, his wound was bleeding and maybe, it was infected too.


    Exactly how Doctor OMG had taught her today in his clinic, she changed the dressing and disinfected the wound on his abdomen. Then, she also checked the on his arm.


    She could imagine how painful it must be for him. No wonder he had a fever tonight.


    Still, she couldn''t understand why his being in pain was hurting her?


    Shouldn''t she celebrate that the man who ruined her life is exactly in the same pain as she is?


    She had gone crazy. Literally and figuratively.


    Sitting beside him, she waited for the medicine to take effect on him. Even after an hour when his fever was not going down, she started getting anxious.


    What if it was something serious?


    Should she call the doctor?


    Taking a deep breath, she decided to follow the home remedy or something of that sort to bring his fever down. She remembered how Carina would place a wet cloth on her head when she used to have a fever.


    Where would she get cold water at this hour?


    Obviously the kitchen...


    Ah, she would weave an awesome story if Maria or any of her workers asked her what she was doing at this hour in the kitchen. Right now, she needed to save her ''husband''.


    Walking towards the kitchen, she found something that she hadn''t expected. Emanuel was anxiously walking back and forth outside the kitchen door. He was surely murmuring something¡­


    Emanuel jolted when he felt someone touching his shoulder. His quick reflexes made the other person fall on her butt on the floor.


    "Ouch!" Persephone groaned. Why was she so unlucky?!


    Emanuel was horrified to find Persephone knocked down on the ground.


    "Miss Persephone!" Emanuel shouted." Are you alright?"


    Quickly giving her his hand, he helped her to stand on her own. "I''m so sorry. I thought¡­"


    "I get it." She tried to smile but a wince escaped her mouth as she realized the pain in her lower body. She really wanted to have a good cry now¡­


    As if someone else could hear their loud conversations too, the door to the kitchen opened and Romeo emerged shocked.


    "What''s happening here?" Romeo asked, horrified. His gaze shifted from Persephone and then rested on Emanuel. One could see hurt and a pang of betrayal in his eyes.


    "Nothing¡­"Persephone tried to avoid the embarrassment of telling lovely Romeo how she fell on her ass but failed when an anxious Emanuel started talking nonsense.


    "It''s not what you think. I don''t even know her," Emanuel blurted. "You have to trust me this once, Romeo. She startled me-- "


    Before Emanuel could say something else he felt Persephone shutting his sprinting mouth with her palm and dragged him inside the kitchen, leaving a miserable Romeo outside.


    "What were you doing?" Persephone whisper-shouted at him? "Were you going to tell him how I embarrassed myself by falling on the floor? Let me tell you, little Emanuel, if my crush ran away from me because of you, I will ask Villain to kick your ass."


    Obviously, it was a lie. Villain would join hands with Emanuel to make sure the beautiful boy stays away from Persephone. And she wasn''t gonna let this happen!


    He was her Romeo and that''s it!


    "Miss Persephone, do you know that he is younger than you?" Emanuel tried to make her see his point of view. "And how is he your Romeo? What about Mr. Villain? Aren''t you his wife?"


    Persephone tsked him while crossing her arms. Proudly lifting her chin, she said, "So, what he is younger than me? Isn''t it a trend these days to have a younger man as your lover? I am just flowing with the trend. Moreover, Villain can''t control my life."


    She talked as if she could control Villain just by snapping her fingers.


    [Hihihi. It was a great feeling imagining controlling Villain. ]


    Maybe she didn''t realize how creepily she was giggling to herself.


    "Villain," Emanuel loudly blurted.


    Persephone jumped in fear hiding behind Emanuel''s tall frame. "No. No. No. Emanuel is lying. I didn''t flirt with any younger man. Don''t you know that I am your one and only wife? I lust after you to the moon and the back. How could I feel anything for another man who is not you?"


    She tried to take a peek when no one said anything. When she peaked, she realized that it wasn''t Villain who was standing there but Romeo.


    "Oh, shoot!" Persephone exclaimed as soon as she recalled something.


    "What happened?" Emanuel couldn''t help but ask.


    "Give me cold water and a clean towel. I will return it to you later," Persephone said to Romeo.. Glaring at Emanuel, she continued, "I would have become a widow, Jerk."

 Chapter 73 - Found Their Location

    On the island.


    "Why are you here?" Killian asked the person standing in front of him in a cold yet lazy voice. The person was not supposed to be here especially when people were looking for Joseph''s killer madly. Not that this person killed him, still it wasn''t a safe option either.


    The person standing in a stiff posture was clad in black clothes from head to toe. Not even a bit of his skin was visible except for his extremely ferocious looking dark eyes.


    Killian could feel that the matter was more serious than he initially thought. He grabbed the iPad from his hand and just as his eyes gazed at the lit screen, a shocking look entered his indifferent eyes.


    "They are tracking the men?" Killian asked him again.


    The person''s dark eyes blinked as if saying yes.


    "Damm¡­" Killian cursed out loudly.


    Now everything was clear as water to him. Persephone Marino was kidnapped by Joseph this time in order to contain dark horses. He made a great plan though. He had to give this to him.


    By kidnapping Persephone Marino thinking that she was Santiago''s woman, he removed Santiago''s attention from the royal family and the upcoming elections. When Santiago would be busy looking after her, he would indirectly put the royal family in trouble that would force the king in the corner as he (King) would have no choice but to take help from the three of them. He also knew that Killian would be joining the research team soon which meant he wouldn''t be his competition.


    However, he didn''t lose anything; rather gained Marino''s interest by putting Persephone''s picture on the dark web.


    But who would have thought that the great PM Joseph who couldn''t be defeated easily even by the greatest politicians of the world would suddenly die overnight in the hands of the woman who was half his size and age?


    Now Marino''s got a whiff of Persephone''s location and another unknown group was looking for Joseph and his men like crazy dogs.


    Joseph''s plan should have backfired but it didn''t. Instead, it put them in a back corner.


    All of a sudden, Killian burst into laughter. He laughed so loudly and uncontrollably that his stomach was aching.


    The man in black was slightly taken aback and could not figure out what it meant.


    Killian Palermo was known for his indifference and nonchalant attitude.


    However, no one ever saw him laughing in such a manner before.


    Indeed, he was more than amused this time.


    To say Joseph was a dumb man would be an insult. He was a genius. By abducting one woman, he achieved so much.


    Even after death, he had everything he planned for.


    Santiago was stuck somewhere.


    Nash and Callum were handling both Marino''s and Maisea.


    And he was doing what Joseph had assumed.


    The public was against the royal family.


    It wouldn''t be a surprise if a civil war would break out in a week and the king would be overthrown!


    What a pity that the man himself wasn''t here to reap the benefits of what he sowed?


    Was it what they call karma?


    To die with his balls slashed?


    The man in black said something in sign language and Killian immediately understood what he meant.


    "How much time?"Killian asked him. He wanted to know how much time it would take Marinos or Nicolas Scuderi to crack down on their location. Although their hackers were doing everything in their power to stop them from breaking into their firewalls, they knew that they wouldn''t survive much as the information was posted by Joseph''s man not them. So, it was difficult but they were managing right now.


    ''A few hours or perhaps a few minutes ¡­''


    " What do you think we should do?" Killian asked him.


    ''Exchange¡­''


    However, both of them knew that it was not possible as they had no idea where Villain was currently. Even though they received a message this morning which instructed them to wait for a few days and let the storm calm before taking any major steps.


    The man seemed to have said something but Killian saw that he was holding back.


    "Say¡­ it won''t cost you treasure."


    ''A boom.'' The man signed.


    "A big boom," Killian murmured under his breath. Suddenly, he smiled while repeating the same words.


    A big boom indeed.


    It will buy them some time.


    Nevertheless, he didn''t share Nash''s thoughts of solving every problem by bombing the enemy.


    ¡­..


    After arranging everything, Killian dialed a number. The person on the other side picked the call on the third bell.


    "And here I thought I had a free day," The person on the other side of the line groaned.


    "You are not paid to have a free day," Killian replied lazily. "Report what did you know about Nicolas."


    The person pouted on hearing Killian''s business tone. "Nicolas Scuderi also known as the miserable and gloomy groom of NYC is currently eating the shit cooked by his mother while hearing how he needs to look after health but I can bet his mind is on the meeting which is going to be held in Marino residence a few minutes from now¡­"


    "Just this?"Killian scowled."Eating and crying with his momma?"


    "How could this be possible?" a sharp shrill voice interrupted his words. "He also has a gorgeous sister-in-law to attend to. Heard he is also looking after her security. Almost burned down the man who laid hands on her¡­"


    "This is not the information I need¡­"The person had an impeccable talent for getting on anyone''s nerves.


    Sigh, not everyone can have it.


    "It''s time for you to come back."


    Thud.


    "Say again?" He heard a shocked and excited voice.


    "It''s time to end your mission. You know what to do?" Killian inquired.


    "Hell, yeah. It seems that''s gonna be the last murder for the job," the jolly voice whisper shouted."Send me the plan and I will immediately work on it."


    A big boom on the way¡­


    ¡­..


    When Persephone came back to her room, she saw Villain groaning and moaning in his sleep. He was clenching his teeth. The sheet covering his body had fallen off him. His injuries on the abdomen and arm were on display.


    Thankfully, she locked the door while leaving, or else she couldn''t fathom what she would have done if someone found him in such a condition.


    Surely, she wouldn''t be able to fight with this many people without him.


    "I am telling you mean Villain, don''t die on me," said Percy with slight resentment. She was frustrated beyond words when thinking about how he seemed to have made her crazy.


    "Ah, if you found in the morning that I took care of you all night at the cost of my own sleep, you better compensate me."


    "You know what?"


    "I will forget about this little ''help'' if you just recover."


    "Don''t think that I care for you. It''s merely because I think someone will kill me if you won''t protect me. I am but a weak woman. So, you better get well and protect me from all the dangers."


    She kept on placing cold towels on his forehead after a fixed interval of times. She appeared as diligent as a nurse.


    She didn''t realize how she spent the entire night sitting on the chair wiping his body with cold water.


    At some point of time, she fell asleep on the same chair.


    ¡­


    The next day when Persephone woke up, she found that she had fallen asleep on the uncomfortable chair.


    Checking his temperature, she realized that it wasn''t as high as last night. Although his fever was gone, she still needed to take care of him.


    She checked the time and realized that it was almost eight o''clock in the morning.


    Again with one look at his sleeping figure, she entered the washroom to clean up.


    When Santiago woke up, he found Persephone placing the food tray on the table.


    She smiled when she saw him opening his eyes.


    "Good morning," She greeted with a lovely smile and then helped him to sit on the bed.


    "Good morning¡­" he found himself replying to her.


    "Do you have a good sleep?" Persephone asked as if she was a nurse who was asking questions to her patient. Maybe, she took the role of nurse too seriously.


    What a pity! He was stuck in bed or else he would have fulfilled the nurse fantasy with her! She was the only type of nurse that he was willing to have.


    "Yeah¡­" he murmured in reply to her question. His body felt tired and numb. He didn''t remember waking up at night. So, he must have had a good night''s sleep, right?


    What could go wrong with her guarding him like a mama bear?


    Persephone helped him in cleaning up and then fed him medicine and food. But she didn''t mention that he had a fever last night or how she diligently took care of him. To her, it didn''t matter if he knows or not!


    After all, she did all for her mental wellbeing. It had nothing to do with it.


    ¡­


    Ah, throw some gifts and power stones at the poor author!

 Chapter 74 - A Mysterious Group Appears

    [This Mini Arc will be related to the Scuderi family... ]


    "Mr. Scuderi, we just need a few more minutes to find the location of the person who uploaded the picture of Miss Marino on the dark web," the hacker looked up from the computer screen and said.


    Nico nodded. They had been waiting for a long time. Each passing second was like waiting for the God of death to bestow the gift of life.


    Weird, isn''t it?


    But this was what they could do in this condition.


    It had been a long battle for these hackers. Not only, the other party refuses to disclose their location but also another group apart from the party who uploaded the pictures was fighting with them neck to neck.


    They were left bewildered as they couldn''t understand what that mysterious group wanted. And most importantly, who those people were?


    The mysterious group was clearly trying to uncover the location of the other party but the question as to who they were was still ringing in everyone''s minds.


    They tried to persuade them to join hands as their goal was common. But, they were left alarmed when the mysterious group attacked their system with a lethal virus resulting in them slowing down.


    Now they were fighting with two teams who in return were fighting with each other.


    It was chaos. Everyone was fighting with each other. There were no common friends or enemies¡­ they were attacking each other mercilessly.


    Nobody had ever seen or heard of such a fight!


    "We are under attack!" Another hacker shouted as their screens crashed once again.


    Sigh.


    "Again?" Nico asked the team head as his eyes widened funnily. This time even he could see that the damage was serious. They would have to start from the beginning. He slammed the table in fury. "Just what the hell this group wants?"


    Even a blind could see that this so-called mysterious group wanted to reach Persephone first. But what was their deal with attacking them at every step?


    It was clear that this group wasn''t an ally of the enemies as they were fighting with them too.


    Just on this bloody earth did they want?


    And how did Marino offended them?


    "Sir, it is clear that they hate our guts. However, even if they are showing their animosity, isn''t it better at this time to join hands as we have common goals?" The leader of the team said while wiping sweat off his forehead. He didn''t know why Nicolas wasn''t taking the initiative to talk with the mysterious group.


    Perhaps, if he talks to them, then the other party would not be so hard on them.


    Truth be told, it wasn''t incorrect either.


    It was just that Nico''s ego was as big as the sky. And he would never admit defeat! Asking the mysterious group to join hands was akin to admitting defeat.


    Nico''s eyes rested on the man who just gave his valuable suggestion. Even the designer suits and his sophisticated temperament, couldn''t hide the ferociousness that his aura was emitting.


    "Really?" Nico slowly asked, then he looked at the condition of their base. Everyone shuddered under his chilling gaze. "All the best of the best hackers couldn''t defeat a group that emerged out of nowhere and had the audacity to provide their advice? Why do you think they are fighting with you despite the fact that we have a common goal?"


    Wasn''t it clear to them now that they were after Persephone Marino too?


    Fools.


    Someone had been fooling them from the first day and they didn''t even know about it?


    What a joke?!


    If he hadn''t heard from his man who was found barely alive on the terrace, he wouldn''t have known that a Chinese man from God knows where was the one behind all this mess?


    What a joke that a single man killed dozens of their men!


    His subordinates gulped when they saw the ferocious look in his eyes.


    They stopped whispering and went back to their work.


    A war between hackers from three sides started once again.


    Again, nobody knew who was the ally and who was the foe.


    At the same time, someone anxiously opened the door wide and a huffing and sweating man came into their view.


    "Capo!"


    Nico turned his gaze to the door and his right-hand, Stephen appeared. A bad premonition took birth in his heart. Something surely was not right.


    "We have to leave, Capo. Elder --"


    "Fuck¡­"Nico grabbed this suit jacket and left after Stephen.


    "Tell me what exactly happened?" Nico asked as soon as he sat inside the car.


    "Your grandfather and his wife were on the way to the hospital for his monthly check-up but someone attacked their car in the middle of the city. They both are badly hurt and are being brought to the hospital," Stephen said in a low and tight voice.


    Who doesn''t know what the death of Elder Scuderi signifies!


    "Did you catch the one behind the accident?"Nico asked. His jaw tight and his eyes gloomy.


    "Yeah...Bratva." Stephen''s hesitant voice was clearly telling him that he didn''t believe it.


    "Stephen, come back to head the team once you drop me at the hospital," Nico said. He took a deep breath as his gaze shifted to the outside of the window. "Make sure Salvatore won''t take any impulsive decision again. If I won''t be there...I am sure their next target would be him. They didn''t want us to reach Persephone at any cost. And send my words to Don Marino."


    Stephen nodded while driving.


    When Nico reached the hospital, his father was already there. This wing of the hospital was encircled with their men clad in black uniforms.


    "Father," Nico said while nodding at his father''s men. "How are he and Isabelle?"


    Isabelle was his grandfather''s young wife who was almost as old as Persephone. She was younger than Nico and Ginevra in age.


    "Your grandfather''s condition is serious¡­ I am afraid that he won''t be able to make it," His father said in a tight voice.


    __


    How about a surprise mini mass release?


    ____


    And, throw some gifts and power stone at this poor author!

 Chapter 75 - Isabelles Story

    "Your grandfather''s condition is serious¡­ I am afraid that he won''t be able to make it," His father said in a tight voice.


    Nico could feel how devastating this sudden news was for his father. A few years ago, Geoffrey Scuderi had lost his mother in an accident, and now seeing his father on the death bed was just as devastating.


    Imagine, living a life without the hand of your parents on your head.


    "And Isabelle?" Nico asked a while later. He remembered that Isabelle was still treated by the doctors.


    "She is severely injured but she will be fine," His father replied in a curt voice.


    Nico was not stunned seeing his father''s attitude towards Isabella. Just a while after Geoffrey''s mom''s demise, Albert Scuderi had married Isabelle, a woman who was even younger than his grandchildren.


    What child would tolerate a woman half his age as his stepmother?


    Moreover, Isabelle''s mischievous attitude towards Sierra( Nico''s mom) was the reason why his father didn''t have a good impression of her.


    It wasn''t hidden to anyone that Isabelle would always create one or another drama in every party or gathering to put Sierra in a tight spot. Hell, she would openly scheme against Sierra just to add ''fun'' to their boring party.


    For every socialite in NYC, Isabelle was a nightmare.


    "Papa, even if you dislike Isabelle, it''s not the right place to show it," Nicolas spoke to his father in a helpless tone. He was really tired and wanted a good rest but problems like this wouldn''t let him sleep even a wink. "As long as she is alive, she will always be your stepmother. You can''t change this fact "


    Hearing this, Geoffrey was flustered. He reached out his hand and placed it onto Nico''s shoulder to express his helplessness. "She is trouble, Nico. I told her to postpone the check-up but she didn''t listen to anyone."


    Both father-son duo could do nothing but stand in the waiting room to wait for the doctor to come out and inform them regarding the patient''s conditions.


    Later, her mother and sister also appeared carrying anxious expressions.


    How could they not be there when such calamity had befallen their family?


    Ginevra nodded at his father and mother before hugging her brother. In the whole family, she was only close to Nico and... perhaps a little bit to Isabelle too.


    "How are they?" Ginerva asked her brother.


    Nico gave her a tight smile and she understood what it meant.


    Ginevra was surely Albert''s granddaughter but she knew better than anyone as to how cruel the man was. If she hadn''t seen her grandmother crying to sleep every night, she wouldn''t have seen his real face behind the facade of a gentle husband and loving father.


    Even if he died today, she wouldn''t feel a pang of pain. Instead, she would feel that it was such an easy death for a man like him.


    Not just her grandfather but she didn''t feel anything for anyone except for her brother. He was not a good man and she knew it. Still, he was a lot better.


    She liked Isabelle despite the well-known fact that she had seduced such an old man and took the place of his precious grandmother. At least, she wasn''t as fake as her mother and father for whom she had always been a bargaining chip.


    They didn''t stop from throwing her into Salvotre''s arms just a day after Lucien''s death.


    Drinking the rage like always, she leaned against the wall and waited for doctors to come and inform them about the patient''s conditions.


    ...


    The next day when Isabelle woke up from her accident. She started behaving crazily. The whole team of doctors and nurses had gathered to calm her but the young woman was hysterical to anyone who would approach her.


    "Where is he?" Isabelle sobbed. Her hair was messed up. Tears were streaming down her face. Her legs were fractured along with one of her arms. Her head was covered in a bandage and a bit of her face too.


    Truth be told, she looked awful yet pitiful.


    The usual Isabelle would have broken the mirror for showing such an image to her. She was so particular about her looks just like most women around her age. But today, she was the wife whose husband was on death bed. She neither cared about her looks nor about her health. At this condition, she wasn''t allowed to move but Isabelle wasn''t ready to listen to anyone.


    Her crestfallen looks were making people look at her in pity which was in return was raging Isabelle.


    "Tell me where my husband is?" She shouted in a hoarse voice. The nurses and doctors had a hard time controlling her. "If something happens to my Albert, I will kill all of you. I will set the hospital on fire. "


    The doctors slowly distanced themselves and let the nurse call her family members as her frantic behavior was increasing with each passing second.


    She was sometimes crying and then suddenly she would start shouting at the hospital staff in anger. Her voice had gone hoarse and faint from all the shouting and crying.


    But what could the nurses do when she was just a wife who was losing her husband?


    Truly, love screws you over.


    And it was Isabelle''s story too.


    Poor girl!


    All they knew was that she was a young girl from a poor background who seduced the old widower and married him for his wealth. But no one saw that the young girl had broken stereotypes. Who said a young woman couldn''t love an older man?


    Look at her. She was the living example of such true love.


    Every female nurse was looking at her with apparent pity. And every male in the room was secretly getting jealous of the old man. Only if they had someone to love them as much as this young lady does to her husband.


    .....


    Throw some power stones and Gifts at this amazing author!

 Chapter 76 - A Madwoman

    "Take me to my Albert!"


    "I beg all of you!"


    "Please!!"


    This was the scene that Ginevra and her mother saw when they entered Isabelle''s room. The doctor had told them that Isabelle was conscious but never had they ever fathomed to find her insane.


    "Isabelle," Ginevra whispered and moved forward to wipe Isabelle''s tears. "Shh, don''t cry. Everything will be fine. He will be fine."


    Sierra was puzzled, she didn''t understand why and how Isabelle''s attitude had changed so much. But, after careful thought, she assumed she was after all Albert''s wife, and at the time of the accident she was with him. The trauma of seeing someone almost dying in front of you is seriously beyond words.


    Still, she was not ready to accept that Isabelle had any genuine feelings towards Albert. However, at this time, she didn''t feel any kind of resentment for Isabelle. Truly, time teaches a lesson to everyone.


    Isabelle couldn''t say anything as she broke into sobs. Her cries were piercing Ginevra''s heart. Never has she ever imagined that one day she would see a woman as strong and indifferent as Isabelle to break before her.


    The scene she was describing with her broken voice was tortuous beyond words.


    "He was so hurt.."


    "He couldn''t breathe¡­"


    Ginevra knew her grandfather wouldn''t survive. He was already paralyzed and after this accident, it was almost impossible for doctors to save him. But she didn''t have the heart to tell Isabelle the truth. Surely, the truth would come out sooner or later. But in this condition, later was better.


    Instead of telling her the truth, she chose to keep her silence. She was worried that Isabelle might go into shock if she were to know of something.


    "Mrs. Scuderi, life and death are uncontrollable. One must always be ready for the inevitable to come. You have your whole life ahead of you. You must not let your grief consume you," One doctor who was probably in his thirties said. "However, you must prepare yourself for the unavoidable¡­"


    "Shut up!" Isabelle fiercely glared at the doctor. If she could she would have pounced on the doctor and shred him into pieces. "Don''t you dare curse him by saying this. I will rip off your tongue. Get lost. All of you get lost."


    Seeing her such a look, the doctor and the nurses and took a step back. They realized that they said something which they were not supposed to. What wife would like to hear that her husband is dying?


    "He would be fine," Ginevra whispered in a choked voice. "You will be fine, Belle."


    The doctor injected Isabelle with something to make her calm down.


    In a moment, Isabella was lying on the bed unconscious.


    "Make sure you don''t say something like that in front of her again," Ginevra warned the doctor as she came out of the room along with her mom.


    ¡­.


    After Ginevra and her mother came out of Isabelle''s room, they collapsed on the sofa outside in the waiting room. They just couldn''t understand whose evil eye had caused such destruction of their family.


    First Nico was left on the altar. He hadn''t eaten or slept in the whole month, looking after Persephone everywhere.


    Then, Elder Scuderi was on the death bed.


    They all know that it was next to impossible to save him this time. His previous health condition and the current one had made it impossible for him to recover.


    Now, Isabelle had lost her insanity. She was behaving like a madwoman now. Dealing with the Persephone incident wasn''t enough as if they had more than that to deal with now.


    Sigh, they didn''t know what they should do now to bring happiness back to their family.


    Sierra looked at his daughter Ginevra who had her eyes closed and was leaning against the chair. She spotted a frown that was marred on her forehead. Her always nonchalant daughter was looking distressed.


    "Ginerva?" Sierra couldn''t help but call out. Although she never showed her care towards her daughter, she wasn''t as indifferent as her daughter thinks towards her. She just had her ways of loving her children. Yes, she loved Nico a little more than Ginevra. It was only because he was a boy. Wasn''t it a given fact that boys are loved more than girls? Her daughter should understand it.


    Ginevra opened her eyes to find her mother looking at her weirdly. Sigh, she couldn''t deal with other familial speeches.


    "Where is Stefano?" Sierra asked her. Their family was going through such a hard time. Shouldn''t he be there? If not for them, at least for his wife?


    In reality, Sierra knew that her daughter''s relationship with Stefano was a bit rocky. Still, he should be here? If not to support her, then at least to show some face to them after all, they are Scuderis.


    Her daughter had married that man against the wishes of everyone. She was supposed to marry someone like Salvotre but no...she had to show her rebellion and marry that good-for-nothing businessman!


    Sierra would never admit that it was her and the 1920 thoughts of the Scuderi family which forced her daughter to take such an extreme step.


    Plus, Ginevra and her husband didn''t have a rocky relationship, they have a business relationship but they were amiable in private and could be called good friends.


    Ginevra let out a self-deprecating laugh. It was not the right time to tell her mother the truth. But she couldn''t lie to her either.


    "Mama, I and Stefano had signed the divorce papers, " Ginevra said with a smile. It was like she hadn''t just told her mother that she had divorced her husband like she was telling her about fine weather.


    Sierra''s eyes widened in horror. Did her daughter even know what she was saying?


    Divorce Stefano? Is she out of mind?


    No, she must be joking, right?


    "You are joking with me, right?" Sierra asked her hopefully. She would never let her daughter become like Isabelle.


    Ginevra let out a chuckle and then shook her head as in no.

 Chapter 77 - To Lose Everyone

    "You guys never approved of Stefano. Now that I am leaving him, why do you sound like you don''t want us to divorce?" Ginevra asked her mother. What a crazy family she had! They couldn''t decide what they actually wanted.


    Moreover, they couldn''t stop her now. She had already signed the divorce papers. Yes, her family was powerful beyond words, and her husband being a wealthy man couldn''t be counted in the same sentence as them, still, she had Nico behind her.


    Sierra looked at her daughter in horror, "Are you stupid, Ginevra? Do you even know what nonsense you are sprouting? Divorce?! This word is not even used in our family. And you are talking about leaving the man who is responsible for the roof on your head and food on the table?"


    "Chill, mom. I am getting millions of dollars in alimony. I can live life without bothering to work," she said in a calm voice. Why must she keep on holding the relationship that was giving her nothing in return?


    Sierra clutched her chest as her eyes widened. It seems like her mom doesn''t like the talk of millions without lifting a finger.


    Ginevra shouted for the doctor as she saw her mother fainting.


    "Doctor!!"


    ¡­


    "Your father is conscious, Sirs" The doctor attending Albert Scuderi came out and informed Nico and his father. "He wants to talk to both of you."


    When the patient woke up, he informed him to call for his family. He seemed to want to talk to his family. Although they don''t let the patient''s family come inside so soon, still they let for they didn''t know how long the patient was left with.


    "Doctor, is he alright now?" Nico''s father asked the doctor in an emotional voice. Even though he knew the truth, his heart refused to believe that his father would be leaving them in a short time.


    Why must God be so cruel?


    What a hypocrite!


    When they kill men without blinking eyes, they don''t remember that the innocent might have families too?


    However, it was the talk of another time.


    The doctor gave them a sad smile and said, "I''m sorry but we can''t keep him alive for long." Without saying any further, he took both of the family members inside the patient''s room.


    Albert Scuderi, Nicola''s Scuderi''s grandfather was lying on the bed, tubes attached to his body. The beeping sound was also heard in the room. The doctor removed the oxygen mask from his face to let him talk to his family members.


    "Mr. Scuderi, your son, and grandson are here to see you," The doctor said as he tried to wake him up. He was the same doctor who Albert told to call for his family.


    "Father!" Nico''s dad was devastated to see his father in this condition. And he should be.


    "Geoffrey, you have to take care of this family after I am gone, " Albert said in a hoarse and broken voice. His words were barely audible. Looking at his grandson, he continued, "My little Nico, you have to help your father in keeping the family as a unit. You must not let your father feel that he is alone. Also, take care of Gia and Belle. I am giving you Belle''s responsibility. Our family must not wrong her¡­"


    Nobody knew why and how Albert Scuderi had married Isabelle many years ago. Why would a young girl marry a man thrice her age?


    Some said it was to alleviate her status in the society. But Nico didn''t agree...why would she do it at the cost of her reputation?


    And it wasn''t hidden from anyone that Albert was biased towards Isabelle. No matter how big of trouble she would create, he would never scold her. Instead, he would let her play however she would want.


    Now, he was worried that someone would bully his delicate wife once he was gone.


    His heart wasn''t ready to leave her alone here. But she has a whole life ahead of he.


    "I will, grandpa." Nico could just agree with his grandfather.


    "Geoffrey, let Gia live her life her way...you have wronged her too much already. Son, it''s not too late to be a good father¡­"


    Geoffrey could just nod at this time. He didn''t know what else to say.


    "Are you feeling fine?"The doctor asked the patient as he saw him taking painful deep breaths.


    " I-i want to see my wife¡­"


    "Grandpa, Isabelle is still unconscious. You have to hold on for now¡­ we will take her to you soon...please¡­"


    "Doctor!" Geoffrey shouted as he saw his father closing his eyes.


    The doctor injected him with medicine and asked the patient to leave the room.


    When Nico and his father left the room, they met with a nurse who informed them that Sierra had just gotten a heart attack and she was being treated in the room nearby. Her life was in danger.


    Nico and Geoffrey were stunned when they heard this.


    He asked his father to go to see his mother and he would watch his grandfather.


    Their whole family was in a mess.


    Just what was happening to their family?


    ¡­.


    "Doctor! How is my wife?" Geoffrey asked the doctor who just came out of Sierra''s room.


    "I''m sorry, Mr. Scuderi¡­ we couldn''t save her¡­"


    The Doctor''s words shook Geofrrey''s whole world. It was a lie, right?


    "How is this possible?" Geoffrey asked. "She was fine a moment ago?"


    "Her heart stopped," Doctor said. Looking here and there, he leaned forward and whispered. "Slow poison, Sir." Before Geoffrey could say anything, the doctor poked the hidden syringe into his skin. Before the bodyguards could notice anything, the doctor removed his mask and swallowed something causing him to fall on the ground along with Geoffrey.


    The great Scuderi Clan which had been the envy of every family belonging to the elite class experienced the worst setback it could ever fathom about.


    To lose the elder generation in the period of twenty-four hours wasn''t something someone would ever imagine experiencing.


    Now the question; was this the ''Boom'' Killian was talking about? Or was it the art of someone else?


    ___


    Note: If you are pitying Scuderi family, lemme tell you that they don''t deserve it.


    Plus, we will be continuing the mass release tomorrow too. A big truth reveal is on the way.


    Please give this book power stones and gifts.

 Chapter 78 - Ghost From Past

    The next day, the doctors were hopeful that Isabelle could wake up anytime soon. They were supposed to bring her to Albert Scuderi''s room as soon as she would wake up. These were the orders given by Nico to them. Nobody knew what was happening with the Scuderi family, especially Ginevra and Nico, they ordered everyone working in the hospital not to leave the hospital.


    When Isabelle woke up the next time, she realized it was already the next day. So, she had been sleeping for more than a day. It was early in the morning when doctors found Isabelle conscious, they informed her about Albert''s condition and said how he wanted to meet her once.


    Without thinking about anything she asked them to take her to her husband. The doctors saw how her full eyes twinkled when she heard the happy news from the doctors.


    Thus, as soon as she woke up she ordered someone to take her to her husband right away.


    Perhaps, she wasn''t told by anyone that Albert could die any moment now. He had been holding on just to talk to her one last time.


    Then, the doctor helped her to sit on a wheelchair and took her to Albert''s room. Just as her wheelchair stopped near his bed they recalled how. Nico had ordered everyone to leave the room.


    His grandfather wanted to have this last moment with his wife alone.


    And as his grandson, it was his duty to fulfill his last wish.


    "Albert," She whispered. Her voice was so soft and low that if he wasn''t dying to hear her talk to him one last time, he would not have heard her. She was stunned as she watched his body connected to tubes and various machines.


    "Belle?"Albert opened his eyes. His gaze carried sadness and a flicker of betrayal. Even though he knew he was dying, he was assured that with Nico around his young wife would not suffer.


    "Why did you do that?" Albert asked her in utter grief. "You don''t lack anything¡­"


    "I can ask you the same question, Albert Scuderi." Isabelle''s pitiful face turned sinister. "You don''t lack anything¡­ Yet, you did it. Why?"


    Albert had waited all this time, of course, he couldn''t miss hearing who she did it. The accident in which he and she were injured was planned by her. He had known it, yet, he didn''t say anything to his son and grandson. He just wanted to know before dying why she did it.


    Instead, he asked Nico to take care of Isabelle after his death.


    Was this how she chose to repay his love?


    "You never loved me¡­"It wasn''t a question but a realization. Isabelle never loved him truly. All those years she was pretending to be a good wife.


    When he was injured in the car she didn''t try to save him. She even whispered in his ear that it was his time to go. His retribution had arrived. He wanted to know what she meant by those words.


    The price he had to pay for carrying Isabelle was huge. Yet, he didn''t back out from this marriage with her. He killed her wife for this young woman. His own son was ready to end all his ties with him if he insisted on marrying Isabelle but he didn''t care.


    While chasing Isabelle, he did everything in his power to make her return his feelings. It wasn''t easy for him to make her love him. When she admitted that she was in love with him and was afraid of loving such an old man. He promised her secrecy if that''s what she wanted. However, she surprised him by refusing his kind offer.


    Instead, she announced that she would never be a mistress or a third woman who had ruined someone''s home. In desperation, he had to kill his wife just to give Isabelle legal status in his life. And he never told her that he was her wife''s murderer.


    He did everything in his power to make her happy and loved.


    But look what she did to him?


    She drove him to the brink of death!


    She was poisoning him all these years.


    And finally, she was going to be free. She planned that accident a long time ago.


    "Why?" He just wanted to know what wrong he had done to her.


    "Elena Moore," Isabelle whispered as her bloodshot eyes stared right back into his dead ones.


    Albert felt the hair on his body standing up.


    Penelope''s half-sister.


    He had never thought that even after two decades his past would come back to haunt him. The name he had banned everyone from taking in front of him was back like a starving ghost to bite him.


    Especially when he was dying¡­


    How could he admit what he had done to Elena?


    He was a heinous monster but he could never accept it out loud.


    However, he wanted to know how Isabelle knew about Elena.


    "You are¡­" he closed his eyes as realization hit him.


    "Her only child," Isabelle answered with another sinister smile. Her voice, which had been soft since the beginning, took a big turn. Even though she was whispering, the bloodlust that she was emitting wasn''t hidden from him, "Albert Scuderi, who does it feel to lose everything in the end? I wasn''t your redemption but retribution. When you r*ped and killed her¡­. Didn''t you fear that one day there would be someone waiting to collect the tolls?"


    "Don''t," Alberto begged her. He couldn''t bear to hear what he had done. Elena Moore was his biggest sin. What he had done to her didn''t let him sleep at night.


    Only he knew how badly he wanted to go back to time and undo everything!


    .....


    Author Note: This arc will be ending in this mini mass release. Please read until the end of this arc to uncover the big secret.


    .....


    Please show your love for the boom by voting and gifting. (Shamelessly asking you)

 Chapter 79 - Narrate All His Crimes

    "Don''t," Alberto begged her. He couldn''t bear to hear what he had done. Elena Moore was his biggest sin. What he had done to her didn''t let him sleep at night.


    Only he knew how badly he wanted to go back to time and undo everything!


    "You broke her¡­ you broke her physically and mentally¡­ she never cursed you even in the end. She cursed her rotten fate," Isabelle spoke in a chilly voice.


    Today, she was going to narrate all the crimes he had committed.


    "Even after escaping your dungeon, she couldn''t escape the horrors you had inflicted on her¡­"


    "She took her life in front of me¡­ she said she couldn''t meet my eyes and so she was freeing me of having a dirty mother¡­ you took everything from me, Albert. Tell me how can I let you and anyone associated with her death go just like that?"


    "Your son and daughter-in-law were her so-called friends...they turned their faces when she begged them to help her¡­ how can I spare them?"


    "Only if they had told Lucien, my mother would have been with me¡­"


    This man not only killed her only family but was a party in Lucien''s death too. When she reached the Scuderi family, it was too late. He was gone just like her mother. She had taken the resolve to help Persephone run out of this family. She secretly helped her to run away and Persephone had almost succeeded but in the end, she was caught because of this man''s grandson. The man who was supposed to give Persephone a second life away from this heinous family was killed right before her eyes.


    Persephone had become a never vanishing stain on the flawless Marino family.


    Tears leaked out of Albert''s eyes but he couldn''t even wipe them.


    "What''s the point in crying now? I just made you count a tiny percent of your crimes?" Isabelle said indifferently. Chuckling to herself, she continued, "What are you gonna do when I tell your son that you are the murderer of his family?"


    She was pretty sure that Geoffrey and his wife were dead by now. However, she was surprised as no one until now was aware of that.


    Whatever! Her task was completed. The three of her mother''s murderers were dead.


    "Don''t do this, Belle," The old man said in a broken voice. "I can''t even express in words how guilty I am for doing what I did to Elena. I loved her truly."


    This old pervert claimed to love every woman other than his wife.


    His son would hate him if he knew what he had done to his wife.


    He was stupid if he thinks Isabelle only know this much. She knew each and everything about this old man. If not she wouldn''t have spent almost a decade with him and his family.


    Looking at him, she added, "Even if I won''t tell your son about the truth of his mother''s death, what do you think will happen if Don Marino gets to know how you helped his biggest enemy who also happened to be his son?"


    His family would be destroyed if Don Marino got to know how he betrayed him by helping one of his greatest enemies¡­


    "Let''s make a deal, Albert Scuderi. You will answer my questions and I will take your secret with me to the grave," Isabelle whispered. "I know you will never believe me but no one better than you knows that there is nothing like my words. I can die but will not break my words."


    Albert''s face clearly said that he didn''t believe her.


    However, when one is on the brink of death, one can''t think about anything but the atonement of their sins.


    He had loved Elena with all his heart. But she never looked at him with that gaze. She respected him as an elder. And never had any kind of romantic feelings for him. He was always Geoffrey''s dad for him. Nothing more.


    Penelope Marino knew about his romantic feelings for her sister. She has warned him several times to stay away from her. But he, who was a fool in love, always looked for other ways to spend time with Elena.


    His wife was a big thorn by his side. He just wanted to be with one he loved. But she snitched on him to Penelope. And Penelope warned him that if he didn''t stop himself, she would ask her husband to punish him.


    Frightened by her threats, he distanced herself from Elena. But when Penelope died, he was over the moon. No one would stop him from approaching Elena. Even his old hag of the wife.


    However, at that time, Elena chose to run away with that Bastard. Dante Kingsly. The greatest enemy of Alessandro Marino. Also the current head of one of the rival mafia families. When he found Elena years later on Don Marino''s order, she was mother to Dante''s child and on the run¡­


    He had no idea why she had left Dante Kingsley and why she wasn''t his wife even though she was the mother of his child. But did he care? No, he just wanted to be with her. Taking advantage of the situation, he captured Elena in his basement and¡­ did all the unspeakable things to her.


    He never told Don Marino that he caught her. Because if he did, he would have to hand her over to Don Marino. And how could he, the biggest fool in love, let it happen?


    In the end, Elena escaped from the basement with the help of his wife.


    One had to know that Albert''s wife didn''t help Elena out of goodwill. She hated that woman the most in the world. How could she save Elena, the woman for whom her husband had gone berserk?


    She helped her to escape to save her position in the Scuderi family.


    She was also the same person who helped Elena in protecting Isabelle as Elena knew that she wouldn''t be able to live for a long time.

 Chapter 80 - Alicia Palmero

    One had to know that Albert''s wife didn''t help Elena out of goodwill. She hated that woman the most in the world. How could she save Elena, the woman for whom her husband had gone berserk?


    She helped her to escape to save her position in the Scuderi family.


    She was also the same person who helped Elena in protecting Isabelle as Elena knew that she wouldn''t be able to live for a long time.


    Elena had begged Albert''s wife to send Isabelle to Dante and tell him that Isabelle was his daughter.


    Instead of handing Isabelle to Dante, she threw the child in an orphanage in fear that Dante would avenge Elena by killing her husband. And it wasn''t wrong, Dante had loved Elena fiercely. He would have wiped out the whole Scuderi clan at the cost of his own life.


    Poor man still thinks that his daughter had died with his woman back then.


    Elena''s death was Albert''s greatest regret and sin. He loved Isabelle just because she resembled Elena. However, now that he knew that his wife was the daughter of his dead lover¡­


    What the chaos!


    He believed all along that Isabelle loved him genuinely even when his late wife injected him with the medicine that led to him being paralyzed, she still married him and took care of him.


    Everything was faux.


    "Belle, you want to know the truth about your mother?" Albert weakly asked him.


    Isabelle sneered. "Do you think that I didn''t get the truth during my long vacation with your family? Albert, if I hadn''t known the truth, I wouldn''t have dared to kill you. Yet, there is one thing that I still don''t know¡­ "


    "Who is my father, Albert?" Without beating around the bush, she asked him the question she always wanted to ask but was afraid of.


    "Dante Kingsly."


    "I will forgive you, Albert," Isabelle said with a small smile. One would be a bigger fool than this old one if they believed that Isabelle was saying the truth.


    Albert hopefully looked at her. Wasn''t it just forgiveness that he wanted? If she was ready to forgive him, what else could he want in this life?


    Isabelle smiled and nodded. "Whatever happened between my mother and you were all in the past. Although I never loved you in a romantic way I still cared for you¡­ atone for your sins and I will forgive you."


    Isabelle, who had dealt with him for years knew how to make him dance in her palm.


    "What do I need to do to earn your and Elena''s forgiveness?" Albert was still thinking how if he got her forgiveness, he would get the same from Elena too. After all, she was her daughter.


    "I will do anything," He continued. He was desperate to find forgiveness.


    "Please say, Isabelle." He was ready to do anything as long as she agreed.


    "Simple¡­ just tell me where you have hidden Alicia Palemaro."


    "Isabella¡­"


    She was recruited by Mr. K to work for him in disguise as Albert''s wife. She was like an undercover agent working for Killian. Years ago, when he had noticed her approaching Albert and found that she had some hidden motives, she offered her a deal that she could not refuse. She was desperate for revenge and he was desperate for information. She just had to give each and every information related to Scuderi''s and Marino''s to him. Of course, he had his reasons for doing the same too but she was never informed by him.


    Isabelle was afraid that Killian would get rid of her as soon as she finished this mission. He had already told informed her to end this mission. She never revealed that she was here for revenge. Plus, he would go berserk if she told him that she killed almost everyone in the Scuderi family.


    But it seemed God was on her side as she accidentally found Luca Palermo''s family information while spying on Albert. The Palmero family was ordered to be murdered by Don Marino many years ago. And this particular case was the main reason why Lucien was dead.


    He protected young Alicia when he was supposed to kill her with her parents and brother.


    It was only recently she got to know that Killian Palermo was very much alive and he was no one else but Mr. K.


    And what could be the motive of Killian Palermo to spy on Scuderi''s if not to search for his long-lost sister?


    She wanted to find Alicia not because she cared for her but because she wanted to save her life.


    Killian would kill her mercilessly if he got to know how she killed three people in this family.


    He was a lunatic she couldn''t understand and handle. So, she needed information on Alicia fast to save her ass.


    "Lucien is dead, Albert. I know he had something on you that forced you to save Alicia that day¡­ just tell where she is?"


    Since the old man would be dying any second, she just needed to get information. And she would be done with this family.


    "Alicia is my mom''s goddaughter. She wouldn''t forgive you if you won''t free her daughter of this guilt of not being able to protect her. So, tell me¡­"


    Of course, Isabelle was bluffing. Elena knew Emilia Palermo but she wasn''t so close to become Alicia''s godmother.


    "That day, Lucien threatened me to save that girl. She was unconscious at that time. Although I know saving her means betraying Don Marino, I still couldn''t take Lucien''s threats lightly," answered Albert Scuderi." That boy was more sinister than her father at the age of 17. So, I sent that girl with the old childless couple who used to serve my mother back then. I never checked on her after Lucien''s death."


    Isabelle knew that he wasn''t lying. But she knew this already. She needed to learn something else. Something that happened after that.


    ...


    Author''s note: The mass release ends here.. Now we will see Persephone and Santiago soon.

 Chapter 81 - Night Out

    Isabelle knew that he wasn''t lying. But she knew this already. She needed to learn something else. Something that happened after that.


    Albert continued in his broken voice much to her comfort," However, when that couple died¡­ that girl was fostered by another family...she was a teenager then...I secretly funded her education until she was eighteen. After that, I never bothered to find her. But I heard that she got married in college and perhaps she is a mother now¡­"


    He was afraid that if Don Marino got to know that he was funding a girl, he would be caught red handed. So, he did everything in his power to hide this truth. However, he still made sure that she would receive the education she deserved.


    Even though her family was murdered in the cold-blood, the girl got a good life compared to her parents. She was alive, what else did she need?


    "Who did she marry?" Isabelle asked anxiously. "And where is she now?"


    "I don''t know¡­ there is just no trace when I tried to look for her...it''s like she never existed." Even Albert who had his eyes on her was left bewildered when he found that the girl disappeared without a trace.


    "What''s the name she uses now?"Isabelle tried to asked him.


    Albert opened his mouth to say something but the beeping noise increased¡­


    "Doctor!!"


    " You can''t die!"


    "Don''t you dare die on me!"


    Doctors came running and saw Isabelle shouting at her husband. They didn''t know she w


    Didn''t want him to die without giving her answers.


    And just like that Albert died leaving Isabelle with more questions than answers.


    She realized one thing: Alicia Palmero was bigger of the mystery than she initially thought. That girl wouldn''t be a simpleton.


    _____


    When the Scuderi family was scattering like petals, Persephone and Santiago had peaceful days because they were able to sleep serenely at night without being worried about getting caught or anything worse. Both of them didn''t leave the room and ordered everything they needed from their rooms.


    No one found anything weird with them as they had initially told the owner couple of the ranch that they were actually on their honeymoon when the sudden curfew thing happened in between the talks. So, the elder couple understood that the young love birds were cooped in the room making up for the lost days of their honeymoon period.


    It was their fourth day at the ranch when someone knocked on the door. As usual it was Persephone who opened the door. She was sleeping until late as Santiago had a minor fever again last night and she was ''forced'' to look after him again just like previous nights but who was she to complain?


    Currently, her hair was disheveled, she was still wearing her sleepwears when she opened the door.


    Maria blushed when studying Persephone and she could guess what had transpired in the room given the messy condition of it. Young people these days are too energetic. However, it was their honeymoon period and their being super energetic was understood.


    "Ah, good morning, Mrs. Mayes," Persephone aka Juliet smiled at the older woman.


    Maria chuckled at her. "Young lady! It''s almost noon. But since you are just waking up now, I will accept your greeting." Teasing her a little bit, Maria continued,"Where is the handsome lad?"


    Persephone turned her head to find Santiago but she didn''t find him anywhere. Shrugging innocently, she said,"Perhaps, he has gone out."


    Maria shook her head as if she was disappointed with her. "Listen to me, girl. You must not let your husband away from your eyesight. The new girls that arrived the same day as you have their cunning eyes set on your husband. I noticed them giggling to each other as they passed through your corridor."


    In an instant, the expressions on Persephone''s face changed. Some vixens had eyes on her husband? Let them come and see how she would deal with each of them!


    "Mrs. Mayes, you tell me their names, I will beat each of them with your spatula," Persephone said, making a resolve to teach them a lesson soon. "I will show them what it means to set your eyes on Juliet Giovanni''s man."


    Maria was naturally happy with her attitude. It seemed like she made a good decision by telling her about those girls.


    On top of everything, she must keep an eye on that handsome husband of hers. It was a serious hassle for the wife one the husband was as tempting as Vito Ginovanni. She wondered how many vixens this girl had to deal with because of her tempting husband.


    So, while the two of them were enveloped in their thoughts for how to deal with vixend, Santiago, the root cause of the problem arrived. He frowned when he saw two women deep in thought. He didn''t know why but he wasn''t getting good vibes from both of them.


    "Umm¡­ everything alright?" Santiago couldn''t help but ask.


    The women turned their eyes to find a ridiculously handsome Santiago standing behind Persephone. For a moment, she was startled as to where did this captor of her came from? But soon, she calmed down or feigned it to convince Maria that they were indeed a real couple.


    Maria facepalmed when she recalled why she came to their room in the first place. Smiling at Santiago, she informed, "Dear, we are arranging a bonfire in the evening. You both have to come."


    Persephone frowned, "Bonfire and in this weather?"


    Maria smiled in a teasing manner,"You may not have noticed but it gets super cold here in the evening."


    Persephone blushed as realized what Maria meant.


    Continuing, Maria said," All the other kids were complaining how they were getting bored as they can''t even go out to get rid of their boredom. So, Tito suggested having a bonfire and a little party. Those kids are looking after the arrangements and they asked me to inform all of the lodgers. So, love birds you gotta come!!"


    Before Persephone could refuse her on account of Santiago''s health, Santiago spoke,"Don''t worry, Mrs. Mayes, we will be there."


    Persephone opened her mouth to say something but closed it again as she felt being pushed into his arms and then, she heard him saying,"I really wish for my wife to enjoy a night out with people her age."


    Maria chuckled. These two are so in love. She was worrying in vain. Waving at them, she soon left.


    Just as the door was closed behind, Persephone turned to look at Santiago. She put her hands on her hips and said in a roguish manner,"What do you think you are doing?"


    Santiago shook his head and heaved a sigh of relief while pulling her into his arms. Taking advantage of her blinking continuously at him, he whispered in her ear,"She is suspecting us. It would be better if we go to whatever she is talking about." He pretended to care a lot about the thoughts running in the landlady''s mind when it wasn''t the case.


    Although it was true that Maria was auspecting her, it was not wrong to say that Santiago wanted Persephone to go out for the night and enjoy. He knew she didn''t sign up for whatever was happening to them.


    "So, you only said yes to keep pretending we are a couple?" Persephone asked in an exceptionally small voice.


    Santiago couldn''t see her crestfallen expressions as her face was placed on his chest.


    "Why else?" Santiago said, burrowing his brows.


    Persephone bit her lips and then, gently pushed him while saying,"It''s not good for you to hug me when you are still wounded."


    Just as Persephone got out of his hold, he felt his arms empty and a void was forged in his heart. It was such a weird and uncomfortable feeling.


    He watched her back heading to the washroom and couldn''t decide if she was upset or anything.


    Later in the evening, Santiago found Persephone applying gloss over her chapped lips. She was wearing jeans and a knitted margin colored full sleeves top. Her hair was let loose as if they were yet to be made. He could tell because he knew he hates untangling her unruly hair. And if he knew her right, she would tie them in a simple bun to solve the hassle of combing them. This was how lazy she was sometimes.


    Persephone met his eyes in the mirror but it was him who took the initiative to speak up, "Are you again not planning to comb your hair? It''s been four days¡­"


    Her face turned ugly all of a sudden as she said, "Are you saying that I am unkempt and messy?"


    Santiago grabbed the comb which was lying on the counter and started untangling her hair gently.. "No, I am just saying that for a super energetic girl, you are too lazy to comb your hair."

 Chapter 82 - HUBBY

    When both of them reached the place where bonfire night was going to be organized, everyone else was helping the group of youngsters with any menial task they could find. Even Emanuel was there, laughing and chatting with others.


    Persephone immediately liked the atmosphere of the place. It was decorated in a very warm and beautiful manner. She should thank Santiago for saying yes when she would have certainly said no to Maria.


    She kind of felt guilty. Santiago was hurt and she took him out in such cold weather.


    Tito Mayes, Maria''s husband, was the first one to notice them. He excused the other group and came towards them. With a little too much energy, he patted Santiago''s shoulder. Even if it hurt Santiago, he didn''t react. The latter had long gotten used to these stings.


    Persephone giggled in a shy manner as Tito rained praises over her with Italian exclamations. She gave a look to her husband saying ''see, I can be a gentle lady''.


    Villain inwardly shook his head. He knew she would enjoy it with everyone. He was happy seeing her mingling with everyone.


    His Red carves to live normally like normal people. If she was his, he would have given her everything she would ever ask him. Even when he knew the thing she wanted the most, it couldn''t be bought with money.


    Maria, who also noticed her husband talking to the young couple, came to greet them. After that, she made it her responsibility to introduce the young couple to everyone, "Everyone, this is the couple I was talking about. Meet Vito and Juliet."


    "It''s nice to see you all," Santiago said with a slight smile. If Nash was here to see him mingling with kids, he would have given up on his love for cheap beers.


    The girls giggled and blushed hearing his smoky and masculine voice. They were shamelessly ogling his body. The way his black shirt was enveloped against his shoulders and taut stomach should be deemed sin.


    Since they were the girls who had just turned legal, they could not hide in her eyes that they were more than liking what they were seeing. It sounded wild and crazy to them. Crushing after older men wasn''t new for young ladies.


    On one hand, where girls were getting bolder with each passing second seeing the easy smile on Santiago''s face, Persephone felt as if she was walking on embers. Could she just tear these bitches apart? Ogling at her ''fake'' man!


    However, controlling this dire urge, she turned her ugly facial expressions into provocative ones. Running her fingers on his chest seductively, she ''loudly'' whispered, "Must you attract all kinds of bees and butterflies everywhere we go, HUBBY?"


    "Are you jealous, wifey," he said as he pinched her chin and played her game. Did she think only she could play? Wrapping his arm around her thin shoulders, he added, "Don''t worry, Mi Amor. I only have one heart and you own it."


    At this time, Persephone who was initially acting in a childish way was rendered speechless. Her heart started thumping against her heart crazily. She grabbed his shirt to stay on land as after hearing his words, she felt as if she was thrown on clouds, soft and dreamy.


    "Ah, Miss is feeling endangered?" A young woman''s voice hovered in the flirty breeze of the night. Her beautiful eyebrows scrunched up together in a very elegant manner, but she kept her voice gentle and full of teasing or that''s what everyone else thought.


    However, it wasn''t the case with Persephone. She didn''t know why but she wasn''t getting good vibes from this woman.


    "Why would I be?" Persephone questioned her directly. Sensing that her voice sounded a bit hostile, she gave her a sickly sweet smile and while hugging Santiago''s waist and said, "When he only has me in his eyes, heart, and life, why would I feel endangered?"


    Blinking her eyes at Villain in a very innocent she continued, "Right, Hubby?"


    "Very much, Wifey," Santiago replied, his eyes clearly amused. So, he wouldn''t be bored here. He would at least see someone in treating drama tonight. Moreover, seductive Red was something he didn''t get to see every day.


    Maria, who had noticed the hostility in Persephone''s eyes, walked ahead and said to everyone, "Now. Now. Young people. Let''s start. Everyone is here."


    Everyone turned their attention from the newcomers and distracted themselves with the little work they were left with.


    "Irene, are you not coming?" A boy with sweet looks who was probably in his early twenties said to the girl who initially provoked Persephone.


    Irene maintained the gentle smile on her face and nodded. She couldn''t erase the flash of possessiveness that she had seen in Juliet''s (Percy) eyes. Worse, she couldn''t erase the image of Vito (Santiago) from her mind. She had heard that ''Love is blind'' but had never experienced it before.


    She couldn''t get him out of her mind. From the time she had seen him in the lobby again, she realized that she had lost her heart to him a long time ago. She had never been in love with anyone and it was for the first time she had felt such intense feelings for anyone.


    However, she had her rotten luck to blame. That man was married. And the woman standing next to him, showing off her claim, was his wife.


    Still, she couldn''t see what was so special in that woman. She was wearing inexpensive clothes. No make-up, nothing. It was as if she had just come directly from her sleep. She wasn''t very special in body proportions either. A petite woman, not with enough curves.


    ....


    This novel is a contracted work with W e b n o v e l. c o m (remove spaces). If you''re not reading ''THe Villain'' on W e b n o v e l, it has been stolen. It''s very heartbreaking to see pirates profiting from my hard work.. Please support the original author,(tanu_sam).

 Chapter 83 - Plain Jane

    Still, she couldn''t see what was so special in that woman. She was wearing inexpensive clothes. No make-up, nothing. It was as if she had just come directly from her sleep. She wasn''t very special in body proportions either. A petite woman, not with enough curves.


    Even Irene was taller than her by five inches. That Plain Jane was hardly 5''4.


    The man deserves a woman with supermodel looks. The woman who would look good with him when they would walk together.


    Clenching her fists, she went away with her friends.


    On the other side, Santiago kissed Persephone''s forehead as he felt someone''s gaze on him, "You need to control your emotions."


    Persephone turned her head to look at him. Just as he said, she calmed her emotions down and whispered, "You think I was in the wrong?"


    Santiago stared into her eyes to see hurt flashing in her eyes. Behind her, one could see the little bulbs flickering, lighting up the darkness. The moon was shining brightly and proudly in the night sky and so was clouds.


    It was a beautiful night and he had an even more beautiful woman sitting next to her. It was a pity that she was upset with him.


    "You know that''s not what I mean," Santiago gently said. He was staring at the reflection of the fire in her eyes. It clearly matches the fire that constantly burns in her heart.


    Persephone chuckled at his words, "That''s true. I was really over-reacting. But you see, as long as we are stuck here you need to keep your act of the faithful husband. Once we are back at the capital, I don''t care if you go after her or not¡­"


    [Why were these words hurting me? He is no one to me. Then, what''s this stupid feeling? Oh God, I need to stop myself from going insane.]


    A look of disbelief flashed in Santiago''s eyes as he heard what this crazy girl said. Did she think he was chiding her for that woman?


    What was her name, again?


    Why would he cheat, Red?


    Perhaps, Santiago didn''t realize that he had been behaving like a real husband to her.


    Something was certainly not right with both of them.


    They need to get their feelings checked by a good doctor who specializes in the feelings department.


    Santiago held her shoulder and ordered her to look at him. But as stubborn as she was, she wouldn''t look at him, and nor could he make her listen to him in a strict voice.


    Softening his tone, he said, "Look at me." And this time, she did. "Do you think I was scolding you for that woman? Stupid girl! I don''t even know her. I know better than anyone to entangle with one such as her. Look at her clothes and accessories. It''s clear that she is a rich daddy''s princess. It''s a pity that I am done with these socialites. Plus, being unfaithful to my partner is not something I am capable of doing. Even if we are just pretending"


    "You are making it sound as if I am jealous of her," Persephone said, suddenly self-conscious.


    [Wasn''t she jealous?]


    "Are you not?" Santiago raised his brow.


    "Why would I be?" Persephone quickly retorted. "It''s just that I don''t like her face, voice, and her existence on earth."


    Santiago allowed her to do whatever she wanted. He allowed her to think that she had made him fool just like her. But he had a question and it was itching him. If she was jealous of that woman, why would he be pleased to see that? Shouldn''t it bother him as it''s troublesome?


    It seemed like the crazy girl was rubbing her on him. He was getting silly just like her.


    "Lean on me," Persephone said once all were settled on their chairs.


    "What?" Santiago asked her. Why would he shift his weight on her? She was so tiny and frail. What if he broke her? He had yet to return her to her don father.


    "It''s not good for you to sit for a long time," Persephone said. "Lean on me and be more comfortable."


    Santiago silently did as she said. But he didn''t do it out of his bad health but because he loved stealing warmth from her body. Plus, it was not less than euphoria to immerse himself in her addictive and calming scent.


    From the other side, Irene saw with her slightly red eyes how Santiago was hiding a smile as he sneakily leaned into her wife''s embrace. It was breaking her heart to see this scene but she had hardened her heart because she knew if not for this moment, perhaps, she wouldn''t be able to look at him ever.


    Why would one fall in love with the forbidden man? She wasn''t an evil woman who would break someone else''s family for her one-sided love.


    It wasn''t the first time she had seen this man but it was certainly the first time she had seen him from this close.


    Once Irene Hawthrone had the opportunity to meet His Majesty and this man, who was now in someone else''s arms, was standing behind him, probably talking or heading his security team. He was dressed in a fitted all black suit and she had felt as if she had beheld a mystic creature on earth.


    This man was heavenly. She still couldn''t believe why such a man would marry a plain Jane like the woman in whose arms she was seeking warmth?


    Four days ago, when she saw him in the lobby, she thought about asking her father about him. But then she recalled what he had said the last time she had told him about Vito.


    This novel is a contracted work with W e b n o v e l. c o m (remove spaces). If you''re not reading ''THe Villain'' on W e b n o v e l, it has been stolen. It''s very heartbreaking to see pirates profiting from my hard work.. Please support the original author,(tanu_sam).

 Chapter 84 - Handsome Lad

    Four days ago, when she saw him in the lobby, she thought about asking her father about him. But then she recalled what he had said the last time she had told him about Vito


    Her father had strictly warned her not to ever talk about this man and his three friends in public ever. She had joked that he was a criminal. Her father had scolded her for the first time then. He only told her that his identity was very precious and if she ever saw him anywhere with anyone, she must not tell anyone that she knew him or knew of him.


    She had to pretend as if she didn''t know him at all. And it was the most hurtful thing to do.


    As the sky was changing so was the atmosphere on the ground. It was getting warm down there but the temperature had nothing to do with it.


    Persephone was finding it hard to recognize the fluttering feeling in her stomach as Santiago grabbed her arm like a kid and rested his head on it. He forced her to feed him the dessert that everyone was having.


    "If I hadn''t seen with my eyes, I wouldn''t have known that this tough and handsome man can express such expressions," Tito said with a loud laugh. His laugh was so infectious that even Persephone couldn''t help it.


    Santiago groaned as he heard her laugh. She was clearly laughing at him.


    "What?" Persephone retorted. "If you are so embarrassed, stop throwing a tantrum like a kid."


    "You have been treating me like a kid. so that''s why I am behaving like one." Santiago was not embarrassed to behave like a kid. It wasn''t every day when you could behave like this. He chose to blame it on his illness.


    Persephone couldn''t believe her ear. The audacity of the man! Did he even know how serious his condition had been for the last four days?


    He just sleeps all night and when he suffers from fever, she is left to play nurse to him.


    Yes, yes, nobody had pointed a gun at her head and threatened to take care of him. It was just her frail heart that couldn''t bear seeing anyone in pain. And yes, this man was no special.


    So, she had to spend all night looking after him. And this young man even forgets that he gets a fever at night.


    In the morning, he often blamed her as she was heartless and only fed him sick food, resulting in an argument every time.


    "Lara, it seems this handsome lad really liked your special dessert. Look at him, arguing with his wife about it." Maria laughed and so did all the other kids. She really liked these two.


    "After four days of eating nothing but bland food, I am shocked how he is not snatching the whole thing from Juliet," Lara said in an indifferent voice. She was curious to see what kind of man would keep this young woman awake at night. Every night, she would come to the kitchen asking for weird meals. No, she wasn''t not suspecting her like Maria. She was just curious because the young Juliet seemed to love her husband a lot. It was evident from the way she cared about her husband and his needs.


    "Bland food?" Maria furrowed her brow. It didn''t sit well with her. Turning her gaze at him, she asked, "Are you alright?"


    Before Persephone and Santiago could speak, Romeo said," Mr. Giovanni has been suffering from fever for the last few days. Julie has been taking care of him."


    [Oh shoot, big mouth Romeo.]


    "How do you know?" Santiago couldn''t stop the words from escaping his mouth. Who told them that he was sick? Wasn''t he just injured?


    Unknowingly, he grumbled, "It''s all because of that sick food that everyone knows about my bad health."


    Persephone sighed but she chose to stay quiet. She didn''t want Villain to feel uncomfortable after knowing that she had sleepless nights because of his fever, not because of her fear of kidnappers.


    She knew that if he somehow ended up knowing it, he wouldn''t let her take care of him. He hates showing himself anything but strong and capable.


    Irene paused as she heard Romeo mentioning that Santiago had been sick. Her eyes shifted to him who was staring at his wife in a weird gaze and his wife was avoiding looking back at him. It was as if she had been caught doing something immoral.


    ''Had she lied to him?''Irene wondered in her mind. ''Plus, why was Romeo talking as if he was suddenly so close to her? Just what was going on with this Plain Jane.''


    The girl who claimed to love Santiago was suspecting Persephone''s relationship with anyone except for Santiago when she should have been worried about his health.


    She had been telling herself to stay away from Santiago as she was a noblewoman who would never commit the sin of stealing a man from a married woman but was it exactly how she had been telling herself? Or there was something else that she hadn''t been acknowledging?


    Whatever, she was thinking it wouldn''t affect our lovebirds as long as she didn''t interfere directly.


    "Really?" Maria asked the couple. Her expressions were suddenly serious. It was as if she was suspecting them again. "How come you are sick and your wife didn''t call the doctor? Juliet Darling, you should have informed us. We are acquainted with a doctor. He will be here anytime as long as we inform him."


    ....


    This novel is a contracted work with W e b n o v e l. c o m (remove spaces). If you''re not reading ''THe Villain'' on W e b n o v e l, it has been stolen. It''s very heartbreaking to see pirates profiting from my hard work. Please support the original author,(tanu_sam).


    .....


    Please keep voting and supporting. And add the novel into into library if you haven''t yet!

 Chapter 85 - The Night Just Started

    "Really?" Maria asked the couple. Her expressions were suddenly serious. It was as if she was suspecting them again. "How come you are sick and your wife didn''t call the doctor? Juliet Darling, you should have informed us. We are acquainted with a doctor. He will be here anytime as long as we inform him."


    [Tell you and let your fast brain start running even faster than a bullet train? No, thank you very much.]


    "Thank you, Mrs. Mayes. We visited one when we checked in here," Persephone thanked heaven as she got a chance to avoid answering the questions Santiago''s eyes were raising. She couldn''t be more thankful for Maria''s suspicious nature. "My husband fought with the thief but to no avail¡­ the stuff he stole...we didn''t get them back¡­ but he did win a big injury in return¡­ he is taking medicines and is better than before."


    She didn''t know if Maria and her husband would believe her but she just twisted the original story a bit.


    "Really? Sir, you fought an evil man alone?" Irene''s friend widened her eyes funnily and asked. She was fascinated to know what this tall and dangerous man would have looked while fighting the bad guys. She would do a naked pole dance if she could see him in action.


    "Ah, it must have hurt after the injury, no?" Another girl said. Her face is red like a tomato.


    [Just what kind of things were they imagining in their pea-sized heads?]


    "Silly Anne, you don''t feel butterflies in your stomach after getting slammed," Anne''s boyfriend said in a grumbling tone. He couldn''t understand what was wrong with the girls that they were getting crazy over this older man. Look at him. And see what real handsome men look like!!


    "You shouldn''t have fought with those people. Weren''t the things that man stole just ''things''?" Irene couldn''t help but say in a worried voice. She meant to say that nothing in the world was worth his life. But unfortunately, the way the words escaped her mouth, offended Santiago for no apparent reason.


    "That wasn''t just ''thing''. It was something very precious to me. No money in the world could have brought it back to me," Santiago said. His gaze bored into Persephone''s face. He didn''t even bother to look at the person who asked the question.


    Truly, no money in the world would have brought his Redback to him if he had lost her to the kidnappers. And what kind of a man would he be if he failed to protect something precious to him?


    He was the type of man who would sacrifice his life in a second to protect something precious to him.


    "And they say there is nothing between them," Emmanuel muttered under his breath as he saw Santiago intensely staring at the woman beside him. He would be a fool to believe that there was everything ''Platonic'' between them.


    If Villain hadn''t been badly injured, he strongly believed they would have been rolling in the sheets. Naked and doing unspeakable things to each other.


    "Who are you talking about?" Emmanuel felt hot air blowing on his neck as he heard a hoarse sultry voice. He then felt a hand on his ass and gulped inwardly.


    "N-No¡­" Emmanuel found it hard to utter those two words.


    "Why are you stuttering?" Romeo whispered in his ear. "Do I make you uncomfortable, Em?"


    Emmanuel opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out of his mouth. It was as if some external forces were stopping him to utter the words that he had in his mouth.


    In the end, he just kept his mouth shut as he was too confused to say anything.


    He couldn''t understand Romeo and his hot and cold attitude.


    One moment, he was throwing tantrums and another moment, he would be beating the shit of any guy who would dare to approach him with mean intention.


    This Romeo was truly a tsundere.


    "Don''t you guys think it''s getting boring here?" Someone from Irene''s group said." We should have some fun here."


    "Kids, you can do anything but don''t let any naked lad or lass run around my property in the dark," Tito said directly to the kids. His old eyes couldn''t bear to look something like that at this age.


    A young guy who looked a little drunk laughed and said, "You won''t see any naked Lad and Lass, Uncle Tito. We will make sure of it. We won''t come near your wing where you can see some asses and ---"


    Another guy shut his mouth with his palm and said, "We won''t do something like that. No Naked dances or orgies like you said before."


    Maria chuckled at them "You! Young Kids! Kids in our times were so hesitant to speak these words out and look at today''s generation. So shameless and so naughty!!"


    "Ah, Bella, do you want us to teach Uncle Tito a thing or two?!" The drunk boy foolishly grinned and asked her.


    "Shameless, boy," Maria groaned and everyone else laughed.


    "Honey, how about we try the things little Jammie taught me in the day?" Tito whispered in Maria''s ear and she turned scarlet. "Kids, we are leaving you here. Don''t mind us. Continue doing what you are doing. And yeah, No orgies...no naked dance."


    In the next few seconds, the older generation was gone and only ten of them were there. Santiago, Persephone, Emmanuel, Romeo, Irene, and five others.


    "We should leave too," Persephone said in Santiago''s ear. She knew it was not good for Santiago to sit for a longer interval of time.


    Before Santiago could say something, Romeo said," Julie, you are not planning on leaving, are you?"


    Suddenly, Santiago turned his head and found that damn boy calling his wife ''Julie'' as if they were too close out of sudden.


    "I--I¡­" Persephone opened her mouth to say that it was the case but Irene defeated her at this.


    "Of course not, Romeo. How could Miss Juliet and Mr. Giovanni leave just like that? The night just started. We have so much planned for it."


    ....


    Author Note: You Guys may have been wondering why this lazy Author of yours gave you three back-to-back mass releases. If it''s because I love you guys a little too much or if there is some hidden motive behind this.


    Of course, there is a hidden motive behind this.


    Six months ago on a whim, I posted three chapters of this novel. And suddenly after few Days WSA (a contest was announced) and since the theme was fitting my book. I participated in the contest. In the next few days, I posted one or two chapters and stopped again as my other novel was ongoing at that time.


    One month ago, I suddenly decided to work on another work and when I saw that I have this book( which I hadn''t touched for 5months), I decided to write this as I was lacking start for another one.


    And I did... A week ago, my friend reminded me that WSA is ending and I need to post at least 100k words before the end of September.


    Hehee... I burned midnight oil and see how is wrote around 30K words in a single week.


    Suddenly proud of me....

 Chapter 86 - Not Your End

    Romeo furrowed his brows as he heard how Irene was refusing to call Juliet ''Mrs. Giovanni'' but he didn''t say anything as the girl in front of him was a big shot. He just didn''t want to attract unnecessary trouble by offending her or anyone.


    Even if Romeo didn''t say anything but how could one shut the mouth of others?


    "Don''t you know how excited Irene was for this night? She had been planning it for the last two nights. If not for her idea...we would have been lying on the bed like corpses," Anne said. She was ready to ass-kiss Irene for favors if she had to.


    Just as Anne completed the sentence, another chimed in, "I must say, Irene, your idea of calling everyone was great. We enjoyed it very much with the elders and the staff."


    This person wanted everyone to praise how magnanimous Irene was but poor girls didn''t know that she was spoiling the latter''s plan.


    As if these two dumbos were not enough, another boy who had a crush on her spoke, "We were going back after checking out the ranch. But since Irene insisted we stay here for a few days before going back to the Capital¡­ we are here. Isn''t she amazing?"


    Santiago and Persephone nodded.


    Irene and her friends were on the tour when the lockdown happened. Since she was a rich father''s princess as Santiago told Persephone, her father insisted that she come back as soon as the lockdown occurred for he would make arrangements right away.


    However, they thought of trying the ranch once as people of this area think highly of this ranch...but who would have thought that she would end up seeing Santiago here.


    And since he would be staying here...she begged her parents to let her stay here for a few days. She gave the excuse that the roads were not safe and she was fine here. ¡­


    Naturally, her father agreed as he knew better than anyone how unsafe roads were these times.


    A doubt took place in Persephone''s heart. She wondered if the girl knew Santiago from before¡­


    If she did...she would have at least tried to talk to him¡­.


    ¡­.


    "Oh! Your turn again!!!" Jamie or the boy who was slightly drunk before was officially drunk now. They were playing interesting games. His dares were very weird and sensual.


    However, Persephone, as bold as she may look, was actually a scaredy-cat. If she fails to do a dare, she will have to drink a shot made by him. The quality of shots would multiply after every failed dare.


    "Now, stop it," Santiago said to both of them.


    Persephone pouted her lips and squinted her eyes while turning her face to express how upset he had made her with his ''offending'' words.


    "You are drunk. I am afraid you will not be able to take more," Santiago sighed and said in a soothing voice. His voice was so calm that it was appearing as if he was talking to a kid.


    "Hubbbyyyyy! I want to play more with Jamie. Only he is gooood. Resssst are noooo good. Look at them¡­" Hearing Persephone praising him, Jamie felt his eyes tearing up. When was the last time someone complimented him for his alcohol tolerance?


    Those stupid people just call him alcoholic but only his big sister ''Julie'' will call him good.


    "Big Sister¡­"Jamie came running and sobbing and hugged Persephone. " Wah. Wah. You are good too. They all no understand me...Wah Wah."


    "Little brother!!!" Persephone sobbed with him.


    Watching this bizarre scene, Santiago rubbed his forehead in exasperation. Why did he allow her to drink so much?


    "You leave my woman first!" Santiago ordered Jamie in the tone he uses on his subordinates. Jamie shuddered as he heard the voice of Yama.


    "So scary, big sister!" Jamie snitched on Santiago to Persephone in hopes to get into Persephone''s arms for a long time. However, he had forgotten that this woman was a nutcase.


    After all, no one else other than her would find his threatening voice sexy and¡­


    "Come here," Santiago ordered, narrowing his eyes at his ''wife'' and watching her coming to his side, keeping her head down as if she was a kid who was caught doing bad things.


    "What did I tell you about not standing close to other men?" He asked her. " Did you forget this?"


    "I was a bad girl. And bad girls should be punished," Persephone said, her head hung low.


    Santiago had to take deep breaths multiple times to calm himself down. This girl was walking on thin ice, did she know it?


    "Let''s go inside, " Santiago urged Persephone. She was extremely drunk. He was afraid that if he didn''t take her inside she would do something reckless again.


    Persephone stomped her feet on the ground and yelled, "Nooo."


    Before Santiago could say anything or react or do something, he found her climbing on the structure made by bamboo sticks. It was 7-8 feet high and was made by submerging bamboo sticks into the ground and then a few more sticks were laid horizontally to give it the shape of a high bed.


    "Come down, Red," Santiago urged her in a soft voice.


    Persephone picked her feet up to stomp on the platform but just as she was about to do it, she saw how everything was going round and round.


    "Red!!" Villain shouted as he saw her tilting back and forth.


    Persephone held up her hand to stop him from approaching her. "I''m fine, you cad and mean Villain. I will not come down! I will stay here. I''m at the top of the world. I''m freeeee!!!!!"


    "Red, you are not free. You are in danger. Let me help you come down, please¡­" Santiago, who had never dealt with kids, was forced to deal with this child who was apparently in the body of a very alluring woman.


    "Nooooooo¡­." She shouted in a slurring manner. "You are bad! You don''t love me. You always scold me."


    Santiago didn''t know what to do at this moment. He looked here and there and found everyone knocked out. He didn''t know what kind of shots Jamie had made that no one was able to survive more than three. However, this crazy woman of his had taken more than everyone.


    "Come down, Red. I''m telling you for the last time," Santiago warned her. " If you don''t listen to me now, then I will leave you here in the cold to go back to our room to sleep."


    Santiago didn''t say anything and turned back to walk away. However, when he didn''t hear for a long time, he panicked and immediately veered around to find her head buried in her knees. Her body was shaking badly and her whimpers were not able to escape his ear.


    If one would ask him, what had happened at this moment to him. He wouldn''t be able to reply as he felt someone with a sharp edge pricking his heart and the walls built around it crumbled down.


    He walked ahead and said in a very soft voice. The kind of soft voice that even put him in shock. "Red, I''m sorry. I will not leave you here in the cold."


    Her sobs intensified hearing his voice.


    "Please, don''t cry."


    "I will do as you will say."


    "Just stop crying."


    "Okay, you don''t wanna listen to me? I will just leave you here."


    Persephone looked down at him. Since she was at the height, she could easily see him glancing at her.


    "Go leave me like everyone did to pick my pieces up." Hiccups." First, he left me all alone. He was my only source of warmth but they took him away from me. I hate them so much." More hiccups. " Then, they took my mama away from me. She was my best buddy and best teacher. But they killed her too¡­ I was just left with my big bro. God took him away too¡­ He should kill me too, right? Why did he leave me here all alone?"


    Santiago held his hand and asked her to grab it. When she grabbed his hand, he pulled her into his arms and then settled on the ground.


    Wiping her tears with the pad of his thumb, he murmured, "You are not allowed to talk nonsense ever again. My Red will never talk about dying. Who are you? You can''t be my Red."


    "I''m not your Red. I''m anyone but your Red, "Persephone told him. Her teary green eyes bore into his and in a very sad tone, she added," You don''t see me, Villain. You always try to look for someone else in me. Someone who is not me. Someone whose name you murmur in your sleep. I didn''t know before why you offered me the deal but I know now¡­ You were not tempted by me...but you were seeking someone in me.. Again Villain, I''m not her."

 Chapter 87 - Covering Her Beauty

    Santiago pretended as if he hadn''t heard what she just said and continued dragging her back to the room. Regardless, his body was shaking with an ungodly amount of rage.


    How dare she say that he was looking for his Percy in her?


    There was a big difference between the two of them. One was his reason for living and the other was his damnation. How could both be similar?


    It was like one was heaven and another was hell.


    Yeah, he admitted that there were many resemblances in both of them. Yet, he knew better than anyone how unique both girls were from each other.


    Persephone, who was getting dragged for speaking her mind, held Santiago''s hand which was holding her another hand, and then pricked her sharp teeth on his wrist resulting in getting out of his hold.


    "If I say I am not going with you...it means I am not going with you!" The drunk Persephone adamantly said. She was Persephone Bloody Marino! She would not let this sinfully gorgeous Villain trample on her dignity.


    "If you are not going with me, then who will you be going with?" Villain asked her indifferently as he tucked his hands in his jean pocket. It was as if this trouble hadn''t bitten him.


    Persephone was stumped for a minute. Then, she lifted her chin like a badass queen and proudly said, "I still have my beauty here. I will go with him. You can leave."


    "Oh really?" Santiago raised his brow and his gaze shifted behind her head.


    Following his gaze, she turned back only to find Romeo and Emmanuel kissing hungrily. Like really ravenously... Her eyes widened as she realized what was happening in the middle of the open ground.


    These two¡­


    Persephone immediately shut her eyes. Refusing to believe that her Romeo was in actuality never her.


    He¡­ he never wanted a Juliet.


    [Damn you, Shakespeare for messing with my head.]


    "Oh, God," Persephone sobbed. "Why must I be so unlucky?!"


    "Stop with drama already!" Santiago''s voice made her realize that she was not alone there. A certain smug villain was standing beside her.


    [He must be feeling like he was flying on the clouds?]


    "This...all is your fault!" Persephone glared at him.


    "My fault?" Santiago gaped at her. "How is this my fault? It''s clearly your fault that you failed to seduce that boy. Tsk. Tsk. I must say your taste in men is just like you¡­ unreliable and poor."


    "Shut up!"


    "Haha... Truth hurts, doesn''t it?" Santiago mocked her.


    "Go to hell, you wicked man," Persephone shouted at him.


    "Where the hell are you going now?" Santiago yelled as he saw her walking in the opposite direction.


    "To beat the hell out of Emanuel. How dare you covet my beauty?" He heard Persephone saying.


    "You shameless woman! Come back!" Santiago yelled again and tread faster to drag her back with him.


    "I''m seriously damning the day I met you," Persephone growled.


    "Back at ya, babe."


    "We are going back to our room," Santiago added.


    "Wait. Wait. I want to see what I am missing," Persephone interrupted. Her eyes shamelessly watched Emmanuel and Romeo''s every action. "Look...how hungrily Romeo is sucking Emmanuel''s lips. And see how his hands manage to touch the right spot like the G-spot and you can tell from Emmanuel''s face that he is trembling¡­ Wait, do men have G-spot?"


    "Seriously, Red?" Santiago scowled. "This is your commentary on two people making out? Don''t you have anything else to do?"


    "Don''t be miser, Villain," Persephone slurred." I''m just watching how a real man should actually kiss. It''s so freaking hot¡­"


    Santiago grabbed her shoulder and made her look at him. He pinched her chin and uttered," Are you trying to say I never kissed you like a man?"


    Persephone blinked her eyes innocently and said, "You did? How come I never remember?" She felt an arm pulling her ass ahead and in a moment, she was thrown into the air and found that he was carrying her like a sack of potatoes.


    He is so freaking unromantic. She pities the woman who is going to marry him.


    Villain only placed her on the ground when they were inside their bedroom. He immediately closed up the door and then locked her between his chest and the door frame.


    "Since you don''t remember how I kissed you and how much better I was than that damn boy...how about I remind you?"Santiago murmured against her lips.


    Stupid Persephone beamed at him, completely forgetting that she was inside the tiger''s lair. She wrapped her arms around his neck and connected her lips that taste like vodka with his chocolate tasting ones. The chocolate taste on his lips must be the desert that he had stolen from her.


    When he finally kissed her back, she felt as if she was transported into a different zone where the sky erupted as something boomed inside her stomach when his tongue tangled with hers, fighting for dominance. This feeling was indescribable. What she was feeling at this moment was something she had never felt before. This dizzy and fuzzy feeling made her feel like a teenager who was for the first time had fallen in love.


    Surely, she and Santiago had done things dirtier than just a simple kiss. Again, it was no simple kiss. It was a battle of tongues. A battle where both of them were fighting to accept that there was indeed something between them, something more than the apparent lust.


    Perhaps, it''s what people call chemistry. But if it''s the so-called chemistry then she must say that this chemistry was the worst concept she ever had the privilege of knowing¡­ sometimes it exists even between the most incompatible people...


    Take her and this sensual villain for example.


    "Say Red, did I meet your expectations?" Villain whispered as he


    "You might have blown the charts¡­" Persephone said, breathing heavily.


    Santiago smirked knowingly at her. He was about to pull her but stopped when he saw Persephone was on the way to puke all over him¡­


    Way to spoil the mood, Red¡­


    "You are not puking the shit on me," Santiago told her whole dragging her to the washroom.


    Can he just send her back to where he stole her from?


    ¡­.


    The following morning Persephone woke up feeling like complete shit. Her head hurts as if someone had slammed it against the wall and had stitched it back after cracking it open.


    Groaning, she tried to remember if she had indeed by hit by someone or something¡­


    Suddenly, the memories of the last night come flying to get making her feel even shitier.


    She was reminded of the dirty truth and dare game.


    Then, the drinking shots made by Jammie like a lunatic.


    Then, more daring truth and silly dares¡­


    More drinking¡­


    Shit, her climbing on mount Everest or that''s what she thought she was doing¡­


    As if these memories were less to make her want to hide in the bathroom forever and only come out after earth finally faces apocalypse, she was reminded of how she gave a piece of mind to Villain¡­


    And after that...all her memories are fuzzy¡­.


    [But why do I have a feeling that it''s better if I don''t remember those? I haven''t done something that I am going to regret for the rest of the life, have I? Like getting a tattoo saying ''Villain is best'' on my boobs or ass?]


    She let out a loud groan as she discovered where her thoughts were heading. She moved as her bladder was about to give up on her. Ugh, she needed to pee fast or she would die right here on the bed.


    She didn''t wanna become a subject of the headline -- girl died by not peeing on the bed with her captor.


    She tossed the sheets from her body and was about to change position to run towards the washroom when she realized¡­


    [Dear Lord of mine...why in the biggest fucking fuck I am fucking naked?]


    [So many, curses in the sentence, Persephone Juliet Marino. But who the fuck cares?! ]


    Immediately, her eyes shifted to the Adonis lying beside her and found him naked as well. Well, as naked as he was born today.


    Persephone made a crying face saying ''We didn''t...right?''


    At this time, she had forgotten that she needed to pee fast and necessarily¡­


    "We certainly did," Persephone yelled as she moved and felt a sting down there. You know the area¡­


    "Even my voice is hoarse¡­"


    Santiago was awakened by the yelling sound of a crazy woman. He rubbed his eyes in a lazy and very very sexy manner and Persephone had to remind herself that it wasn''t the right time and place to think about such things.


    "Why on this green earth are you yelling in the morning?" Santiago asked her in a sleepy voice.


    "Oh lord, I need to go to the washroom fast," Persephone stood up with a wince and glared at him for being responsible for her being not able to walk. "And I will beat the shit out of you once I come back," she threatened him running towards the washroom holding her stomach. She didn''t even realize that she was running naked¡­


    Santiago laughed. There was nothing sexual about this moment but somehow he found her extremely seductive. His thoughts went back to last night as he remembered this woman forced her on him.. He would never forget the night when he was ''taken advantage of'' by the woman who was half of his size and no match to his power.

 Chapter 88 - Not Your Enemy

    "Y-you are saying that I took advantage of you?" Persephone''s eyes were wide as saucers when she questioned him while pointing her finger hesitantly at herself.


    To be honest, she wasn''t very confident. It could be true that she had taken¡­


    Ewww.


    She hid her face in her hands. No. No. She didn''t want to think about it.


    "Why? Don''t you remember how you¡­"


    Santiago didn''t need to complete his sentence for Persephone was taken back to the night where all this mess had started.


    She could vividly see in her mind how locked him against the door when he was trying to help her to puke her guts out.


    It wasn''t him who was desperate to¡­.


    [Oh My God!! What have I done?!"


    Seeing that she was about to cry, Santiago gripped her chin by his index finger and made her look at him. "Why are you looking as if your cat has died? Or are you regretting everything you did last night?"


    Persephone shook her head while pouting, "It''s not that I am regretting everything that has happened between us. It''s just that¡­ it''s just that I regret that I don''t remember every detail¡­ you know what I am saying?"


    The usual indifferent bastard was rendered speechless. He was shocked, surprised, amazed, astonished, and whatnot!!


    Why can this girl not think like a normal person?


    "Umm...what?" Persephone asked him when she saw that he was staring at her weirdly. She wiped her face thinking something was glued there.


    Santiago just heaved out a sigh and stood up to freshen up.


    He had a doubt if he stayed here with her for too long. He would soon lose his bloody brain cells.


    Truly, stupidity is infectious. And he only learned it today.


    ¡­..


    On Killian''s side.


    Killian had been in a bad mood since the last night after he had received the information from his other spies in New York. He couldn''t believe his ears!


    Albert Scuderi''s car was hit resulting in his death and his wife was heavily injured.


    Sierra Scuderi passed away last night in the same hospital where her father-in-law died. Cause of death: cardiac arrest.


    Geoffrey Scuderi was killed in a fight with assailants who used poison to kill him when they couldn''t beat him in physical power.


    Ridiculous!


    Fucking Ridiculous!


    He asked Isabelle for a boom. But it was a bloody earthquake!


    Finally, the call was connected and he could heave out a sigh.


    "Damn you, woman! What on earth were you thinking?!" Killian shouted as soon as Isabelle picked up the call.


    Lately, he had been losing his calm quite frequently.


    "Ugh" Isabelle groaned as she stifled a yawn."Is this how people on your planet talk to a patient?"


    "Oh, you still remember that you are alive? But let me remind you that it won''t be for long, "Killian wasn''t threatening her but telling the truth.


    "Mr. K, "Isabelle called his name in a sickly sweet voice. " Or should I call you Mr. Palemero?"


    Killian, who was roaring like a lion a moment ago, stopped breathing for a moment. How long has it been since someone called him by this name?


    Hell, they don''t even know that he is a Palmero.


    "Isabelle, don''t you think you know too much now?" Killian said to her.


    Isabelle was silent for a minute. Then, she sighed, "Killian Palmero, I''m not your enemy. I just want to survive. I survived a disaster just a few days ago. I gave this mission more than five years of my life and do you think I will do nothing and let you get rid of me? I''m not an idiot."


    Hearing what she had to say, Killian let out a sneer."By investigating me? I''m even surprised how you found out about me?"


    Isabelle chuckled, "To be honest, I was shooting arrows in the dark but now you cleared my doubts. You are indeed that Killian Palmero who was supposed to be dead. Continuing she said, "As for your question, how do I know about you? My late husband has a file on each and every member of your family containing every detail."


    Killian wasn''t surprised that Albert Scuderi had a hand in the death of his parents. After all, he was Don Marino''s subordinate and his father did betray him by helping his enemy. He had no intention of avenging his dead father who was the reason for the destruction of his family. Call him a bad son but he didn''t care. All he cared for was his Alcina, his little angel. She didn''t deserve that dark life. She was so bright that he was left in bewilderment for how his angel didn''t come with a halo.


    Enough of his sister. Now, he had to deal with this sly woman. Of course, he knew that the girl. had a motive of her own for working for him but who would have thought she wanted the demise of Scideris when all he wanted was to find some clues to look for his sister now that he had confirmation from Santiago that she was indeed alive.


    However, he couldn''t let this woman go or she would prove to be a hassle later on.


    "So, what do you want?"Killian asked her. To keep the secret of his existence buried, he was ready to pay her off and let her live for as long as she didn''t pose a threat to him. However, he would keep her close to him as much as he could.


    "Retirement. New identity. A peaceful life away from the Italian mafia and its dogs, "Isabelle quickly said. It wouldn''t take long before Nico would discover that she was the murderer of his family.


    "Fine. Give me a few days. Things on my side are not good," Killian said. If he had given her his words, he wouldn''t take them back.


    "No problem," Isabelle beamed.


    "Good. I will call you once I have made all the arrangements," Killian said bidding goodbye.


    "Hey hey wait! What makes you think I don''t have leverage over you?"Isabelle said quickly.


    Now Killian was interested. "What do you mean?"


    He could imagine her wearing an evil smirk and staring at her. She was so damn thick-skinned and fearless.


    "I have news on your sister."


    "What did you say?" Killian didn''t know how he let those words out of his mouth. He was trembling badly.


    "I said I have news on you sister. Alcina Palmero is alive, happily married, and kicking! Probably, she had a bunch of kids from what I had heard."


    Killian felt as if he had come back to life after so many years. His sister was alive. Oh my God, his sister was alive. And she was leading a happy life. What else could he ask for?!


    "Where is she now? And what''s her name now?" Killian questioned her quickly.


    "That I don''t know¡­ Killian, your sister is a mystery. No one knows where she is now¡­ I am trying to find clues but to no avail¡­ but you can rest assured that she is alive."


    ¡­.


    "Your Majesty, all the preparations for the moon festival had been done as per your orders," Sir Andreas aka King Leonard''s assistant said in a respectful tone.


    There was only one day left before the curfew would be lifted and everything would go back to normal. Joseph''s funeral was held privately with only limited media coverage as the mourning family wasn''t ready to take guests.


    Thankfully, Calliope has not destroyed her head pretty badly and it was fixable. They made it sound like he died of a heart attack.


    And the public was pretty much convinced. However, there would always be some elements whose only work was to spread hate and negativity about every matter.


    The moon festival which was the long ongoing tradition of the empire was going to be celebrated two weeks later than the usual timing. One week was due to curfew imposition and another week was to show the public that the royal family had taken a great setback with the death of later PM Joseph.


    Of course, the mastering behind the strategy was Callum Welsh, who was now sitting before King Leonardo and was sipping on his tea.


    He reached Maisea two days ago and has been pretty involved in the search operation for the Duchess of Orin.


    "Any news from Santiago''s side?" King Leonardo asked the dashing young man dressed in a navy blue suit.


    Who would have thought that this young man who could put any aristocratic man to shame was raised in slums?


    His sophisticated manner of speech, his impeccable intelligence, his extremely handsomeness would never let you believe this.


    Callum nodded in reply to King Leonardo''s question. "He will be arriving after the moon festival. He asked to start making preparations. Sigh, it''s time."


    "Where is he these days?" King Leonard asked.


    "Lord knows...but he assured me that he is safe. And yeah, he asked me to inform you that Giselle''s time with him is going to end soon. And if you want to take any step, it''s up to you. "


    King Leonardo sneered. "Ask him where should I dump the fiance all of these nobles had chosen for me?"


    Callum shrugged innocently. "Marry Lady Sabrina. Make her the queen. As for prince and princess...they need not know that Giselle is their mother. You can keep the charade of your twins being later queen''s kids alive for however long you wish."


    ...


    Please throw some power stones.

 Chapter 89 - Scheming Woman

    On the other side¡­


    "So, you are called Miss Giselle?" Princess Beatrice said as she had her suspicious hazel eyes narrowed on Giselle. "My brother has been talking a lot about you lately."


    Giselle was acting as the temporary caretaker of the two kids. Well, it was young prince only as the princess would seldomly allow her to see her. It would be right to day that Princess Giselle was not happy with a certain beautiful woman who was currently standing in front of her. For some reason, she found Giselle an eyesore.


    "It''s my honor to know that His Highness has been talking about me," Giselle replied with a monotonous smile. She had yet to overcome the trauma she felt whenever was in the proximity of these twins.


    However, she must add that the twin boy was easier to talk to than the little girl. This girl loved to make things difficult for her. Sometimes she wondered if the girl had reserved this special treatment only for her or it was for everyone in the palace.


    Beatrice didn''t give any reaction to Giselle. She just sat on the edge of her bed, twirling her ginger curl in her chubby index finger while staring intensely at the older woman. Her innocent gaze was fierce and sharp as if she was trying to see behind the latter''s facade.


    For some reason, it seemed that this fierce gaze didn''t belong to a little kid.


    The time trickled like water and nobody chose to break the silence. Giselle could feel another panic attack on the way but she was praying to God not to let it happen in front of the young girl.


    Her guilt didn''t let her sleep at night. And now she was finding it hard to face it.


    After what seems like an eternity, the young girl spoke, breaking the uncomfortable silence, "What do you want? Before you start pretending confused and innocent, let me remind you that it will not work on me. I have seen a fair share of scheming women in my life. I may be a kid but I can see things that you adults can''t." Without bothering to give Giselle a chance to defend herself, she continued, "Tell me, Miss Giselle, what do you want? What''s your intention for coming close to my brother? I''m afraid my brother has a soft spot in his heart and you are surely going to take advantage of it."


    To say Giselle was shocked after hearing the words of the little girl would be an utter understatement. Never had she ever imagined that a girl so young in age could have such thoughts going inside her head.


    The more she looks at her, the more she realizes how much she takes after her. Her straightforward attitude, her fierceness, her impulsiveness, her little scheming mind...each and everything is inherited from her.


    Giselle had no right to call herself Beatrice''s mother because a mother never abandoned her infants with their father for never to look back.


    She hated herself so much for that but fate had never left her any options. From the beginning, it had taken everything from her. When she was young, she was sold to human traffickers, and later, she was saved by Santiago in an incident when she was running for her life.


    She still remembered that year very clearly. She was twenty at that time, uneducated, poor, and had no means to survive. She wasn''t the only woman they had saved, there were plenty of them just like her.


    But when they were freed, they had nowhere to go. She along with many other women found herself alone in this big world. They had nothing but their bodies to survive in this big world. So, they made a deal with Santiago. They would do what they had been doing for years to survive for a fixed amount of time and in return, he would provide them education and make them capable so they would be able to leave this world for once and all the next time.


    When Persephone called her a Ghomah or whore, she wasn''t fazed because she knew that was her identity. She was indeed a whore who had sold her body for money. However, who doesn''t have a whore inside of them? It takes a particular moment to come out. And that moment in her life was...poverty, helplessness, and loneliness.


    What Persephone didn''t know was what poverty feels like. What it feels like to be alone in this cruel world with no help or whatsoever!


    Perhaps, she (Percy) might have chosen to pick rags rather than sell her body, but Giselle, who had seen a share of luxuries for a limited period, knew that she didn''t want to live that kind of life where she didn''t know if she would have food on her plates next day or not. And neither did she want the twins to see that kind of life.


    She was not proud of her life but at least, she was alive and it was the biggest and only battle she had ever fought and was winning.


    Everything suddenly changed for her when she arrived on Santiago''s island and caught the eye of the young King of the Maisean empire. He found her intriguing, a toy that was very different from the previous one. And she couldn''t be any more happy.


    But you see, Fate has different plans for both of them. No, they didn''t fall in love like cliches. She just got pregnant. With his Kids. At once. Especially when he was married to another woman. And it just doesn''t end here. That woman was on her deathbed.


    Now Giselle had two options: First, be the bad woman who seduced the king and gave birth to bastards or leave the kids with their father and never come back to their life.


    And yeah, she chose the second option. Her children were said to be birthed by the late queen, who died two days after the birth of the twins, and King Leonard.


    They were given the title of Prince and princess of the country.


    They had a big family to love and adore them.


    They had the best education and warmth of home.


    What else could she want for when her kids were living the best kind of life?


    No one would taunt them for being the children of a whore.


    No one would call them bastards.


    "Miss Giselle, my dad says I have a tendency to send people into a coma after I open my mouth, which works faster than any machine gun. And at that moment, I thought that he was just being himself...dramatic like usual. But it seems he was quite right. Did something like that happen to you too?" Beatrice said while rolling her eyes. She wanted to know what this beautiful woman was thinking in such seriousness.


    Wait a moment, did she just call this old woman beautiful? If she did, she was taking her words back. And allow her to add that beautiful women were an eyesore to her.


    Instead of getting offended by Beatrice''s words, Giselle actually smiled. Yeah, a big genuine smile tugged on her lips. King Leonardo wasn''t wrong. Beatrice was no less than a machine gun. She could kill the enemy just with her words.


    "Princess Beatrice, I know a very similar person who speaks whatever comes to her mind without caring for consequences. However, every time she opens her mouth, she lands herself in trouble," Giselle said in a very respectful tone. She was talking about Persephone. "Allow me to say that we must not let our thoughts be known by the other party especially when you are plotting against them."


    "Are you saying that I am plotting against you?" Hazel eyes bore into another pair of hazel eyes.


    "I am not worthy to be plotted against by you," Giselle''s reply was direct and clear.


    Princess Beatrice harrumphed while turning her face. "I just don''t like you even though I have no reason for such action. Truly, I think you don''t deserve my dislike as it means that I actually care for you. And this perplexity of the situation is annoying me further."


    Giselle was amused now. The girl didn''t want to care for her yet she disliked her when in turn was infuriating her. Could she be any cuter?


    "What are you staring at?" Princess Beatrice said as she found Giselle weirdly staring at her. "You won''t understand how tough my life is. Do you think getting rid of Lady Sabrina was easy? She was sticking to my papa like a lice sucking on my blood. And now I don''t have the energy to deal with you."


    "I wouldn''t dare to think that your life is easy," Giselle replied, quite amused.


    ...


    This novel is a contracted work with W e b n o v e l. c o m (remove spaces). If you''re not reading ''THe Villain'' on W e b n o v e l, it has been stolen. It''s very heartbreaking to see pirates profiting from my hard work.. Please support the original author,(tanu_sam).

 Chapter 90 - Regret Your Decision?

    Only Giselle knew how difficult it was for her to leave Princess Beatrice''s room without offending the young princess more than she had already done.


    As she reached the end of the princess''s wing''s corridor, she sat on the ground holding her stomach and burst out laughing. She laughed so hard that tears leaked out from the corner of her eyes, her stomach was aching badly but she couldn''t stop laughing.


    Oh, God, she had never seen someone so cute and amusing acting haughty and scheming before. The princess wasn''t even afraid that she would complain about her to her father for how she tormented the lady, Sabrina.


    The princess was so fearless that she openly laid her cards before her.


    Truth be told, her warning worked on Giselle. Beatrice wanted her to know that she was watching her and if she dared to hurt the prince, she wouldn''t hesitate to make her life hell.


    "I have never seen someone leaving my princess''s courtyard so happy, " Giselle jerked up in shock as another raspy and slightly amused voice entered her ears. She looked up to find the haughty princess''s arrogant father standing close to her. Well, too close for her sanity.


    Not wanting to give a chance to Leonardo to find that the royal twins made her comfortable, she calmed herself down. She greeted him as per the courtesy with a slight bow.


    "You didn''t answer my question," Leonardo said to her again when he found her avoiding him. The fearless woman he knew was nowhere in sight. In front of his eyes was an awkward woman trying to find any chance to disappear into the thin air.


    No chance in hell, babe.


    "Pardon?" Giselle said with scrunched up brows. She didn''t catch him asking her a question.


    "I said what makes you so happy leaving the Princess''s courtyard. As much as I understand her, she tends to keep women your age at an arm''s length. Almost everyone comes out of her room bursting into tears," King Leonard replied to her.


    He knew that his daughter was a brat. But she was his daughter and daughters were meant to be cherished. Furthermore, he didn''t have the heart to scold her for her mischievous act.


    If someone comes to him bearing Beatrice''s complaint, he just replies to them by saying not to try getting closer to her if they can''t handle her aggressive temper.


    In addition, if he scolded Beatrice for acting cold and aloof with ladies, he had to face the wrath of the little but fiercely cold prince. The prince had made it clear to him several times that his bottom line was his twin sister. As long as they don''t provoke her, he would be all fine.


    Giselle didn''t reply to him for a long time. She seemed to have been staring at the pillar behind him and when she spoke, she turned her eyes to look at him, "Your children are very interesting characters, Your Majesty. One is ready to shoulder the huge responsibility on his little shoulders to protect his sister and another is ready to rip off anyone who dares to hurt her brother." She paused for a moment only to find a glint of pride shining in his eyes. Who wouldn''t be proud of such children? Truly, he taught them well.


    She continued, "However, I still wonder why both of them tried to hide their apparent care of each other in front of everyone. To everyone, the princess is a brat who knows nothing but throwing tantrums on every occasion. And the prince is aloof, cold, and apathetic."


    The more Leonardo heard her, the better he understood what she was saying.


    "Walk with me," Leonard said and Giselle naturally complied. There was a unique charm in him that could make anyone listen to him naturally. Perhaps, it was the reason why he was such a great leader.


    "Nero is not cold and aloof as people make him to be, if you ask me will say he has the softest heart and Bea is his weakness. They are young but royal children tend to grow up more quickly than the common children," King Leonard said in a soft voice. "Nero has made it his responsibility to look after Bea. He thinks that he is the reason behind Bea''s aggressive personality. My children had seen their fair share of palace politics in their little life. Bea was emotionally bullied for being protected by Nero all the time. And now they think if they show their feelings for each other openly...they will attract hostility."


    "They are just five," Giselle whispered while walking beside him. Thankfully, the corridor was empty and nobody was there to encounter their strange exchange.


    King Leonardo just smiled at her. When they were standing under an old and shady tree, he asked, "Do you regret your choice, Elle?"


    How long has it been since she heard him call her Elle?


    Whatever¡­


    Their time together had ended. After all, their relationship had an expiry date from the very start.


    And now she must not let herself be swayed by emotions. And this man was a genius at messing up her emotions.


    She turned to look at him. Hardening her heart and those hazel eyes which had the power to devastate him, she began in a soft yet determined voice, "I don''t, Your Majesty." She didn''t call him Leo as she usually did whenever they both were alone. She reminded him of his position and then her status by calling him formally. She wanted him to know that she didn''t belong to their world and couldn''t be part of it no matter how much he wanted her to be. "I have never made any choices that I will regret in the future. Neither the one I made seven years ago nor the one I made five years ago."


    "Does it not bother you that they are growing up without a mother? Why must they be devoid of the warmth and affection of a mother? Can you live without them?"Leonardo questioned her. He had never raised any question all these years. He accepted her decision five years ago without any qualms. But today, when Callum reminded him that she was leaving forever. His restless heart couldn''t bear it anymore. He had to find answers to the question his children would ask him many years from now before it was too late.


    " Your Majesty, there is no world where you and I can coexist with something common between us, "Giselle replied to him with a smile. "The media will tear me into pieces. And it will change the course of your children''s life. They would be called names I dare not to think even in my vicious dreams. What would they do by living with a mother who can only give them love but no security? They are better with you. You can give them everything; love, security, name, status, and honor. All the last four and significant things that I couldn''t."


    Lord knows why but Giselle''s words were making him anxious. No words that she uttered were nonsense, instead, each and every word was the undeniable truth that not even he, the king of this beautiful land, could not dare to deny.


    "Is this your final decision?" Leonard found him asking the question.


    Giselle paused for a minute but then nodded her head.


    "I heard you will be leaving soon," He said after a while.


    Giselle wasn''t in condition to say anything so she just nodded her head again.


    "Can I ask where you would be settling down? "he asked her.


    "New York," Giselle replied after a long time. Jokingly, she added, "Perhaps, I will find my soulmate in my dream city. Mr. Vitello informed me that he had made all the preparations for me. I have enough money to sustain this lifetime without bothering to work again. All courtesy to you."


    Leonard scoffed, "You didn''t take a dime from me!"


    "You paid Mr. Vitello well enough for me," Giselle just shrugged.


    "You know what I am talking about!" He hates it the most when she calls her his whore. When would she stop reminding him of the ugly truth?


    "Oh, that? For being a surrogate for your kids? Consider it a discount from my side as you were my only customer who cherished my services the most."


    "Damm, Giselle. Will you stop reminding me?"Leonardo growled.


    "What do you think of Persephone as your queen? She seems like a socialite. I think she will be a wonderful queen. Way better than Lady Sabrina," Giselle commented.


    Leonard scoffed, "Do you think I have a death wish?"


    Giselle glanced at him in confusion. This arrogant ass was scared of someone?


    "Do you even know whose daughter she is?" Of course, she doesn''t. "She is the eldest daughter of Don Marino. The untouchable Don Marino of New York. Villain kidnapped her before she could reach the altar. In short, she was kidnapped by Santiago on her wedding day. And her groom was no one else but Nicolas Scuderi, yes the very same Nicolas Scuderi whose father kept you as his toy in Sicily."


    Giselle could only widen her eyes in horror. She knew her previous master was a big shot but she never did know who exactly he was.


    "I can''t go to New York," Giselle whispered.


    "Relax, he is dead," Leonard answered.


    "You killed him?" Giselle asked him.


    "Oh, how I wish but that damm Killian asked me to wait for a few years. Fuck! Someone else got the chance before I could torture the hell out of that fucker," Leonardo growled.


    ...


    This novel is a contracted work with W e b n o v e l. c o m (remove spaces). If you''re not reading ''THe Villain'' on W e b n o v e l, it has been stolen. It''s very heartbreaking to see pirates profiting from my hard work.. Please support the original author,(tanu_sam).

 Chapter 91 - Consequences

    When Persephone and Santiago arrived at the scene where someone was holding a breakfast buffet, they found several peculiar gazes thrown their way. She turned to look at her husband who himself seemed to be equally confused as her. At least, she wasn''t the only one who was ignorant of the matter.


    "Umm...what''s wrong?" Persephone asked Anne who was pressed against her boyfriend and was mumbling how much her head was throbbing and how cruel Irene was to drag her out of the bed to her breakfast party.


    Anne''s boyfriend gestured for her to sit on the chair before facing her and Santiago to explain the situation. "Mr. Mayes is mad."


    Persephone furrowed her brows before saying, "As much as I remember there were no naked dances or orgies. Then, why is he mad? And why are you all staring at me weirdly?"


    "Juliet, you perhaps don''t remember, given how drunk you were last night. But you should know that the dangerous stunt you pulled by standing on that platform threatening your husband to kill yourself if he doesn''t listen to you...didn''t escape Mr. Maye''s ears. Plus, he is more mad at Emanuel and Romeo."


    Persephone swallowed on her saliva as her mind went to the activities of last night. Was handling embarrassment not enough that she now had to handle consequences too?


    "Tito had seen Romeo and Emmanuel making out?" Santiago asked the question.


    The boy nodded.


    She looked up at Santiago while asking, "How is this a problem? I mean, isn''t it Romeo and Emmanuel''s matter?"


    Santiago sighed. "Although Tito and Maria seem like caring and jolly people, they are quite traditional. Romeo works under them and they took care of him for a long time. So, it''s natural that they would be mad. It''s not easy for parents to accept that their child is different from others. Emanuel and Romeo chose each other...well, even if they didn''t not...it still can''t change the fact that they both are men...and traditional people can''t accept it."


    Persephone nodded understanding the root of the problem. She became even more worried thinking what Tito might do to Emanuel. Since he was there because of her and Santiago, she naturally would feel responsible for him.


    Seeing her freaking out, Santiago wrapped his arms around her shoulder. "I will take care of this."


    She relaxed a little after hearing him but not completely.


    "You guys know Emanuel from before," Irene, who was quietly sitting beside Santiago for a long time, made herself visible. Her words were not asked in a questioning manner rather in a conviction.


    Unfortunately, Anne''s boyfriend also heard them. He looked at them in shock and confusion.


    "Don''t react and stop making everyone cautious," Irene said in a neutral voice while flashing a smile at everyone. She didn''t let anyone feel as if they were discussing a completely different topic.


    It was Santiago who spoke next in his usual bored and slightly chilling voice, "You need not pretend to not know me¡­"His gaze was locked on Irene. "However, if you know...I hope you will keep your mouth shut¡­ yet, if you choose to talk about it to anyone...you are free...but I will not take any kind of responsibility. I will not be responsible for the consequences of knowing my identity."


    "Consequences?" The boy gulped. Who was this man emitting bloodlust?


    "Yeah..like kidnapped and tortured," Persephone added nonchalantly. "If you don''t believe us...ask Emmanuel...he will brief you on what he experienced in the few hours he spent with us."


    The boy turned to look at Irene who was now studying Persephone and hopefully asked in a whisper, "They are planning us, right?"


    Irene reached out and patted him on the shoulder. "As long as you forget what we talked about, you will live. However, if you dare open your mouth before Uncle or my dad...I can''t help you then, cousin."


    "Can you at least tell me who this man is exactly? I don''t want to die before fulfilling my curiosity," the boy asked his cousin.


    "Oh, he is a nobody," Irene replied to him with a shrug. "Just His Majesty''s right-hand man."


    The boy hitched in his breath. She calls him nobody? Her father was nobody in front of this man. Damm, he has been bad-mouthing him since last night. Dear God, what sins had he committed?


    "Ah?" Persephone tilted her head to the side and looked at her ''fake'' husband in confusion. "Are you that powerful?"


    Santiago raised his brow at her and asked, "What do you think?"


    "I always knew that you were someone with a lot of power but doesn''t know how exactly¡­ even now I don''t know who you are...what you do¡­ and to be honest, I don''t even want to know¡­"Persephone smiled at him.


    Santiago didn''t say anything just took a bite of the food served to him.


    "So, are you two really a couple?" Irene asked when everyone had left the table after breakfast but Persephone was still stuffing food inside her glutton body.


    Persephone paused what she was doing and tilted her head to look at Irene before saying, "What does this have to do with, Miss Irene? Don''t tell me you have a crush on a married man? Aww...I know my man is handsome and desirable but I haven''t known that even teenage girls such as you can''t resist the temptation of coveting an older and experienced man."


    Irene''s face was now resembling that of a stuffed red fuming dragon. She was so mad, so mad at this plain Jane that she couldn''t express it in mere words.


    Never had any fearless of the fearless woman in the country ever dared to insult her openly. But this ugly woman, who came out of nowhere, was spouting nonsense nonstop.


    She was Irene Hawthorne¡­ she belong to a noble family. This wild woman can''t just insult her.


    "Red?" Santiago murmured.


    "Hmm?" Persephone looked at him.


    "Stop causing trouble unnecessarily. She didn''t mean what you are thinking, right Miss Hawthorne?" Santiago said with a slight smile.


    Having no other option, Irene nodded.


    ¡­


    "Villain, we should go inside," Persephone murmured as she looked above and found dark clouds enveloping the sky. The sun was nowhere to be seen, the breeze had long turned into a mini storm.


    Santiago hummed in reply. He glanced at Persephone, who was clutching her jacket while shivering. He wrapped his arm around his shoulder and pressed against him to provide her a bit of warmth.


    "What are you doing?" She couldn''t help but ask.


    "Providing you warmth. You are shivering in this little cold," Santiago said as if he was wronged by her question.


    "Uhuh¡­"


    "What do you mean by ''Uhuh''?"


    "It means I don''t understand your behavior at all. We have been here for a week now¡­ you have been hot and cold with me¡­ I don''t even know how to behave with you...you confuse the hell out of me." Persephone directly said to him. She didn''t know what was wrong with this man. Sometimes, he would be ''hot'' as in extremely passionate about their bed activities. And other times, he would just ignore her as if she wasn''t even sharing the same room with him.


    "You are reading too much of our agreement," Santiago scowled at her.


    "Agreement?" Persephone stopped to look at him. "What agreement are you talking about?"


    "Did you forget the deal you made with me on the island?"Santiago asked her as if she had lost her fucking brain.


    Oh, yeah, she had¡­


    "Are you kidding me?" Persephone''s voice was a little loud.


    "Excuse me?" Santiago was now thoroughly confused.


    "You were fucking me because of that agreement?" Persephone questioned. When she saw him giving her a strange look, she chuckled.


    She chuckled at her own stupidity. Oh god, she was so naive. She read too much into his sweet gestures.


    "Red¡­"


    "Don''t," She smiled at him. "I was crazy to think¡­"


    "To think what?" See, he was cold again. She didn''t know how to deal with him. He was so bad for her. As if realization dawned on him slowly, his grip around her shoulder loosened and he took a step back as if she was now disgusting him with her presence. "You literally thought there was something going on between us romantically? Were you deluded for a moment that we are indeed a real couple? Did I fucking give you hope?"


    "You didn''t¡­" Persephone whispered as tears clouded her vision. "I give myself hope...you didn''t...you are not at the fault here."


    "Are these tears even real, Red?" Santiago accused her. "I can''t trust you¡­ you have a tendency to bite me to death when I least expect it. You did the same on the island¡­ you were ready to give me your body to get something in return¡­ I can''t trust a manipulative woman like you."


    .....


    Please leave your valuable comments and reviews.

 Chapter 92 - Third Wish

    Persephone just looked at him silently. She was vocally paralyzed after she heard what he said to her. Oh, God, this was what he was thinking all along? He had been beside her when they were on the verge of dying and this was his thoughts about her? This damned man was inside her so many times this week and still, he thought that she was faking herself to make him drop his guard?


    If she wanted to escape him or worse kill him, she would have used the opportunity when he was sick even after coming to this ranch.


    But you see, he was right, absolutely right, she read too much into this. If she had been a little careful, she might have escaped this great embarrassment but she was who she was, a dumb and utterly disgusting woman. A woman who didn''t even think twice before spreading her legs for the man who kidnapped her from her home and then threw her into hell.


    He was right again...she was a manipulative woman. She had been manipulating herself to think that this man might care for her in his own twisted way. She was fake too. A complete faux. Look at her faking nonchalance even after experiencing a fatal blow to her dignity. Then again, what was dignity? Can it save your life, give you food, shelter, or clothes to hide your bare body?


    "You are right," Persephone squeezed out a pained smile. "All the things...you said about me are right¡­ I''m a disgusting woman...I know it from the start. Since you know so much about me, then why not consider the sex as the tip for saving my life? You see, nothing is free in this world. Neither is saving my life."


    "You are twisting my words again," Santiago growled.


    "That''s what a manipulative woman does, did you forget?" Persephone kindly reminded him. Taking a deep breath, she asked him, feigning nonchalance, "So, when would you be sending me to my father?"


    "Three days later," His answer was short and direct.


    Persephone nodded her head as if she understood everything that was happening to her, around her, or because of her. But truth be told, she was numb, too numb to understand what was even happening at all. She didn''t even know why her body was trembling so badly. New York was not hell. She would live a comfortable life there. Even the princess of this country wasn''t given as many luxuries as she, being the daughter of Alessandro Marino, enjoyed. Being a mafia princess was what was written in her fate. As a mantra, she was narrating it in her head.


    After what seems like a lifetime, Persephone spoke, "If I remember correctly, I still have four wishes left?"


    "Yes," Santiago replied. His throat felt dry when he heard her emotionless voice. He was reminding himself that the woman was playing the guilty card on him again. Yeah, this was the reason why he was feeling like an asshole now. It was all her fault for making him feel like shit. Yet, somewhere deep inside in his heart, he knew he said too much.


    "My second wish: I want you to release Giselle. She was not at fault at all. Help her achieve her heart''s desire. Make sure she lives a comfortable life wherever her heart resides." She had always felt bad for dragging Giselle in her mess though she never admitted it. Moreover, Giselle reminded her of herself, a canary trapped in a golden cage that was meant to soar in the open sky. If she helped Giselle in achieving what her heart had always desired, she would think that she achieved her own dream of finding freedom too.


    Today, Persephone Marino was accepting her destiny. She would return to New York without kicking and screaming. And would calmly marry Nico after that. These few weeks of pseudo captivity made her realize that her dream of finding freedom was baseless and useless.


    "I don''t remember adding any third person could be included in your wishes," Santiago''s harsh and frosty voice lowered the temperature surrounding her.


    "If you can fulfill this wish of mine, then thank you, if not, you are free to go back on your words," Persephone said in a calm voice, despite the storm raging inside her heart.


    Santiago took a deep breath and answered, "Fine."


    Persephone smiled a fake smile at him, showing how glad she was now that he agreed to her wish without causing a scene about it.


    "Now my third wish¡­"


    As Persephone said those words, Santiago felt a shiver down his back. Those words didn''t feel right¡­ something was certainly wrong with her tone. What was she planning?


    "I want you to leave me the hell alone. Don''t come after me. Let me go where I go for these three days. Don''t worry I won''t run away from you. I know your men will be here or there mixed in the surrounding and keeping an eye on my every activity," Persephone chuckled. "However, I want you to treat me as air as if you can''t see me. I don''t want to see your face unless I am forced to. This is my third wish, Villain. Leave me the hell alone for however long we are left with."


    Santiago stiffened as he heard her words. Those same words were ringing in his head like sirens. She didn''t mean those words, did she? Did she disgust him so much that she couldn''t bear to look at him? Was what she said at the island that day true? He could still remember those words for words.


    "Do I disgust you so much that you don''t dare to look at me?" Santiago found himself asking. Just what was wrong with him? Why the hell was he asking her this question? He hates that she affects him so much.


    However, Persephone calmly smiled at him. "It''s not you who I am disgusted at. It''s me. Whenever I see my reflection in your eyes, all my mistakes come running back to remind me of how much of a joke I am. I am not asking you to leave me alone because I can''t tolerate looking at you...it''s because I am afraid that in spite of what you think about me, I am gonna run back right into your arms. In short, I am disgusted with myself. Still can''t believe that I, the woman, who thinks can fight with my father, can''t even fight against this stupid thing that''s between us. So, I beg you to leave me alone for these three days. After that, you won''t have to see my face ever again."


    Santiago took a step back, agreeing to her wish silently. His gaze didn''t falter from his face until he reached the entrance that led him to the room where he would be wallowing in self-pity and unknown pain.


    Sigh, broken heart for two.


    Only when he was gone from her view, she let herself fall on the muddy ground under the heavy shower. Tears were now freely flowing down her eyes. She had never felt this kind of pain before. It was worse than what she felt when her Santiago, mama, or Lucien died. She was feeling as if her whole world had shattered in a single moment.


    If she could, she would pray to God to never let her feel this pain ever again.


    Seconds changed into hours when she felt rain stopping. She glanced up to see Lara holding an umbrella over her and then, the latter warmly smiled at her while grabbing her hand to help her to stand on the ground once again.


    Without asking any question, Lara took Persephone to her quarter. She asked her to have a warm bath first and gave her comfortable and warm clothes to wear. When Persephone came out of the washroom attached to Lara''s small quarter, she found the elder lady standing there holding a bowl of hot soup.


    "Here, have this. It will help you in warming your body. I am afraid that you will catch a cold after wetting in the rain," Lara immediately said as soon as Persephone was on the bed inside the warm duvet.


    Persephone took the tray from her hands and placed it on the nightstand before hugging the elder lady''s legs. "Thank you, Lara. You remind me so much of my mom right now."


    Just the mention of Penelope''s name was enough to make Persephone forget Villain for a moment.


    "Tell me more about her," Lara encouraged her. She didn''t want Persephone to think about whatever she was sad about.


    Persephone sadly smiled. "She was beautiful. Very beautiful. Most Beautiful woman in the world. Sadly, I don''t look like her. But she and I share the same curly red hair. Those red hair were our thing. No one in my family had them other than me and my mom."


    "You have dyed your hair into black?" Lara asked her.


    Persephone fell silent. "I did. After she died. I didn''t want to remind Papa of her especially when he has someone else in his life and heart. So, I abandoned my red hair for something common between me and my stepmom. I didn''t want to feel left out. I wanted to be loved by her.. So, I dyed them black like my stepmom."

 Chapter 93 - Messing With Mind And Heart

    Persephone fell silent. "I did. After she died. I didn''t want to remind Papa of her especially when he has someone else in his life and heart. So, I abandoned my red hair for something common between me and my stepmom. I didn''t want to feel left out. I wanted to be loved by her. So, I dyed them black like my stepmom."


    Lara smiled while shaking her head after hearing Persephone''s reply. "To be honest, I never thought you were one of those people."


    "One of what?" Persephone whispered.


    "One of those who change themselves just to feel accepted," Lara replied in a warm voice. She sighed and then added, "You always gave me a different kind of feeling whenever you used to help me in the kitchen. You never tried to hide what you were not. You always have this air wildness accompanying you wherever you go. The kind of wildness that can tempt the nun to be rebellious for a day."


    "Perhaps, you wrongly assessed me," Persephone replied and sipped on the soup prepared by the elderly lady.


    "Nah, I have been bad at many things but reading people is my forte," Lara answered her. "Never saw someone as unrestricted and wild as you ever in the fifty years of life."


    "Now, you are certainly wrong, Lara," Persephone said. "Unrestricted and I don''t sit well in the same sentence."


    "If your mama was alive, would she be happy seeing you so pessimistic all of a sudden?"Lara raised the question. Seeing this ever-lively girl in a bleak mood was making Lara depressed for certain reasons. She didn''t know why but her heart was urging her to console her.


    "She is not alive, Lara. So, I don''t see any reason to find your question significant," Persephone''s reply was harsh but Lara didn''t blame her.


    "I have a night shift tonight. You can rest here as much as you want. Nobody will disturb you here," Lara replied instead. Even she could sense that Persephone didn''t wish to go back to her room today. Although she was curious to know the reason for her gloominess, she didn''t dare to step on her privacy. If it had something to do with her husband, both of them could work through it.


    "Thank you, " Persephone didn''t know what else to say. She was just happy that she didn''t have to face Villain for some time. But at the same time, thinking how she would not be able to see him or bask in his scent, an uncomfortable feeling rose in her gut.


    However, she then hardened her heart and chided it to be more logical. She couldn''t tolerate another blow to her dignity. Ah, here comes dignity again.


    [I don''t love that man yet the thought of going away from him is piercing my heart. Could it be that I have developed Stockholm syndrome?]


    [Oh God, I am screwed. Damn you, Villain.]


    [I don''t love that man but I am missing his voice calling me Red.]


    [I don''t even love you, mean Villain yet you are messing with my head and heart.]


    ¡­


    When Persephone was convincing herself that she had developed Stockholm syndrome rather than fallen for her sinful gorgeous yet evil captor, Santiago was rocking in his rocking chair, basking in the darkness of self-pity and regret.


    The lights of the room were off. Curtains were closed. Rain was falling heavily. Thundering and lightning accompanying it.


    He didn''t want her to fall sick because of her stubbornness.The weather had turned cold and she was still wearing summer clothes. However, he lacked the courage to go to her and bring her back to their room.


    When recalled her parting words, a pang burst through him. Since the first day, he wanted to get rid of her. And now that she wasn''t in front of his eyes, he suddenly didn''t like this feeling.


    He must have lost his brain cells or why else would he be thinking like that?


    His phone rang saving him to avoid answering the questions that were surging in his head one after another.


    "Killian?" Santiago murmured.


    Killian frowned when he heard Santiago''s weak voice. "Are you still alive, bastard?"


    "Alive and well, much to your bother, eh?"


    "Doesn''t matter to me if you are alive or dead," Killian''s reply was callous just like him.


    "Ah, I see," Santiago murmured."Why did you call then?"


    "For official purposes obviously," Killian wouldn''t forgive him for the shit he pulled. He dropped the bomb at the last minute preventing him from following him just for that Principessa.


    "Whatever helps you sleep at night, Kill, "Santiago weakly said.


    "Stop talking as if we are closed," Killian growled.


    "And you stop spending time with Nash. His temperament is infectious, didn''t I tell you before," Santiago said. "Let''s stop pretending, brother. Just come to the point."


    "Sure," Killian said, derision dripping from his voice. "Sent your words to Alessandro. He is ready for exchange. However, it''s not clear if Nicolas Scuderi will be involved or not. And the mysterious group has not stopped looking for our traces."


    "I don''t think Nicolas will be absent. She is his beloved fiance and judging from the way he was looking for her all over the globe, it''s hard to imagine him not present there, " Santiago said with a scoff. Just the name of Nicolas Scuderi was enough to spoil his already rotten mood. If he could, he would just twist the bastard''s neck with his hand.


    "Fiance or ex-fiance?" Killian murmured. "Did you forget the parcel you sent him? You think he will marry her now? You must be kidding, right? Those conservative bastards wouldn''t accept anyone less than a pious and pure wife."


    How could Santiago forget the bloody sheets he had sent to Nicolas Scuderi in the name of Don Marino? He wanted to rile up the bastard and he succeeded but he had another intention behind all the efforts he put in by sending those sheets. Persephone didn''t want to marry Nico, so he helped her in his own twisted way, and provoking Nico was just the extra benefit. In reality, he was just breaking their marriage alliance. However, he would rather die than accept it out loud. He didn''t even tell his real intentions to Killian either.


    "Even if he ends up breaking his wedding with her, he would be with Alessandro while taking his daughter," Santiago replied. "They have a thing for saving face."


    "Santiago?" Killian murmured a while later. "I committed a blunder. The woman in the Scuderi house...she messed up all my future plans."


    Santiago had a bad premonition about this matter. Of course, he knew what woman he was talking about. He had once told him that he had a spy at Scuderi house but never told him who exactly.


    "What did she do?" Santiago questioned him.


    "She killed everyone in the family except for Nico and his sister, " Killian''s reply affected Santiago.


    "Didn''t she know you would kill her if she did something wrong?"


    "Oh, she so damn well knew. Isn''t it the reason she had a leverage over me?" Killian was enraged.


    "Leverage over you?" Santiago repeated. "And what it may be?"


    "Information on Alicia, " came the reply.


    "You are in great trouble, Killian."


    ¡­.


    "Nico, I brought you soup," Sofia''s soft voice was heard outside the door.


    Nicolas groaned as he held up his throbbing head in his hands and sat on the bed. He didn''t have any energy to hear consolations from the people visiting his residence every day but since he was the man of the house now, he had to put his shit together and behave like a man.


    Gone were the days when his parents used to deal with the guests.


    "Come in," He said once he checked that he was in appropriate clothes.


    Sofia was dressed in a casual black blouse and a white skirt. Her now dyed blond hair was tied in a ponytail. As she entered his room, she greeted him with a slight smile and positioned the tray carrying soup and a few more dishes on the table.


    Since the day his parents and grandfather died, she had been frequently visiting his house. The usual Ginevra who used to hate Sofia''s guts didn''t mind her presence in their house. She let her do whatever she felt like as long as she succeeded in feeding Nico.


    "You don''t have to do this," Nico reminded her. He had always been cold to her and today was no different. And Sofia was kinda used to his coldness towards her and she didn''t actually mind his behavior with her.


    "Don''t want you to die of starvation...who would put my feet on the ground if you die or worse disappear because you forgot to eat," Sofia''s reply was dry and full of sarcasm. Truly, Nico didn''t need her gentle or kind words. He has had enough of them since last week.


    "Right¡­ I won''t die until I find your sister," Nico murmured and sipped the soup hurriedly.


    "Right...you have yet to find her, "Sofia said. A bitter smile tugged on her lips as she noticed the empty spot over his bedroom wall.


    "What are you looking for?" Nico directly asked her.


    "There used to be a portrait¡­"


    "Burned it ages ago¡­" Some people shouldn''t remind anyone of their existence even after they had long perished from the face of the earth.. And Lucien was one such person.

 Chapter 94 - Salvatores Wedding

    New York, Don Marino''s residence.


    "Don Marino!" A man looked up from his computer screen and glanced at their boss who was leaning against a lounge chair, face covered in darkness. The man was excited and scared at the same time while announcing the news."We have news on Miss Marino."


    The man who was until now sitting in darkness moved a little, his white hair exemplifying the matureness of his eyes were sharp but the dark circles under his eyes were telling a tale of tiredness. But just as he heard that his men finally have the news on his lost daughter, adrenaline rushed into his bloodstream like a powerful drug.


    "Are they asking for ransom or do you find her location exactly," Alessandro said, his voice too steady to describe the torrent storming inside him. If they were asking for a ramson, it was clear that they were a phony group, trying to extort money from them but if their demands were unusual, he might believe for a second that they were the original kidnappers.


    After all, nobody would dare to kidnap his daughter for a simple amount of money.


    Then again, nobody in the history of New York had ever tried to steal a brief from the church.


    There was an unspoken rule among all the mafia families, no one would ever touch the church and women in any territory.


    But for the first time, the unspoken rule was broken. And he would hunt the fucker from the face of the earth and would give him the worst possible outcome.


    He might be silent for the last few months and was giving everyone chances to speak ill about him behind his back but like a silent predator, he was observing his enemies disguised as his allies. When this silent lion would roar, he would shake the whole kingdom. And like always, he would rise to destroy the person who stepped on his tail.


    "No, " The subordinate quickly replied. "They neither asked for random nor did we find out Miss Marino''s exact location."


    "Then?" Alesandro raised his brow at him.


    "They sent a folder accompanied by a note saying only you should open it," The man said. Even he was confused why would kidnappers send an unusual virtual folder to them? Shouldn''t they directly ask for what they want?


    Then again, if the thing they wanted could be easily acquired, they wouldn''t have made Marinos desperate for information.


    "Show me the folder. I will unlock it," Alessandro said. He was suddenly intrigued. Never had any enemy ever intrigued him like this one. Not only was he playing sentimental games but was purposely fiddling with them at every step.


    At every step, they were facing problems. No matter how powerful the Marino empire was. They were still not powerful enough to fight against all the mafia families.


    It couldn''t be a coincidence that all the problems with the other families, government, and their own men arose after the capture of his daughter. Not to forget, the Scuderi family was only survived by Nicolas. His consigliere was dead along with his wife and father.


    Now, he had to devise a plan to win the loyalty of Scuderi''s all over again. And for that, if he had to drag his daughter from any corner of the earth and bind her to Nicolas, he would.


    _____


    "Richard, what are you doing here?" Alessandro was surprised to find a familiar man peeking inside his room from the creak of the door.


    "Umm.." Richard Costas cleared his throat. He didn''t mean to peek inside his room with permission but he was anxious to have a talk with Don Marino. But after what he has through the grapevine, his anxiousness had increased for a certain reason.


    "Don Marino, I have heard some news and thought if you need company," Richard said, opening the door to the study wide open but still didn''t dare to walk inside.


    Don Marino scoffed inwardly. Need company? Did all of his enemies think he had lost his brain cells after the unfortunate accident with his daughter? No, stupid. He was watching all of them but was not blowing their cover for now.


    Costas family didn''t enjoy a high position in their society as they were not pure Italians. Despite being ridiculously loaded, they had felt like they were looked upon by other families. However, when his daughter was engaged to Lucien Marino, Richard Costas had been over the moon. Marinos had been on the top of the food chain. Marrying off his daughter to Don''s son meant a direct alliance with the Marinos. And what else could Richard ask for?


    However, his days of pride and happiness didn''t last long as Lucien had died an untimely death. Not only was he murdered in a cold blood, but it had also been announced forbidden to even call out his name.


    But they say, there would come a dog''s day and it was true. His daughter who used to be treated worse than a widow after Lucien''s demise once again won the attraction of another Don''s son.


    Regardless of the happenings of the past and the opportunities provided to the Costas family, their status did improve but still didn''t come in the ranking of the top ten families. But now that the Scuderi family was in shambles, it provided him a perfect opportunity to uplift his situation.


    Richard Costas would be the next consigliere.


    Don Marino chuckled inwardly. Of course, he could all too well hear the planning and plotting going on in the little and useless brain of Richard Costas. However, he wasn''t going to put a stop to his overly imaginative brain. Instead, he was going to hand him an olive branch. A perfect and the most tempting opportunity that he would never be able to reject.


    The contents of the virtual folder were still ringing in his head. He knew the exchange that would be carried on after two days was not as easy as it seemed. But if he wanted to protect his empire, he would have to comply with the kidnapper''s demands.


    Lorenzo for his daughter.


    Loyalty for power.


    Once again, he was going to choose power over loyalty.


    Lorenzo might feel that he had been betrayed by him but he had no other option.


    Moreover, Lorenzo knew better than anyone where his priorities rested.


    ¡­.


    "Are you sure, Costas, you can do what I just told you?"He asked the man standing before him. He was sitting on a throne chair, legs crossed, hand under his chin, and eyes fixed on the smiling man.


    "Of course, Don Marino," Richard Costas said, barely holding his excitement. If he finished this confidential mission without any hindrance, he would certainly be the next consigliere.


    Even if he had not informed Don Marino of his heart desires, he believed that a man as intelligent and smart as Don Marino could figure it out on his own.


    He was kinda feeling proud for being selected as the one specially chosen by Don Marino to carry out this very confidential mission.


    "Don Marino, can I ask you a question?" Richard asked hesitatingly.


    Alessandro raised his brow as if saying go ahead.


    "Wouldn''t Lorenzo feel betrayed?" Richard carefully asked the question. Who doesn''t know about Lorenzo''s strange and weird attitude towards Don Marino? He was a freak. He would do things no sane man would ever do. It was next to impossible to get hold of his location but for Alessandro, it was as easy as finding water in a river.


    And now what was troubling Costas was not the well-being of Lorenzo but their own. What would Lorenzo do if he knew the man he trusted the most was going to stab him in the back? It was only how you repay your lifelong friendship?


    Regardless, it wasn''t his problem and so, he wasn''t going to get mixed in this subject more than necessary.


    "What are you doing next Sunday?" Alessandro suddenly asked. His unusual question confused Richard but the other man had long learned the art of hiding his emotions and expressions behind a facade of stupid dog.


    "We will be going to church...nothing else."


    Alessandro nodded, still deep in thought. Looking up at the other man, he asked in a steady voice, "How does next Sunday sound for your daughter''s wedding with my son? They have been engaged for quite a long time. Don''t you think it''s time?"


    Richard looked at him in bewilderment. He was so shocked and perplexed that he didn''t know how to reply for the next few seconds. Only when his words settled inside his head, he reacted a bit.


    He couldn''t express his happiness in words. For how long he had been meaning to talk to Don Marino for the wedding of Salvatore and his daughter but never mustered up the courage to do so.


    Instead of showing his happy expressions, he quirked up his brows and asked in apparent worry and confusion. "Would it be alright? I mean, weren''t you initially of the opinion that your daughter would be the first one to marry? Wasn''t it the reason why you have always delayed Salvatore''s marriage?"


    "Indeed, that''s what I have always wanted," Don Marino sighed. "But the Scuderi family has seen not one but three deaths in a single day. Even if I hasten their wedding, I would at least have to wait for three months."


    Although Alessandro hated delaying the wedding of Nicolas and Persephone, he had to wait for a few months before they could hold the ceremony once again.. It was to show that they were mourning the loss of the Scuderi family too.

 Chapter 95 - You Are Dangerous,Red

    It had been more than one day since Santiago had not seen Persephone''s face. For the last twenty-four hours, the rain had been pouring with no intention of stopping. The weather was as gloomy as his mood.


    Frequently, he would look at the cold and empty side of his bed and wonder what she would be doing. Would she be eating Lara''s ears off like she did with or the special treatment was reserved only for him? He wondered if Lara had asked her the reason why she was staying with her rather than with her man. Yeah, he knew he was not his man but at least, he was in everyone''s eyes. Shouldn''t for the sake of their act she have to come back?


    If not for the sake of his words, he would have long dragged her back to their bedroom and bound her to the bed! No, he wasn''t thinking about doing dirty and unspeakable things to her like they were doing for the past few days. The woman was insatiable, let him tell you. She was bold and would never shy away from taking charge. She would demand what and how she wanted their foreplay to be.


    Never had he ever encountered such a bold and teasing woman before. Even the numerous escorts he had ravaged in the past could hold a candle to what she held. Sigh, the woman had ruined her for every woman. He would never be able to hold someone else in his arms without imagining her.


    He was so true when he said she was his damnation. It was better than she would be leaving the day after tomorrow for better.


    He wouldn''t be tortured to dance with a single-celled woman like him ever again.


    He wouldn''t be annoyed to death by hearing her nonsense.


    He wouldn''t have to tolerate the stupidest creature on earth.


    And his IQ wouldn''t hurt after staying in her proximity.


    Finally, he would be freed of the burden named Persephone Marino.


    However, whenever he would look at the cold and empty space beside him, he would feel an immeasurable void in his heart. There was sadness for no reason. Perhaps, being tortured to be imprisoned inside one room was mentally exhausting him.


    He wondered how Red spent all those years imprisoned inside her big Mansion?


    ¡­.


    "Lara, am I troubling you?" Persephone asked the elderly woman nth time in the last twenty-four hours.


    And just like always, she would receive the same reply, "How could you, my dear? You are not capable of troubling anyone."


    Truth be told, Persephone had never met a woman as selfless and warm as Lara. She was the epitome of selfless love. Never had Persephone ever imagined that one day someone would be willing to shower warmth on her for nothing in return.


    Blinking away her tears, she asked, "Lara, when I am gone, you are not allowed to miss me."


    Lara smiled at the silly girl. She felt so connected with her for some reason. "How is it possible? How would I forget the girl who could fail even in boiling water? If I had not come back on time, you would have gotten hurt badly. Have you ever thought your stunt would put me in a big problem? Your man looks calm but let me confess, he intimidates the hell out of me."


    Persephone found herself smiling. Perhaps, she didn''t realize how a smile bloomed on her dry lips as Lara called Vilain her man. "You are right. He can be intimidating at times. But underneath his hard exterior lies a very vulnerable and soft heart."


    She was not lying to Lara. In spite of Villain being mean and cruel to her, she could not forget how he put his own life in danger just to save her. She was not hero worshiping him or forgiving him for what he did and said to her. His words still stung here on the left side of her chest.


    Yet, she couldn''t forget how he had treated her at the time when he was not mean and cruel with his words. He was just a human like her. She couldn''t believe that he was born with a heart.


    Although she hated him for what he does for a living, she couldn''t deny the fact that all the people she cared for and loved belonged to the same species of people. Be it Lucien or Salvatore...they all had killed and stolen. Even she had killed for saving her own life.


    "If you know that he has a soft and vulnerable heart, don''t you think, child, that you are hurting him along with yourself?" Lara reminded her. She could see that the girl was dying to get a glimpse of her man but at the same time, she was hardening her heart to not think about him. She didn''t know what had happened between the two of them but she hoped that they could forgive each other and save themselves from the pain they were unknowingly inflicting on each other.


    "He hurt me, Lara. He hurt me big time, " Persephone murmured, tears clouding her eyes. But she has to be proud of not letting them fall.


    Lara patted her head gently and she whispered, "Only the people we love hold the power to hurt us. If you were as indifferent to him as you are making it appear like, you wouldn''t have been so hurt. My dear sometimes, we have to forgive the person we love the most for relieving the pain we are feeling in our heart."


    "What if they don''t deserve forgiveness?" Persephone asked her.


    "Who in this world doesn''t deserve forgiveness? You will not understand the value of forgiveness until you are the one begging for it," Lara said with a small smile. "Go and do what your heart is begging you to...before it''s too late."


    "Too late?" Persephone whispered. Indeed, she didn''t have long with him.


    Santiago was jolted out of his thoughts when he heard an impatient bang on his door. With furrowed brows, he stood up to open the door. Who was so audacious to bang on his door in the middle of the night especially when it was heavily pouring outside?


    His eyes widened in shock as soon as he opened the door. A wet and soft thing attacked him all of a sudden, refusing to free him out of the hold. However, something unexpected happened the next moment, he wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his head on her shoulder.


    Damn how long it had been since he had last felt her softness against his body? The void he was feeling earlier disappeared without a trace.


    "I hate you so much," She whispered in between tears.


    He didn''t wipe those tears that he could feel against his now wet shirt. It wasn''t because he was apathetic towards her but it was simply because he didn''t know how to console a crying woman when he didn''t even know why she was crying in the first place.


    Instead, he murmured, "I know. And you should."


    Instinctively, his hands cupped her ass and the next thing they knew was that her legs were wrapped around his waist and his mouth was hungrily ravaging hers. This was the first time she has seen him like this, without his usual control. If she hadn''t found him losing his control for the first time ever, she would have called this man who had stolen the blue of his eyes from the beautiful-est ocean a true epitome of control. However, at this moment, she craves it more than anything else.


    She gave him full access as she hungered for his touch on her sizzling skin. Just a kiss and she was already on fire. His hands reached out to touch her, to bring her closer as one of his hands worked faster to remove the oversized T-shirt that didn''t belong to her.


    Even if the said T-shirt belonged to a woman, it still was an eyesore to Santiago.


    He made wild noises in his throat as their tongues twirled, faster and harder. Everything seemed to fade¡­ and only the noise of grunting and moaning was heard for the next few minutes.


    When he came back to his senses, he broke the kiss but not as suddenly as he should. Instead, he first dropped a peck on her red nose where his lisp lingered for a few moments before moving to her forehead.


    "I''m sorry," he murmured, his blues boring intensely into her greens.


    "For?" Persephone asked, panting heavily. "For losing control? For touching something you shouldn''t?"


    "For making you leave the room," He murmured next. Truly, she had not expected him to apologize to her. He has always been a prideful asshole.


    "Are you really sincere with your apology, Big Wicked Villain?" Persephone had developed a habit of adding creative adjectives before his name.


    "Big Wicked Villain?" He was suddenly amused.


    "Uhuh¡­"


    "You are dangerous, Red."


    ''And you are dangerous for my heart.'' Of course, she didn''t say it aloud. Instead what she said next was going to turn the course of their lives forever but no one knew it until now.


    "Make love to me, Villain."


    .....


    Don''t forget to comment dears.

 Chapter 96 - Dont Fall For Me

    [The Chapter is filled with heavy smut words. As you know that the book is tagged R-18, but I know not every one of you is 18 yet, so please skip the chapters because I don''t want your parents to curse me for corrupting their kid''s untainted mind more than I already had. Thank you. And if you still didn''t skip, you''re my loyal reader. ]


    Santiago hastily dropped her in the middle of the mattress. The bed that came off cold and uncomfortable a moment ago was the only place where he wanted her right now. He knew that he had to have her as soon as possible or he wouldn''t be able to hold himself.


    "Villain?" Persephone whispered his name as she felt his eyes intensely roaming on her body.


    "Shh," he murmured as he placed his finger on her honey lips. She still tasted like a dream. "Let me make love to you, baby."


    Persephone swallowed, blinking away her tears, and then nodded.


    She didn''t want him to fuck her like always. She wanted something different. She carved for his gentleness for once. And if she missed this chance today she was afraid that she would miss it forever. And she didn''t want to go back to her world with regrets.


    "You are beautiful, Red. So beautiful," said Santiago, and his mouth came crashing to hers. His mouth moved against her as if he was tasting her for the one last time. He wasn''t fast or urgent; rather he was slow, too slow as if he was going to tattoo the taste of her mouth and the feel of her tongue in his mind.


    She melted in a puddle as heat rolled off his body and moans escaped her mouth.


    "Red?" He whispered against her lips.


    The eyes that she didn''t know until now were closed, slowly opened. She blinked those tortuous green eyes, her long and curly lashes fanning at him.


    "Don''t fall for me," He murmured. His voice wasn''t a threat but rather a request. He didn''t know what was happening in his moment but all he knew was that he needed to clear it to her as to where they stand in this little lustful game of theirs. Then again, even he knew they had long crossed the bridge of return.


    "Don''t fall for a man like me, Persephone, "He reminded her again. "You deserve so much better than someone who is going to destroy you."


    Persephone was stunned for a moment but the next moment, she did something that even surprised her. She moved her mouth against his jaw and whispered, "I don''t care."


    Perhaps, this was what he was waiting for or this was what made him even more wild. His lips hurried from her mouth, roaming along her jaw until he reached the side of her neck. He dropped feather kisses on her neck and collarbone and she started moaning once again. Soon, the light kisses started turning into bites. And in the next moment, bites turned into nips and sucks.


    Her now pale skin had marks of his activity in a long trail. His mouth was doing magic on her skin. Even if she wanted to open her eyes to look at him, she just couldn''t.


    "Why are you still dressed?" When a jolt of sanity hit her, she opened her eyes but got mesmerized once again as met her eyes.


    "Aren''t you too?" He grinned and freed her perfect boobs from the black bra that she was wearing.


    Persephone moaned when he palmed one of her boobs and pinched the other.


    "Oh, God!" She exclaimed when she felt another pinch.


    "Let me taste you, baby," Santiago cooed.


    Oh God, she loved hearing him calling her nicknames. It was just the second time but she loved it already.


    Grasping his thick hair in her hands, she felt his hot breath on her nipple, and slowly and slowly, he was licking her. When his mouth was working on her boobs, his hand entered her panties and then gradually her core¡­


    Now Persephone was panting heavily¡­


    She was going mad¡­


    This weird ache between her legs was unbearable.


    She needed him right now but only if he was ready


    Her breaths came out rough and shallow when she felt her pussy invaded by his finger. His hand fucked her unhurriedly, in and out. It was not close to what she needed but it was doing for now as the pressure unknown to her built between her legs.


    She moaned louder when the single finger turned into two and slowly into three. She was shaking badly as she couldn''t take this pressure but he was in a hurry to stop.


    Her eyes widened as she failed to close them at this moment when his hand was moving in and out, up and down, and slow and fast. Perhaps, she didn''t realize how hard she was grasping his hair or how loud she was screaming.


    Santiago had always known that his Red was a screamer and it brought him immense joy to know that it was him who was capable enough of making her scream in this magnitude.


    She had come several times on her hand in the last few minutes and now he needed a release fast. He knew that if he waited any longer, he would not be able to hold himself or worse would come right in his pants.


    Therefore, he got rid of his pants and then his boxer briefs as soon as he removed his fingers from inside her.


    Instead of feeling relief, the empty ache was back between her legs again.


    Instantly starting his game, he parted her legs wide before settling in between. He struck Persephone to watch him doing dirty things to her. And she didn''t disappoint him, her wide eyes were fixated on his length. Taking his time, he unhurriedly put a condom on his painfully bulging length and then, carefully pulled her nearer him by holding her thighs. He rubbed the head of his cock on the stub of her core in a circular motion making her moan.


    Only when he felt her overwhelmed in lust, he thrust inside her. He grunted when her tightness enveloped her cock and made it a bit difficult for him to move in spite of her being badly wet and ready for him.


    He grabbed her waist and moved in and out. Santiago was oddly slow and careful with her today. It was not because he was worried that he might break her apart, rather it was because he wanted to tattoo every single thing about her in his mind.


    The way she breathed when he thrust to the way she moaned when she felt pleasure to the way she screamed when she found herself in the land of euphoria.


    Everything about her was unique and novel. She was a goddess in and out of bed. Sometimes, he considered Nico, the quickest Bastard alive for being able to claim her, however, it wouldn''t be for long. Even if Nico had a marriage contract with her, it wasn''t him who was inside her, making her produce wild grunts and moans. It was him only.


    She was his in a way she would never be Nico''s and he intended to keep her his forever in the same way.


    Soon, she climaxed against his hardness but he didn''t stop. Only when he orgasmed did he pull out and collapse on the bed beside her.


    Santiago and Persephone were panting as if they were running a marathon.


    "You were amazing," he murmured as he dropped a peck on her forehead.


    Breathing heavily, she turned to face him, "Why are you doing this to me?"


    Her whisper pierced his heart but he had nothing to say in return. Even he didn''t know why he was doing what he was doing? He was just confused. Yesterday, he called her manipulative and calculative and today, he was calling her amazing and what not!


    Has he gone crazy? Perhaps...or what else would be the justification of this craziness?


    "I don''t know what''s happening to me either, Red," Santiago mumbled, however, and failed to hear this. He pulled her body closer to his chest and murmured, "Sleep, baby. We have a long day tomorrow."


    "Are we leaving for New York tomorrow?"Persephone questioned, meeting his eyes.


    " No,"Santiago was quick to respond. "Tomorrow, I will take you somewhere else."


    "I don''t have a dress, Villain," he heard her faded voice before sleep took over her tired body.


    Tucking her under the blanket, he also laid beside her and closed his eyes to let sleep take over his body like it did to hers but bastards like him had no privilege of contented sleep too.


    This novel is a contracted work with W e b n o v e l. c o m (remove spaces). If you''re not reading ''THe Villain'' on W e b n o v e l, it has been stolen. It''s very heartbreaking to see pirates profiting from my hard work.. Please support the original author,(tanu_sam).

 Chapter 97 - Dolphins, Percy And Villain

    "Where are we going?" Persephone asked him for the nth time but just like always he would reply to her with a shrug.


    Ugh, this shrug of his would be the cause of her death...


    The air between the two of them had shifted for the better since last night. He had been treating her with unusual gentleness and attention.


    Early this morning, Santiago woke her up with feather kisses on her face and then dropped the troublesome bomb that they were leaving the ranch straight away. Sad, right?


    After a teary goodbye to Lara and Mayes couple, Santiago and Persephone left for the surprise place. Since he wasn''t going to tell her about where they would be driving, she was insisting in her head to call that place a surprise place.


    It had been around three hours since Santiago Was driving his black range rover and still, the so-called surprise place was nowhere to be seen.


    Now she was kinda getting impatient.


    When she told him last night that she didn''t have a dress to wear for today''s event, it seemed he did listen to her as when she woke up this morning achingly, she found the clothes she was now wearing placed on the table along with a tag saying ''wear me''.


    No, it wasn''t anything fancy like a dream dress from Gucci or Parada or any other famous luxury brand. Nothing like that at all. But a cheap yet gorgeous white top, shorts, and a printed kimono cardigan. Yeah, she too found his choice of clothes weird but who was she to complain?


    Nonetheless, she liked her cute and eye-catching dress chosen by Villain.


    Since it was the first time he did something for her from his heart, she wasn''t going to bitch about it at all. On the contrary, she was over the moon.


    Finally, the car came to halt as Villain pressed on the brakes.


    "Let''s go," Villain displayed a boyish grin as he removed her seatbelt but not before biting her nose.


    She lightly slapped his shoulder to criticize his action but he laughed just in the response. "You are getting too touchy today."


    Suddenly, his mouth came closer to her and his eyes bore into hers as he whispered, "Do you mind Red?"


    Persephone closed her eyes when his mouth leaned closer to hers, his hot breath fanning her face, his spicy masculine scent overpowering her but before her lips could reach his to fill the void in her heart, a hearty laugh escaped his throat...much to her discomfort.


    Bastard...


    "What were you expecting, baby?" He asked in between the laughs.


    She wanted to curse the asshole but the endearment baby made it impossible for her.


    "I wasn''t expecting a kiss at all, you idiot," Persephone glared at him.


    Santiago''s grin grew wider as he stared at her in amusement. "When did I say you were expecting a kiss?"


    His Red could be extremely cute sometimes.


    "Busted," Persephone whispered and he released the laugh that was stuck in his throat.


    "Stop laughing," Persephone said with a deadly glare. Only if it could stop his laughter.


    Regardless, she resembled a cute little angry bird while glaring at him. Since he wasn''t stopping laughing at her, she bit his jaw with her sharp teeth and before he could retaliate, she had unlocked the car door and run away far from his hold.


    Santiago too got out of the car and started chasing her. Now, roles were reversed. Persephone was laughing at him and he was glaring at her. The damned girl had bitten his jaw as if he was a carrot and she was the rabbit.


    Ah, whoever would see the teeth mark on his jaw would give him multiple glances, it seems. No, it didn''t seem like but he was certain.


    But does Persephone care?


    Absolutely no! She loves making things difficult for him.


    Persephone stopped all of a sudden and so Santiago caught her easily once again. He wasn''t running seriously, to begin with. Her careless laughter was music to his ears.


    He saw her mouth wide agape staring at the sight before her eyes.


    Truly, the sight before her eyes was one to behold. Wasn''t it the reason why he drove three hours just to take her here?


    An incredible beach view!!


    If she could define the beauty of this place in words, she would have. But there were no enough for right words to describe it. So, she wouldn''t waste time on finding the right words. Even surreal want enough to describe it.


    "How did you find this place?" Persephone asked him. This man had a collection of the best beaches in the world. Even his island is a little paradise in itself. She had ways dreamed of seeing a beach but who would have thought that she would not only see one but several most beautiful beaches of the world.


    "I didn''t. Nash found it," Santiago graced her with an honest answer. "My friend, Nash, loves extreme sports. So do I. But when I say extreme...his extreme doesn''t match mine. So, one day he ended up at this place. Since the country is surrounded by the ocean. It''s not unusual to find many undiscovered beaches here. Tourists mostly visit the famous ones as they are safe."


    "Will we spend the rest of our day here?" Persephone asked him hopefully. She really liked this place and she also missed his island too though she wasn''t there for a long time.


    "We are here to sightsee, not spend the day," Santiago replied to her with a grin.


    Sightseeing wasn''t something Persephone didn''t like. With Santiago, everything was worthy to be enjoyed thoroughly and since he was acting like one sexy tour guide for her, she didn''t worry about anything and just followed him.


    "Come, I will show you," Santiago clutched her hand tightly and dragged her to the other side.


    She loved this Villain. The chill and happy Villain. His boyish grin made him more handsome. And...wait a moment, why on earth did she not notice before that they were wearing matching clothes?


    He was wearing a white printed shirt (same print as her cardigan) and jean shorts. Oh, no he was looking all too delicious. She was hungry, oh no, she was just horny.


    [Supress your thoughts, Percy!]


    "Look ahead, baby," Santiago whispered in her ear. And she did. When she did, she let out an exciting ear-piercing scream.


    "Are they dolphins?" Persephone shouted like a kid. She was practically bouncing in the air. Oh, she was never so delighted before.


    "Yeah," He smiled at her enthusiasm. How can someone be so enthusiastic about seeing something so common?


    "Oh God, oh my dear God," Persephone exclaimed, clinging on his body. "They are coming to me. What should I do?"


    "Are you afraid of dolphins, Red?" Santiago asked her when he noticed her clinging to his body like a koala.


    "Hell no." Persephone shook her head."I am so shy to meet them for the first time. I mean I want to give them my best impression since it''s my first time."


    "Easy, Red. They are just dolphins."


    It was Persephone''s turn to be speechless. "Just dolphins?" She blinked her eyes at him before bursting into anger. "Just Dolphins, you idiot villain? They are the Dolphins. Do you know Dolphins can kill whales? Yes, the big scary whales! And you are telling me that they are just dolphins! How presumptuous of you!!"


    Santiago didn''t know for a long time how to respond to her aggression. "I''m sorry, baby."


    Here comes this stupid endearment again curbing her anger like a sponge absorbing all the extra water.


    Still, Persephone harrumphed, "If you are sincerely sorry, then apologize to dolphins. You hurt their feelings by calling them ''mere''. Be thankful they are not suing you for emotional distress."


    "I''m really sorry, dolphins. You are as great as anything can be," Santiago said sarcastically but alas Persephone didn''t catch it. She was too dumb to discern his tone.


    Santiago found Persephone deep in the water, playing with her dearest dolphins. Since Dolphins are known for their friendly nature, Persephone didn''t have a hard time playing with those adorable water animals.


    If she could keep a pet, they would surely be dolphins. Alas, she would never. She would never bear to keep one such animal in a pool or artificial water body. The big and vast ocean is their home and she wanted these beautiful animals to live here happily.


    As she was deep in thought, she didn''t realize a white-colored dolphin was licking her mouth. She laughed and shouted for Villain when she felt something ticklish in her mouth. When she held his gaze to find him, he was there a meter away from her with a camera in his hand recording this precious moment for them.


    This had to be the best thing that he had ever done for her. Her heart swelled up at the thought of being the reason for the silly smile tugging on his lips. A gust of fuzzy feelings came rushing to her when he winked at her from the far.


    This was the moment when she felt that not only she but even her heart was in trouble.


    Or perhaps, she would end up leaving her heart in this country forever.


    This novel is a contracted work with W e b n o v e l. c o m (remove spaces). If you''re not reading ''THe Villain'' on W e b n o v e l, it has been stolen. It''s very heartbreaking to see pirates profiting from my hard work.. Please support the original author,(tanu_sam).

 Chapter 98 - Souvenir And Memories

    This had to be the best thing that he had ever done for her. Her heart swelled up at the thought of being the reason for the silly smile tugging on his lips. A gust of fuzzy feelings came rushing to her when he winked at her from the far.


    This was the moment when she felt that not only she but even her heart was in trouble.


    Or perhaps, she would end up leave her heart in this country forever.


    Suddenly the thought of leaving her heart in this foreign country didn''t scare her at all.


    ¡­


    "No, I don''t want to go with you," Persephone announced stubbornly.


    She was only a second away from crying. She wanted to spend more time with the dolphins but this man was taking her to a different place. She only played with them for two hours. Was it too much? No, right? Then, make him understand too. She wanted to go back to her friends. The new friends who were not mean like humans!


    "Persephone! Stop behaving like a kid," Santiago reprimanded her. Hearing him call her name in a threatening tone, she zipped up her mouth and turned down her big and wide teary eyes from his face.


    Wobbling her lip, she was staring at the sand on her feet. She could cry at any time.


    Yeah, she was behaving like a kid but she didn''t care!


    If behaving like a kid could provide her what being an adult couldn''t, then she would rather become a kid for eternity!


    Seeing her on the verge of crying, Santiago softened his tone."I have a bigger surprise planned for you, baby. However,you can''t stay at this side for long. There was nothing else apart from dolphins to see. Just fifteen minutes away from here is a famous beach site. Trust me, you will enjoy it with a lot of people there."


    Why was he acting like a parent with a kid? She was a kid in a grown ass woman''s body. And ass that was tempting him to...


    Well, lets just change the topic.


    With a pout, she nodded. Even if she didn''t want to leave her friends, she had to...


    [Sigh, life is so tough!]


    [But more than Life this big mean Villain is.]


    ¡­


    "I''m telling you, Villain. I will never be able to learn surfing," Persephone said with a frown as she failed once again. Someone tell him that no one could learn to surf in a mere hours. Yeah, there might be some genius but she wasn''t one!


    And couldn''t be one. Plus, she didn''t want to be one.


    However, Villain wasn''t the one to give up soon. "I am gonna teach you how to surf."


    Well, how could someone not learn how to surf? It was out of his understanding.


    Persephone sighed. "Come on, Villain. It takes a really long time to learn how to surf. I''m a newbie who saw a surfboard for the first time."


    "But I still--"


    "Nope, I''m not continuing," Persephone said. It was her final decision. She fell so many times in the water that she was getting embarrassed. Although the by passers were helpful with a tip or two, she still wasn''t comfortable. It looked as if surfing was something everyone in the country knew. And why wouldn''t they as their country was situated on the shores of the ocean.


    Probably, this was the reason why he was insisting on teaching her too!


    With a sigh, they left the water and started walking to the spot where their stuff was placed.


    "I''m hungry," Villain said suddenly while walking.


    She turned her eyes to look at him. He was an extremely gorgeous man and in damp clothes, he was every girl''s wet dream. Biting her lips, she added,"Me too."


    Meeting his eyes, he whispered. "I''m hungry for food, Red."


    Persephone adorably blinked her watery eyes at him. "What else could one be hungry for if not food?" She asked the question so innocently and adorably that Santiago found himself at a loss for words.


    Sometimes, even without trying she knew how to hit the right spot with her just few word.


    Was he getting weak? Or was he losing his touch?


    Or maybe,this woman was rubbing her silliness on him. Never had he known that silliness was contagious.


    "You are right," Santiago said as he wrapped his arms around her shoulder.


    Sigh, he just hoped to spend this day flawlessly.


    ...


    After lunch, Santiago suggested if she wanted to fly the kite like the kids she had been staring at for a long time. Hearing his suggestion, she has nothing to say no for. She has never flown a kite and she didn''t even know how to fly one. But hell, she wanted to try this out so badly!


    "Why do I feel like you have never done something fun?" Villain asked her. Even he was curious how come someone be so happy with just these simple thing?


    "I had," Persephone insisted. "It''s just that I have never been allowed to step out of home. So, I have missed some things that couldn''t be done at home. For example surfing and flying kites."


    "Come I will teach you how to fly the kite," Santiago said, dragging her. He really did pity her now.


    What kind of childhood did she had?


    Whatever kind her childhood would be, it couldn''t be awful than his.


    Santiago wasn''t the kind of person to normally think about the tormenting memories of his childhood. Even if those memories come every night to haunt him in his worst nightmares, he wouldn''t say a word or wish them to go away. It wasn''t because he was a maochist who loved inflicting pain on himself but rather because he knew in those nightmares, he would see an angel whose voice and face was akin to thousand sweet dreams one could ever see.


    He sighed when he realized where his thoughts were going.


    Now back to kite flying...


    Others might think Santiago was teaching her how to fly the kite but Persephone didn''t share the same thoughts. Not even slightest bit. This man was clearly taking advantage of her. That too in broad daylight.


    Nothing needed him to hold his waist while teaching her the skill of lite flying.


    And surely, he didn''t need to blow hot air on her ear, making her shudder.


    Not to mention, nothing while learning this simple skill of kite flying required him to press his raging beast against the softness of her ass.


    Shameless man!


    Still, not more than her.


    "Pull gently," He murmured in her ear. His words sounded so ambiguous that the ever shameless Persephone was left blushing.


    Noticing the tips of her ear getting scarlet, he murmured,"Why are you blushing, Red?"


    "I''m not, " Persephone insisted. ''Oh, God, someone please bury her alive!''


    "Sure you are not," Santiago grinned. He further leaned over. His hard and got length seeking solace against the softness of her body.


    How he wished to take her right here!


    But he respected her enough to not act like a beast!


    Surely, he was a villain of honor.


    "You!" Persephone turned to glare at him, the string losing from her hands. "Oh, God, my kite is gone."


    Santiago burst out laughing. "It''s not my fault actually. How could you be so distracted?"


    Persephone stomped her feet on the ground while sobbing at the loss of her first kite ever. She had thought of keeping it as a souvenir from this land.


    "Why are you so depressed?" Santiago had asked her when they were on the way to Capital."Wasn''t it only a kite?"


    Persephone wobbled her lip before whispering,"I wanted that kite as a souvenir."


    "A souvenir?" Santiago raised his brow. She could take anything as souvenir but a kite? It didn''t set well with him or made any sense to him. Then again, when she this woman ever made sense to him?


    His ordinary brain wasn''t enough to understand her.


    Persephone nodded. "I don''t want to forget this place ever. Many years from now when I will remember this peculiar trip to this unknown land while sitting in saddening silence or solitude, I don''t want to think of these memories as my mind deceiving me. Whenever I would look at that kite, I would remember that there had been a time when I had soared so high in the sky that I had flown with the wind to the land of freedom. And nothing was able to hold me back."


    ''Souvenir'' Santiago marked this word in his memory.


    If she was his, he would give her the only thing she craved as souvenir.


    But only if she was his.


    When they entered the capital city, it was already evening. And Persephone hadn''t dared to close her eyes at all. No, her eyes were not fixated on the scenery out of the window but on a particular man who she wouldn''t be able to see after tomorrow. She wanted to itch every frown, every gesture, or each movement of his in her mind.


    Back at her glided cage, whenever she would want to remember, she would just have to close her eyes and this man would be there, always present in her memories.


    .....

 Chapter 99 - Fourth Wish

    Persephone jolted out of stupor when Villain pressed on the brakes. "Did we reach?"


    "No," Villain replied in an irritating voice. His cold mood was back with the coldness of this city.


    Persephone just sighed. From tomorrow onwards, she might not have to deal with this tsundere ever again.


    His split personality disorder was out of her sense anyways. Yet the thought enough that she wouldn''t be able to see him ever again was enough to pierce her heart with millions of glass pieces.


    "Sit here," Villain then told her. "I would be right back."


    Before Persephone could say anything, Villain was gone from her eyesight. Looking out of the window, she was graced by dark streets and cold breeze against her warm skin.


    She would miss such an awesome climate too.


    Although it could get hot in the day, the nights were always cooler here.


    If she could, she would never go back to New York.


    Suddenly, her own thoughts were scaring her. If not to New York, where could she go?


    This place wasn''t for her. And neither were its people.


    It was just her who had weaved so many tales in her head that she now refused to see the cruel reality.


    Chiding her conscious, she slumped on the seat once again. ''You have to go back, Persephone. You tasted what freedom feels like for the first time in your life. Just like you have fathomed, its taste sure is addictive. But you must remember neither of the addictions have ever proved beneficial for the existence of a human, if not deadly! Drop your thoughts and go back to where you belong.''


    Soon Villain was came back, jolting her out of stupor.


    Without saying a word, he started driving again.


    Unfortunately, the silence wasn''t not so comfortable this time. It was pricking like a thorn to her for some reason yet she didn''t dare to say anything.


    ....


    Persephone stood in the doorway of the abandoned building that Santiago explained they would be entering a few minutes from now, though her gaze fixated on him, she still maintained the uncomfortable silence that he had earlier created.


    As soon as he had pulled into the driveway, she had noticed he was lost somewhere still she hopped out of the car, not bothering to entertain a certain tsundere again. It was her last day with her captor and so she didn''t want to part on bad terms.


    She didn''t know why but she had never felt this dying urge to cry so hard that she would be left with no tears to produce after she was done crying. She wasn''t the girl who would pull tricks to get the attention of a man or worse float on clouds just because he talked to her sweetly once.


    She was not going to think just because he made her day he had a crush on her or something like that or he was hiding his undying love for her in his heart. Nope, nothing like that. She had enough of fairytales.


    She didn''t want to be the woman who would cause this man to atone all his sins and become a hero to love their happily ever after. Yeah, nothing like that. She was one of those pragmatic women who knew it better than anyone that sometimes two strangers met at the most bizarre conditions and places and suddenly clicks. But it didn''t mean that they would always end up becoming couples.


    They could be there on the way to teach them the most important lesson of life. And she firmly believed that she met Villain to learn one certain lesson -- not to always see the world in black and white only. And truthfully, she learned it perfectly.


    For a moment, if she really believed that there was really something between them other than lust and some kind of hidden conspiracy of heavens, he wouldn''t have ignored her on all the way back to his home. She didn''t know how and why his attitude changed when they entered the capital city. But she believed, it was for the better.


    The laid back boy was gone and in his place a cold and emotionless bastard was driving. And she has enough of these egotistical bastards. Or one could say that she was out of fucks to give.


    "Red?"


    She heard him calling for her name. Sorry, some other woman who he must have called Red in the past. And she was that woman''s replacement.


    "Red?"


    She heard him calling that woman again. And was not that woman.


    "Red?"


    Once more, she called that bitch. A bitch she was completely and utterly jealous of.


    For heaven''s sake, she was Persephone Marino! Since when did she started getting jealous of chicks?!


    "Persephone!!"


    This time she heard him all fine too. Turning her head to his side, she crossed her arms and looked at him with a lifted brow. Yeah, asshole she could be a bitch if she wanted to deal with the kinds of you.


    "What do you want?" She simply asked him. She realized one thing that could summarize their whole relationship in a single sentence. Opps, did she said relationship?


    The word relationship could never be used with these two. Never in next one thousand years of more.


    Simply, she didn''t know him at all. She even didn''t know the name of the man she had been sleeping with for weeks. How tragic!


    "Red?" He softly called out that woman''s name while stepping ahead. His gaze as soft as his voice.


    This soft voice had made her hotter for more than any physical touch had made her before. She hated how he could affect her whole mood with just a simple word. What would happen if one day he asked for her heart? Sure, she would give him her heart on a platter.


    And suddenly, she realized the extent of her feelings for him.


    Either she had developed Stockholm syndrome or she had gone crazy for real. Because right now, she couldn''t even think of any other reason to describe this whole fucked up situation.


    Ah, she has never been frustrated more than this particular moment.


    "Are you mad, Red?" Villain --no-- the man who''s name she didn''t even know until now asked her again in his seducing language. He must have attended school for a special course in seduction for they way he behaved. He was infiltrating her territory now. The territory where she was immune to his seduction but she wasn''t sure now.


    Persephone raised her brow at the choice of his words. "Why would I be mad at you? To be honest, we are not in any kind of relationship where we are allowed to be mad at each other. We are not even friends, Villain."


    Santiago''s gaze hardened. "Indeed, we are not friends." And can''t be either.


    "So, are we going inside or not?" Persephone asked him while giving a weird look to the mansion that looked like it emerged straight out of a horror story. Oh, did she said before she have no interest or whatsoever in going inside this bizarre building?


    "Wait?" Santiago snapped when he realized she was going inside without him. Surely, he brought her here for a reason. A bigger reason to be exact. But he wasn''t sure if she should go inside or not. He knew what rested inside and what would happen when she would come out.


    Even after knowing all the reasons why she should go through the things, he didn''t wish for those consequences. Yet, some things were not in his control. Hell, things were never in his control at all.


    Santiago pulled out a shiny object from his pocket and held it in his hand to show her. An ocean blue sapphire was dangling from a gold chain. Also the blue that matches the hues of his eyes.


    "This is for you," he whispered. Without asking for her permission. He leaned closer to her to tie the necklace on her neck. Her hands rested on his taut stomach. His furnace hot body''s heated shifted to hers as he didn''t move away from her even after tying the necklace on her neck. Next moment, she knew his arms were wrapped around her waist and her head was laid against his chest. None of them ready to part. It was as if they were parting for forever and there wouldn''t be any more sunsets; they would be chasing together anymore or getting wet under the same rain.


    They would be on different continents, oceans and a whole world apart from each other.


    The Sapphire felt cold like fresh ocean water against her warm skin.


    She finally had a souvenir. A surety that she had been to the land of freedom.


    "Thank you," she murmured. She didn''t know what else to say. Tears clouded her vision but she was too stubborn to let them fall. ''Don''t trickle. Don''t trickle. Disobedient tears!''


    "Your wishes, Red," Santiago reminded her. "Ask me for anything."


    According to the deal they signed, she was given five wishes and among those wishes, two were still left. Not wanting her to leave without fulfilling those wishes of hers, he reminded her once again to ask anything. He knew that he had the power to make those come true.


    "Name," Persephone asked him. Her cheek still laid against his hard chest. "Your name, Villain. My next wish : I want to know your name."


    "Santiago." Villain murmured after a long time. "Santiago Vitello."


    ¡­.

 Chapter 100 - Santiago Vitello

    Have you ever wondered what happiness, shock and disbelief all felt like in a single moment? No, right?


    Persephone didn''t know it either.


    ''Santiago Vitello.''


    ''Santiago Vitello.''


    ''Santiago Vitello.''


    These two words were ringing in her head like an alarm bell. For the next few minutes, Persephone was just looking at him, stunned and perhaps so many other emotions that even she herself couldn''t discern.


    It wasn''t everyday one could render Persephone Marino speechless...


    She didn''t even know what to say or what to do or what¡­


    She was just left bewildered¡­


    Perhaps,''bewildered'' wasn''t even the right words to cover what she was feeling right now.


    "Santiago?" After what seemed like eternity, she murmured. Tears were now unconsciously trickling down her cheeks. She had no control over her emotions.


    "What''s your favorite color?" She then asked him.


    Now it was Santiago''s turn to be bewildered. First she asked him his name, then she was asking what his favourite color was. Could this woman get any weirder?


    If she would stop making him question that she was indeed a human, she wouldn''t be Persephone Marino either.


    Persephone Marino was many things but she was not a crier. She would rather curse or hit the man or worse even tolerate the humiliation inflicted on her but she would never cry.


    Crying was something she frown upon.


    Even the moment he found her naked and almost lifeless when Edward almost succeeded in assaulting her, she didn''t cry. Rather, she shoved the broken beer bottle down his throat or any organ she could find to protect her virtue and her life.


    Later, when he thought she would succumb to him easily. He was badly proved wrong. Not only, she made him beg her, she also proved to him that she wasn''t the one to trifle with.


    One must not forget the episode in the forest. The gunshot, large number of deaths and struggle to survive when they were on the run. Never had he ever seen her crying for the pain or traumatic incidents that she was going through.


    After experiencing so many life threatening and altering times, she was crying now when they were safe and back to his home, where he would protect her even if it meant losing his life.


    "Red?" Santiago whispered when he didn''t know what else to do. How could he make her stop crying? And why the hell her tears were making him want to end this goddamn world?


    "Dammit! Tell me what your favorite color is?" Persephone said in between the sobs. Even when crying, she looked beautiful too. She hit his sturdy chest with her fists.


    "I don''t know," Santiago looked at her helplessly. He didn''t want to upset her by saying that he didn''t have a favorite color." I don''t know what my favorite color is. But if I ever said something related to color that ever mesmerized me it would be the color of fire."


    Persephone didn''t say anything as her hand curled on the left side of her chest as if clutching to something vital to borrow the strength. She was now staring into his icy blues which were the same shade as the one which were tattooed on her mind, soul and heart¡­


    She was more than sure that he was her Santiago. No one would ever say the similar words other than him.


    *Flashback¡­.*


    A little girl wearing a green frock with tiny black polka dots was sitting on the dusty floor. Her curly red hair was as untamed as ever. She seemed to have been deep in thought given how subtle her posture was. Her finger was ticking on her little forehead as she was staring at the skinny boy sitting in her front.


    "You are saying that you don''t have any favorite color?"Little Persephone who no less resembled an untamed angel right now asked. How could someone not have a favorite color?


    Even she, who does not know many colors, has lots of favourite colors. But blue was her favourite-est. It was simply because her best friend had the most beautiful blue color eyes. One day she was going to draw those eyes permanently somewhere. So, even when he wasn''t near her, she would still be close to him.


    Young Santiago shook his head. No, he wasn''t given the privilege of choosing favourites. He has been stuck in this dungeon-like place for months. Since he stopped fighting those bad men, they had stopped binding him to the shackles.


    Since the place where he was held was situated on the compound of the people who had caught him, they didn''t bother checking on him except for the time when they had to give him food or water.


    This was the reason why Persephone was able to visit him often. Although she couldn''t come everyday, she tried to visit him more often.


    "You seriously have no favorite color," Persephone sighed like an adult making Santiago crack up a smile. "Oh shoot!!" Her eyes wide as saucers stared at him as if she had committed a grave sin."I brought you something."


    She hurriedly stood up and ran to the different direction where she had placed a small basket like object and when she found what she was looking for she returned back to him with the biggest possible grin possible.


    "I brought you cookies and lots of stuff," Persephone beamed. "My mama cooked all these things for me. They are my favorite." Her face now was appearing as if she was proud of something. "I even helped my mom in making these cookies."


    Instead of getting happy, Santiago''s brows furrowed as if he wasn''t glad with what she just said. "Did you help your mom in baking these cookies?"


    Persephone proudly nodded her head.


    Santiago sighed. "You shouldn''t have baked the cookies. Don''t you know how dangerous kitchens are? You are so small and yet you insist on doing something you should not."


    "Isn''t cooking something all girls should know?" Persephone asked, genuinely confused.


    "No," Santiago clearly said. "Just because someone is doing something doesn''t mean you have to do that too. Don''t go inside the kitchen and put your life in danger if you don''t want to."


    Persephone nodded head. Truth be told, she hatted the kitchen the most. But it was because her mom was baking Santiago''s favourite Hazelnut cookies, she offered to help.


    "But I can feed you right?" Persephone asked him.


    Looking at his dirty hands, he had no choice but to nod.


    Once again, the little angel beamed at him, relishing the joy in feeding the person she loved the most in the world. She loved him as much as she loved Big Bro Lucien and her mama.


    "I think I know what my favorite color is,"Santiago whispered when she was diligently feeding him the cookies.


    "Really?"Little Persephone asked him excitedly.


    Santiago nodded. " The color of you is my favorite, Percy."


    Persephone blinked her eyes as she didn''t understand what he said. But since it was him who was saying such a thing, he must be right and she was dumb enough not to understand it.


    "You came to my life like a fire igniting my dark color with your flames," Santiago said. "Your are fire, Percy. My personal fire and your color, you scent and everything related to you is my favorite and nothing else."


    ¡­.End of flashback¡­.


    ''He is my Santiago,''Persephone shouted in her head. She wanted everyone to look at him and say that she was not crazy enough to hallucinate a man in her head. He was real, very much real. And he was alive. She didn''t know how but all she knew was that he was her Santiago¡­


    Even if the world says otherwise, she wouldn''t agree. She knew that this man was him. She just knew it. Don''t ask her how or why or what...just don''t ask her anything.


    Before Persephone could say anything, a foreign and masculine voice was heard.


    "Vittelo?" Persephone veered around to find a man dressed in white doctor''s coat. He seemed to be in his forties and it seemed like he came out of this haunted mansion.


    "Ryan," Santiago called out his name in greeting.


    "Is she ready?" Ryan asked him directly.


    Santiago just nodded and Persephone looked at him in confusion.


    She knew they were talking about her. But what were they actually talking about?


    "Go inside, Persephone," Santiago said. His voice back to hard and impenetrable.


    She had so much to say to her but here he was giving her his tsundere attitude?!


    Was this how he had imagined meeting her after rising from ashes?


    Whatever! She would wait for him to say everything she had to say to her.


    Perhaps, she didn''t realize that it would be the last time that she would be seeing him.


    ...


    END OF VOLUME ONE...


    ...


    VOLUME TWO START WITH A SMALL LEAP AMD LOTS OF MYSTERIES!!


    ....


    This novel is a contracted work with W e b n o v e l. c o m (remove spaces). If you''re not reading ''The Villain '' on W e b n o v e l, it has been stolen. It''s very heartbreaking to see pirates profiting from my hard work.. Please support the original author,(tanu_sam).

 Chapter 101 - Back To New York

    Persephone stared at everyone in confusion as they were behaving very strangely today. She couldn''t understand just what was going on. This morning when she woke up with a splitting headache, she felt as if something was missing or perhaps a lot of things were missing.


    Looking at the lilac-colored walls of her room, she was feeling as if she was in the wrong place but if her home, her room was the wrong place then what was the real place?


    She woke up with a nightmare this morning, however much to her distress she didn''t remember a single thing out of it.


    "Percy, how are you?" Carina asked her when she woke up. She was behaving as if she had gone to some battle. Just how much does this woman pretend? Glancing around the room, she found her half-sister, her half brother, her father, and of course her fiance.


    Persephone snatched her hand from Carina''s hold. Since she was a step mother, shouldn''t she behave like one?


    She didn''t have enough energy to deal with her acting. She would rather have a good sleep and refresh her tired and aching body.


    "Percy?" Carina whispered, tears glistening her soft brown eyes. "Are you alright, dear?"


    "Carina! Can you stop acting like a caring mama?"Persephone sneered at her. "I don''t like your annoying face and neither your obnoxious acting. So, please leave me the hell alone for a little longer."


    Persephone''s rude words not only shocked Carina but almost everyone standing in the room. They couldn''t imagine that she was the same girl who used to love Carina to the moon and the back. Not only this, she was always polite and reserved. How could one change so much overnight?


    "What are you saying, Persephone?"Now it was her younger beautiful and kind half-sister, Sofia, who said those words in a whisper. Oh, yeah her voice never had been louder than this one in front of everyone. What a white lotus bitch! Like mother, like daughter!


    Why the hell was Sofia looking at her as if she couldn''t believe that she behaved like this? Wasn''t she always been like this? Straightforward and rude?


    Perhaps, their acting was because of Don Marino aka her dad. In the whole family, only her papa loved and cared about her. Rest of the family members wanted her dead along with her dead parents.


    She wondered why her papa couldn''t see past this mother-daughter pair''s facade. If papa was not bound to her because of her half brother, she was sure this woman had never been taken her mom''s place. Her mom was her papa''s first wife and Carina was his girlfriend before marriage who trapped her papa after the death of her mom with her son, Salvatore.


    Hmmph, she hated all of them.


    "What am I saying?"Persephone scoffed. " Don''t you know what I am saying? And Sofia, since when did we get so close that you are standing in my room asking about my health? Wasn''t it just a fever? Did you forget the day when both you and your mom made me sleep in the attic?"


    Sofia just look at him in bewilderment. There mansion didn''t have a proper attic and what the hell is she even talking about?


    She turned her head to find her father''s sharp eyes narrowed at Persephone. He was trying to study her like he usually did with every enemy of his.


    "How are you now feeling, dear?" Alessandro asked her in Italian. He moved forward and sat on the edge of her bed, suddenly acting as a loving father.


    Persephone sweetly smiled at him. "I''m absolutely fine, papa."


    She replied back in Italian. Since the beginning, she had loved Italian language and found English as a hassle. And Don Marino knew it better than anyone that his daughter hadn''t spoke a word more than necessary in Italian for the last few years and how come suddenly she start speaking in the language again?


    Seeing her father''s quirked up brows,"Papa, wasn''t it just a fever? Why are you so worried about me? I''m fine. I''m telling you."


    "Fever?" Alessandro repeated the word with a nod.


    Persephone smiled at him before lying on the bed again as her head started to hurt once again. She didn''t know why her head was aching so badly?


    Before anyone could say or do something, Persephone was found asleep.


    "Let her sleep," It was Alessandro who said it to everyone. "And don''t talk to her."


    With this said, everyone left the room, leaving Persephone asleep on her bed.


    "She¡­"Nico wasn''t able to complete his sentence. Hell, he didn''t even know how and what to say next. What happened inside had left him in great dilemma!


    "Doesn''t remember anything,"Alessandro completed his sentence. " I will ask doctor to check her up. Either she is too traumatic to remember the incident that happened before she arrived three days ago or it''s intentional¡­"


    ¡­


    "How is Percy?" Ginevra asked her brother. When she heard from him earlier on the phone that Persephone had woken up, she was so delighted after a long time that she left all the important tasks and came to meet her.


    "She is not fine," replied Sofia. She had been sitting on the couch next to where Nico was standing, and hadn''t moved from the same place since the time she had come from her sister''s room. "Ever since she woke up, she has been uttering nonsense like how I and mama made her sleep in the attic and all...hell our house don''t even have a attic¡­"


    "Attic?" Ginevra murmurer. "Like the one in Cinderella?"


    "Shit!" Sofia cursed as soon as she heard what Ginevra said. "How can I forget that she was obsessed with Disney when she was young? Could it be that she had her head muddled up with stories she had heard?"


    Nico was silently staring at the closed door, with his hands tucked in his jean pocket while leaning against the wall. Persephone, indeed was behaving abnormally, but he didn''t know how to face her.


    Would she forgive him for letting her rob of her virtue?


    Could it be that the monster had tormented her so much that her subconscious had chosen to forget those hurtful memories?


    He had vowed to kill that damn man the moment he would meet him! To touch the woman who was going to be his wife and think that he could return unscathed? Impossible.


    He would give that kidnapper the worst death possible. And if he didn''t then he would kill himself!


    "It could be," Ginevra nodded her head.


    Although she didn''t like Sofia and her mom too much, she still didn''t show her dislike of her obviously. Perhaps, seeing Sofia taking care of her brother when he needed someone the most, she decided to let go of her prejudice against Sofia. Even though she knew Persephone and Nico were the worst match possible, she wouldn''t allow him to marry Sofia either. Then again, who was she to control the life of her brother?


    Ginevra heaved out a long-suffering sigh. "I can''t even fathom what this girl would have faced in the whole last month! Anyone would have given up on their life and so had Percy. She didn''t deserve the hardships that fall on her one after another. First, she lost her mom, then¡­ and now she jas lost herself. I wonder when this torture would be over for her?"


    "Perhaps one day," Sofia said hopefully staring at the closed door once again.


    "Did you talk to her?" Ginevra asked his brother.


    Nico shook his head. "I didn''t know what to say to her. What of she fails to recognize me?"


    Ginevra sadly smiled. "I found it hard to believe that she would forget you. Did she at least know that you guys were about to marry?"


    No one noticed now a pained expression reflected on Sofia''s face, hearing about their marriage. Yeah, they were about to marry and hopefully would get married soon.


    "What if she didn''t remember me?" Nico asked his sister in desperation.


    "Then, you make her remember you," Ginevra told him. She moved ahead and held his hands in her smaller ones. "Nico, this memory loss could be a new chance for you both. I know none of you can escape this marriage but at least this time, you can marry her by winning her heart. You know what I am talking about, bro?"


    Nico looked at his sister, a stoic expression on his face. Yeah, he completely understand what she was talking about. He wanted to give that woman all the happiness that she deserved yet all the tragedies occur in her time.


    He could use this time to make her fall for her and then, he could marry her and make her the happiest woman on the planet.


    In the end, Nico nodded. "I understand, Gia. However, it still depend upon if she remembers me or not!"


    ....


    Author Note: Don''t be confused.. The upcoming chapters will clear all your doubts.

 Chapter 102 - Dream Wedding

    Days slowly passed but the odd feeling that had taken birth in Persephone''s gut didn''t pass with the passing days. It could be said that she was missing something but what exactly it was, she still couldn''t put a finger on it.


    Sitting on the bed, she heaved out a sigh. She had realized that these days she had been sighing a lot. And yet she didn''t know the reason behind such an act.


    It was as if even she couldn''t understand the reason behind many of her acts.


    Throwing the duvet off her body, she placed her warm feet on the cold floor and sighed once again when she didn''t find her slippers.


    Lord knows why but she had been in a cranky mood for the past few days. She didn''t know why but these days she doesn''t like talking to anyone. Mostly, she would be cooped up in her room except for the time when Doctor Maya would come to check her up.


    She learned that her father had grown overprotective of her. Every time she would have a migraine or fever, her father would wreak havoc and so she didn''t find it weird that a doctor would come to see her every three days.


    Sighing, she entered the washroom to freshen up. Once she was freshening up, she thought of taking a shower and being done with it. Has she always been too lazy to bathe and comb hair?


    Once she had showered, she came out of the bathroom, she stood in front of the vast mirror and started sizing her up. An oversized towel was wrapped around her body. She pouted when she saw that her damp hair needed to be blown dry.


    Taking out the dryer, she started drying her hair.


    "How nice it would be if I had someone to dry my hair," Persephone murmured to herself.


    Suddenly, she realized where her thoughts were going, and then she flicked her forehead to remind herself that she was indeed her father''s daughter and she had to do everything to protect the honor of her family.


    "And how nice would it be if my unruly hair decided to get tamed for once in my life," Persephone grumbled under her breath. Her hair was transformed into wavy (almost curly) natural red. The green of her eyes was popping out because of her flame-colored hair.


    Letting the towel fall on the floor, she picked her undergarments but was stopped when she caught the sight of an ocean blue sapphire necklace against her neck in the mirror.


    Unconsciously, she clutched the necklace in her hand.


    "Why don''t I remember buying this necklace?"


    Persephone said out loud. "Perhaps, it was random shopping just like this odd random tattoo on my heart. I wonder what I was thinking at that moment!"


    Once she was all dressed, she left the room to join the breakfast table.


    ...


    When Persephone reached the breakfast table, she was not very surprised to find Emma Costas, Salvotre''s fiance sitting next to him. She was also occupying the seat next to her.


    What surprised her wasn''t the number of people attending the breakfast table but the man who was occupying the seat next to her on the other side.


    Nicolas damn Scuderi who else!!


    Oh, yeah the person sitting next to Nicolas was no one else but her dear half-sister, Sophia.


    "Sit, Percy. We were about to call for you," Carina said with a soft smile. Feeling a burning gaze on her, she finds her husband staring, well, more like glaring at her.


    Alessandro had told numerous times not to talk with Persephone unless she talked to them first. They didn''t know how she would respond to what they would say.


    However, Percy didn''t say anything as she was too bothered by Nico''s presence. She didn''t know how long she would be able to ignore this man. For days, she had been ignoring his presence as she was taking advantage of her weird diseases and ignoring everyone. She would rather stay alone in the room than go out.


    Then again, when had they ever allowed her to go out?!


    "So, Emma darling, are you ready for your big day?" It was Ginevra''s sarcastic voice that drew Persephone''s attention. Why did she feel like Nico''s sister had some kind of unresolved grudge against her to be sister-in-law?


    "Ginevra," Emma said softly while meeting her eyes. One could see her eyes glistening as he heard the latter''s accusing voice.


    "Eat," Salvatore said as he pushed the plate before her. It wasn''t that he couldn''t see Ginevra''s prejudice against his fiancee, it was just that he chose to ignore it like ever as if he insisted on reprimanding her, she would definitely try to scratch the hidden skeletons, which he didn''t wish to.


    Emma just stared at Salvatore. Like always, he said nothing. Perhaps, she should get used to it.


    Then again, wasn''t she worth him standing up for him?!


    "Emma dear, you should eat more," Carina said out of concern when she saw just how little her soon-to-be daughter-in-law had on her plate. Changing her tone, she joked, "We don''t want the bride to faint on the aisle, do we?"


    Emily, Emma''s mother chuckled. "Carina, you know how girls these days are? They neglect their body and insist on dieting. Look at how thin Sophia is." Pausing, her gaze rested on Persephone whose plate had more food than two girls of age could eat. "Well, there would always be some exceptions¡­"


    Her last words were spoken with obvious contempt.


    What right did this impure girl have to eat on the same table as them? Not only was she sitting at the same table as them but she was too behaving as if nothing had happened in the last month.


    Did Don Marino really think that by prohibiting everyone from talking about those bloody sheets, they wouldn''t know that his daughter had lost her innocence?


    Even if everyone was saying that those crooked people forced themselves on her, she didn''t care because, at the end of the day, Persephone Marino had lost something that defined the value of a woman.


    She was now just as good as the broken furniture in the house.


    Persephone looked up when she felt a burning gaze on her, when she found Emily Costas glaring her way with such intense and odd expressions, she raised her eyes in question but the older lady just sneered in return.


    She didn''t remember Emily Costas being hostile to her before or was it just her illusion?


    "Richard had been seeing the security of the church this time himself although Micheal (Richard''s brother) offered but we refused," Emily said despite the fact she saw her husband glaring at her to shut up. Marino''s had always looked down on Costas and now that she got an opportunity to look down upon Marino''s, how could she just give it up? Continuing she said, "After all, we don''t want the previous incident to happen once again."


    "Emily!" This time Richard spoke a little louder. Why couldn''t his wife see how Don Marino''s expression was turning darker with each said sentence.


    Persephone would have asked them what they were talking about but since the women of their community didn''t speak when their men talk, she was silent although she was curious of what episode Emily was talking about.


    If not for the fact that she was a daughter of Don Marino and was supposed to be meek before others, she would have certainly asked.


    Emily naturally kept her mouth shut after she heard her husband''s raised voice. She was just contented with the little ridicule she had the chance to do with Marinos.


    "Have you made all the arrangements for the wedding?" Alessandro asked Richard who was unusually silent since the time he had entered their household. The happenings of a week ago had traumatized him to the core.


    When Richard realized that Alessandro was talking to him, he jerked out of the stupor and gave him a stiff nod." We chose not to invite many guests due to security reasons. Would you mind if only the family members attended the wedding ceremony, Don Marino?"


    Understanding what Richard was trying to say, Alessandro just nodded his head. The fewer people, the better.


    Even though both the patriarchs of their families were pleased with their decision, the bride didn''t appear too happy.


    Throwing a glance in Persephone''s direction, Emma sighed. Why must she compromise on her dream wedding? She had been waiting for this day for almost eight years and when the day finally came, she was asked to compromise. Just how fair it was? However, she didn''t hold the power to say anything or refuse the decision made by her father and father-in-law.


    .....


    Author Note:


    The chapter marked unedited are raw chapters. Due to my extremely busy schedule, I am not able to edit them. But since I couldn''t afford one missing day update, I am forced to update raws.


    Thank you for understanding

 Chapter 103 - Triggering Buried Ghosts

    Throwing a glance in Persephone''s direction, Emma sighed. Why must she compromise on her dream wedding? She had been waiting for this day for almost eight years and when the day finally came, she was asked to compromise.


    Just how fair it was?


    However, she didn''t hold the power to say anything or refuse the decision made by her father and father-in-law.


    Things had always been happening according to the will of the men in their family!


    And she, a mere woman, held no power to change any of the decisions taken by her father.


    How badly she craved to break all these traditions.


    "Though I don''t want to appear nosy, I still have to ask out of concern for my daughter''s big day," Emily said with slight hesitation. Still, everyone knew she was surely going to speak nonsense matching her personality."Everyone knows that you(Don Marino) wanted Persephone to get married first and this is the sole reason why Salvatore and Emmaline had to wait for extra years to hold their wedding. Won''t you think people will talk now that Emma is getting married ahead of Persephone?"


    Truth be told, Emily''s concern was not in vain. For people like her who cared a lot about saving their face, she couldn''t let people talk about what had happened at Persephone and Nico''s weddings. And if Salvatore truly married first, wouldn''t it prove their doubts right?


    "Who dares?" Don Marino asked in his usual monotonous voice, they still couldn''t help but tremble under the sharp glint present in his eyes. These past days he had been more worried than the time his daughter was kidnapped, yet his authority was unchallenged.


    And the reason why he was more than worried was a matter to be talked about...but it was scheduled for later.


    As for what happened a week ago...was something he, Don Marino, didn''t prefer to talk about.


    Richard gulped in place of his wife. Did his wife not know what consequences she might have to face if she insisted on jumping on the lion''s tail?


    Or perhaps, he should let her face it once.


    Only by facing the harshest of the punishment, she would learn why people feared Don Marino.


    Before anyone could say anything, Nico spoke up, "Emily, I don''t think you have anything to worry about mine and Persephone''s wedding. We will hold our wedding when it will be the right time to hold it."


    "And when that would be?" Ginevra ended up asking. She couldn''t understand why her brother was hell-bent on marrying a woman who didn''t even prefer to stay in his presence.


    "Whenever Persephone thinks," Nico naturally replied, glancing at her softly.


    "Can we not hold it at all?" Persephone muttered under her own breath but no one heard what she said.


    How sad!


    "You are still marrying her?" Emily couldn''t understand when those words escaped her mouth. But it was too late to take them back.


    This time Persephone looked at her with furrowed brows. Could this woman not see it was her who didn''t want to marry this man at all!


    He might look chic and polished but she had no interest or whatsoever in him. She couldn''t imagine herself sleeping with one such refined and sophisticated young man.


    It takes a certain¡­ to seduce her.


    But certain what?


    Furrowing her brows, she forced her brain to think what she was about to say?


    The word was on the tip of her tongue initially but now she couldn''t even think about it.


    Why did it feel like the word that she was about to say was very familiar to her?


    Unconsciously, she clutched her locket in her hand.


    "Are you alright, Percy?" Nico''s voice brought her out of trance.


    Looking at him in confusion, she nodded her head. "Yeah, why are you asking?"


    She realized that her voice had suddenly turned hoarse. Just what was wrong with her body these days?!


    "You are crying," Sophia gently said. Her brows were scrunched up in confusion and...perhaps pain too. Since when did this half-sister of hers start caring for her?


    And what did she say? She was crying?


    Touching her face, she felt that indeed her face was wet.


    Looking at her wet fingertips, she frowned.


    Why was she crying just now?


    Sophia couldn''t be lying right?


    Even if she was, what did those tears mean?!


    "Excuse me" Without looking at anyone, she stood up and left for her room.


    ¡­.


    Earlier, when Emily was once again saying something about the arrangement of the upcoming wedding, they heard Persephone sobbing suddenly.


    Everyone was shocked to see the girl who was just peacefully eating her breakfast breaking out in ugly and loud cries. Her cries were heart-wrenching.


    "Percy?!" Nico called her name. "What happened?"


    But only if she would listen to him at this time.


    She was lost in another world.


    "What happened to her?" Carina immediately stood up from her chair and came to caress Persephone''s face. "What happened, my sweet child?" Her heart was hurting painfully while listening to her ugly cries. Unconsciously, tears started forming in her eyes too. Hugging her daughter''s trembling body, she whispered words of soothing but only if it would work on her.


    She might not have given birth to her but she never loved Persephone less than Sophia or Salvatore. She admitted that she wasn''t as close to Lucien as she was to other kids, she still wasn''t one to blame. Lucien sure respected him as she was his elder but she was nothing to him. He was aloof but Percy had accepted her as a mother when she came to this family along with Sophia and Salvatore.


    Even though Persephone was keeping her at arm''s length these days, it still didn''t diminish an ounce of love she had for her, if not increased her motherly instincts.


    "Sis?" Sophia was trying to make her older sister stop crying but the latter was sobbing hard and ugly. She admitted that she was not a very fine sister. She was not a bad person. She genuinely loved her older sister.


    Even Salvatore was seen with furrowed brows. Persephone was his sister too. How could he see her crying?!


    It was only when Nico gestured them to take a step back and held Persephone''s shoulder to shake her twice while loudly calling out her name, she had come back from whichever world she had gone to.


    "Are you alright, Percy?" Nico asked in concern when he noticed that she had suddenly stopped crying. She was looking at him as if he had offended nine of her future generations. In short, she found him annoying.


    He would rather see her annoyed at him than crying like that.


    "Yeah, why are you asking?" She asked him next.


    "You are crying." It was Sofia who said the following words.


    But judging from Persephone''s expressions, it appeared that she didn''t believe her.


    Touching her face, when she felt that indeed her face was wet, she frowned at her tears.


    Before they could say or do anything, she had left the dining room.


    ¡­


    "Emily?" Carina called her when she saw her husband leaving after Persephone left the dining room. "Whatever happened today, I hope it won''t happen again."


    Dumbfounded, Emily looked at her. "What do you mean?"


    She had never believed that one day soft-spoken and kind Carina would talk to her like this.


    Lifting her chin, Carina said," Have you not seen what just happened? Your words triggered my daughter''s buried ghosts once again. Can you, for the fact that you are a woman too, try to understand the horror the girl would have gone through?"


    Even a fool could understand the horrors a kidnapped girl might face but Emily, a daughter of a daughter herself, refuses to acknowledge. Was she too cold-hearted to care about anyone else other than her?


    "Are you trying to say that I caused her to cry like that?" Emily asked as if she couldn''t believe what she just heard. It was not her fault that Persephone had grown emotionally unstable.


    "Did you not?" Carina questioned her.


    It wasn''t only Emily but Genevra and Emma too who were in disbelief hearing the woman''s tone. She was Carina Marino for god''s sake. The woman, whose voice couldn''t be heard from a distance of two meters. She would always talk so softly and so submissively that none of them were able to believe that this woman was capable of speaking in such a strict and harsh tone.


    However, Sophia was not as surprised as them. Her mother had raised two fire-cracker daughters who would show their real selves when provoked.


    "Carina, are you perhaps trying to be Penelope?" Emily''s tone was rather mocking."Don''t you think you are copying her too much? Persephone is her daughter, it seems you have forgotten."


    Penelope. The name which was the cause of many people''s horror.


    This novel is a contracted work with W e b n o v e l. c o m (remove spaces). If you''re not reading ''The Villain '' on W e b n o v e l, it has been stolen. It''s very heartbreaking to see pirates profiting from my hard work.. Please support the original author,(tanu_sam).

 Chapter 104 - Trying To Be Penelope

    "Carina, are you perhaps trying to be Penelope?" Emily''s tone was rather mocking."Don''t you think you are copying her too much? Persephone is her daughter, it seems you have forgotten."


    Penelope. The name which was the cause of many people''s horror.


    Carina smiled kindly. "I don''t need to become someone else to protect my children. And Emily, to become a mother, you don''t have to biologically produce children. There are some relations which are far above that of blood ones but of course, you won''t understand it."


    Family always didn''t mean the blood relations. Sometimes a stranger can become your family suddenly and sometimes even a person you have known for all your life is nothing but a stranger to you.


    And no one knew this better than Carina.


    Her husband fell in the second category.


    "You¡­" Emily was rendered speechless.


    Turning to Richard, Carina said,"I hope you will keep in mind the ties you have with our family."


    Richard''s face darkened hearing his words but he still nodded. Penelope or Carina...both were Don Marino''s wives.


    It didn''t matter how a husband treated their wives under their roof, but for the sake of their honor, they would never let an unknown man insult their woman. And how could Don Marino be different? They all knew how differently Alessandro treated this wife of his. Never had he ever spoken to her less than gently. It was apparent to everyone how much she meant to him. It could be said that he was madly in love with his second wife.


    Wasn''t it the reason why she immediately secured the position of lady of the house just a few days after Penelope, the woman chosen by Alessandro''s parents, died?!


    "You don''t have to worry about it, Donna." Richard smiled even though all he wanted was to slap his wife several times for putting him in such condition."I will discipline my wife well."


    Sophia''s lips twitched understanding what he meant by his words.


    Sigh, life of women in their community¡­


    ¡­


    When Carina received the words from a servant that her husband wanted to see her in his study,she without wasting any further second, walked to the direction but since Persephone''s room was on the same direction, she chose to drop by her room first for checking up on her naturally and only after checking that she was indeed better than before, she headed to her original destinytion.


    Although she knew what could be the consequences of getting late, she still couldn''t ignore her daughter''s wellbeing.


    To be honest, the consequences didn''t matter to her. She would have to face them irrespective of doing everything properly.


    Knocking on the door, she heard a approving grunt and them opened the door.


    "You are late," These were the words which made Carina drop all her facade.


    Fear slowly crept up on her face as she saw her husband''s animalistic expressions.


    No, their marriage wasn''t what everyone thought. Her husband was a man worse than the devil himself.


    Only she knew the extent of torment be could inflict.


    She had been going through it for almost three decades now.


    Grabbing her arm, he pushed her against the desk. The modest looking dress that she was wearing was pulled up and her panties were now on her ankles. Without waiting for her to be ready, her husband thrust his achingly hard length inside her.


    Although it was a lot painful and uncomfortable, Carina didn''t speak or show any expression. She had long accustomed to his animalistic behavior.


    As long as he unleashed his stress on her, he would be fine.


    "You developed a spine, Carina," Alessandro growled pulling her hair. He moved in and out roughly as she moaned.


    "Someone had to stop Emily," Carina said in her usual submisive voice.


    "Eh?"He hit her ass until his hand prints were imprinted. " You surprised me. Then, again everything has been surprising these days."


    "I''m sorry," Carina murmured.


    "Were you wrong?" Alessandro asked her.


    "If you say, I was then I sure was wrong," Carina whispered.


    "Same old Carina," Alessandro growled as he found his release. "You better control those daughters of yours well or else I would have to take the matter in my hands."


    Carina swallowed. "I will do as you say."


    Alessandro hummed in reply. "Once Salvatore is married,I want you to prepare Persephone. By hook or by crook, I want her married to Nico by the end of this month."


    Carina nodded. "I will do as you say."


    "And tell Sophia to behave. After Persephone, she would marrying next."


    "Have you--"


    "I''m still looking for one for her."


    Forty five minutes later, when Don Marino was done with his little activity and his wife was making her appearance as she should, flawless, he uttered in his real voice which was as callous as anything could be. "If not for the fact your body keeps me sane, I would have long disposed you."


    Carina bowed her head as if she knew it would be his next spoken words.


    "Away from my sights, you unworthy woman."


    Carina pulled her already knee-length dress down and walked out of the room, with her head held high and her back straight, just like how every Marino woman should appear in public. Only when she entered her room and locked herself inside her bathroom, she left herself fall in the bathtub and cried until she had no tears left to cry.


    If not for Sophia or Persephone,she would have ended this painful life of hers.


    Salvatore was a male and favored by his father and the community but her daughters...they were weak against these privileged men.


    How she wished for both of the girls to find the men who would take them away from this unbearable life!


    Sometimes things are not as they appear. Take her and Alessandro''s relationship for example.


    ¡­.


    "Wait, Ginevra!" Ginevra heard a very familiar feminine voice calling her out but she didn''t stop in her footsteps. Marino residence brought out the worst memories of her. Thus, as soon as she is out of here, it would be better for her mental health.


    While ignoring the voice calling out for her, Ginevra didn''t understand when she began stepping in the wrong direction. It wasn''t the wrong direction but the way to a wing that was subconsciously itched in every fiber of her being.


    Even without inferring, her feet were carrying her to where Lucien''s room used to be. As the prior heir, he was entitled to the whole wing instead of a single room. But after his death, Salvatore refused to take over the wing and was now living on the newly built courtyard on the east side of the vast property.


    "Ginevra! Stop right there!" Emma said while panicking. Did she not know where she was running?!


    Although the wing wasn''t abandoned after Lucien''s death, no one still lived there. It was used for several different purposes now.


    Emma wasn''t asking her to stop because she wanted to talk to her but because she was going to the forbidden zone.


    If someone found them walking to Lucien''s wing, consequences would be grave.


    When Emma finally catches up with Ginevra''s speed, she grabbed her wrist and impelled her to glance at her.


    "Where the hell were you going?" Emma shouted at her. She no longer resembled the meek woman sitting beside Salvatore on the dining table. This woman was angry and could raise her voice without troubling her vocal cords it seemed.


    It was true that Emma want a meek woman as she appeared to be. But for her survival, she had to pretend to be one. Sure she was soft spoken but meek? Nah.


    Ginevra glanced around her and found her in the middle of Lucien''s wing of the mansion. Ignoring the tightening of her heart, she pretended to look nonchalant and cool as if nothing in this world could hurt her.


    Leaning against the wall and crossing her arms languidly on her chest, she asked Emma with a smirk. "Why? Suddenly feeling guilty?"


    "What have I done to be guilty about?" Emma furrowed her brows while asking. Suddenly, she had a feeling where this conversation would be taking course.


    Ginevra scoffed. "What have you not, Emma?"


    She has always treated Emma as one of her biggest enemies. Perhaps, she was right too.


    Emma sighed and softly gazed at her. "Ginevra, why are you being a bitch when both of us know that you are not one? Can you please tell me why you hate me so much? What have I done to make you hate me so much?"


    "Emma, you made an enemy out of me the day you betrayed him," Ginevra whispered as her gaze rested on one particular door down the hall.


    If she could she would have killed this traitor a long time ago. People like her didn''t deserve to live.. Then again, death was too little of a punishment for them.

 Chapter 105 - Lucian Marino

    "Emma, you made an enemy out of me the day you betrayed him," Ginevra whispered as her gaze rested on one particular door down the hall.


    If she could, she would have killed this traitor a long time ago. People like her didn''t deserve to live. Then again, death was too little of a punishment for them.


    Emma''s face trembled as her gaze followed Ginevra''s. In a trembling voice, she said, "I-i I didn''t betray Lu¡­"


    It was as if her conscience didn''t allow her to call out his name. Probably, she was too guilty to even call out his name.


    "I didn''t, Ginevra," Emma said, tears making their way down her cheeks.


    Ginevra just sneered at her. "You know why I didn''t kill you with my own hands?"


    Emma just looked at her with painful expressions. She now knew why she deserved all the misfortunes that had befallen her.


    Continuing Ginevra said, "Because death is too easy a punishment for you. Seeing you dying every moment wallowing in guilt is giving just another kind of solace to me. You know the kind of solace that you can''t describe in words."


    "I''m more sorry than you can ever imagine, "Emma whispered, clutching her dress in her fist. "Even though my regret and remorse can''t bring him back yet I can''t do anything but beg for his forgiveness."


    "Are you even worthy of his forgiveness?" Ginevra sneered. "You are the villain who destroyed not just him but a happy family of four too. The Palmero''s. Never forget them, Emma. Lucien may not be back to collect what you owed him but the Palmero girl, Lucien lost his life for, would one day come back to claim what you owe her. Maybe that day, your life wouldn''t be enough to repay the debt."


    "I''m not the villain," Emma sobbed while falling to the ground. "I''m not the villain of anyone''s story. I did nothing wrong."


    "And one more thing Emma," Ginevra said while turning back before leaving. "Happy marriage with the man who you no longer love and who would also never stand up for his woman like a real man. You both deserve each other. May you have a hellish life with the fucker."


    ¡­


    On the other hand, Persephone was aware when Carina had opened the door to her room. She was awake when she had tenderly caressed her face before leaving.


    This stepmother of hers was giving her damn creepy vibes these days. And what''s with her showing her love all the time?!


    [Oh please, don''t say she has changed for the better. I, Persephone, would never believe that a stepmother could ever love her stepchildren like her own.]


    [Probably, she is showing off her loving mama act to my papa.]


    [Why must my papa be stuck with such a woman?]


    [Suddenly, I miss my mama.]


    After a few minutes when Carina had left her room, Persephone quietly left her room too.


    Wearing the cardigan over her thin top, she left her room. Unconsciously, she was walking to no particular destination. She didn''t know why but she was feeling too empty. This emptiness inside of her had no name. This restlessness and the void inside her heart were inexpressible.


    What she was feeling right now was more like she had lost herself. She found herself alone even in her big family. She had friends and family who would give life for her yet she had no one to call her own.


    [Why do I feel like I have lost the most precious thing to me?]


    Her clutch on her sapphire necklace tightened as she asked herself this question.


    Again, when she touched her cheek, she found herself quietly whimpering.


    Even though she was crying while walking to no destination, she had no idea why and for what she was shedding these tears?


    [What''s wrong with me?]


    ...


    It was Emma and Salvatore''s wedding day. Just like every bride, Emma was nervous about her special day. She had waited eight years for this day and now that it had finally come then why couldn''t she be as happy as she had initially thought?


    Looking at the beautiful bride in the mirror, all she felt was troubling emptiness.


    Shouldn''t she be shouting with excitement and dancing with enthusiasm now that she is getting married to the person she always wanted to?


    What crimes had she not committed to getting him?


    And what price she not paid to get him?


    Now, that she was getting him, shouldn''t she be overwhelmed with happiness?


    Shouldn''t she weave tales as to how she would be leading her blissful married life?


    She should do all these things, right?!


    But why all she felt right now was just emptiness and a dire urge to cry?


    "My daughter looks so pretty!" Emily said, wiping her tears. As the mother of the bride, she couldn''t express her happiness in words. Her daughter was marrying the only worthy man in this world and so how could she not be happy beyond words today?


    Moreover, her daughter would have the highest status among her peers and their parents in their community! She would be the wife of the heir to one of the biggest mafia of New York.


    Seeing her mother wiping her tears, even Emma teared up. Emily leaned down and kissed her forehead tenderly. "My daughter is the world''s most beautiful bride."


    Why couldn''t she feel the beauty of this beautiful attire?


    "Thank you, mama," Emma whispered as her gaze rested on her reflection in the mirror. Her delicate face was Barbie beautiful, her long blond hair was tied in a bun and a tiara was placed on her head to complete the hairstyle.


    By all means, she was looking like a Barbie princess, the kind of Princess any girl could trade their most treasured fortune to attain it. But she was tired of this face. She was tired of hearing how she had wasted a pretty face. However, as long as she married Salvatore, everything would be alright. Her mama told her this.


    "Emma darling, you must become a good wife to Salvatore," Emily then reminded her. "He is a man of immense power and if you want to keep your position as his wife stable, you must do things according to his liking."


    Man of immense power? Wasn''t it Don Marino? Wasn''t Salvatore dubbed as someone whose glory came with his father''s name? He had nothing of his own, not even his achievements. In all terms, he was a true pretty prince.


    It wasn''t Lucien who was a pretty prince but Salvatore in reality.


    "Mama?" Emma looked surprised. "What did you mean by stable?


    Emily sighed as if she couldn''t believe it was her daughter. " Although he is marrying you, it doesn''t mean he will stop taking mistresses. Our men do a lot of work that is out of our understanding. Even if we don''t want to, they would always go for goomahs. Salvatore would be the same, honey. You have to learn how to be a perfect wife from Carina if you want to be Salvatore''s wife till your last breath."


    Emma could just look at her at this moment as she didn''t know what to say in reply.


    This woman in front of her was her mother. The same mother who brought her to this world with great pain only to be thrown into another.


    This work was asking her to live peacefully with her husband''s mistresses. She, as the legal wife, must not stoop to the level of lowly mistresses, to gain the affection of her husband, was this what her mom was saying?


    "I will be right back," Emily said as she saw her husband''s message on her phone."Your dad and I will come to take you to the aisle in a few minutes. Until then, make yourself ready."


    Emma just nodded her head. Her mind was in shambles right now.


    Closing her eyes, she didn''t know when and how she fell asleep. Last night, due to distress, she could just toss and turn on the bed. Sleep was the last thought on her mind. Maybe that''s why her tired body couldn''t take it anymore and collapse on the chair she was sitting on.


    "Emmaline?" Emma heard a familiar voice calling her name.


    ''Emmeline.''


    No one had ever called her Emmaline except for one person.


    And that person was no longer in this world.


    But how could she hear him right now?


    Looking ahead, she found him leaning against the doorframe.


    His thin and lanky body was just as tall as the door frame. Even though he is just a teenage boy, he has grown taller than his papa. And did she mention how beautiful he is?


    No wonder, everyone calls him a pretty prince. Despite knowing what this boy is capable of doing, they refuse to acknowledge his talents and powers.


    His emerald green eyes were as nonchalant as ever. The silly smile hanging on his lips was nothing but a facade to hide the savagery that this boy was capable of inflicting and she knew it better than anyone.. Despite the air of barbarity surrounding him, the bright halo on his head wasn''t ignored.

 Chapter 106 - What Do I Do, Lucien?

    It wouldn''t be wrong to say that this beautiful boy was the most gorgeous human she has ever laid her eyes on. His heart was just as beautiful as his face, perhaps, even more than it.


    However, no one would say that. They didn''t know this side of him.


    His emerald green eyes were as nonchalant as ever. The silly smile hanging on his lips was nothing but a facade to hide the savagery that this boy was capable of inflicting and she knew it better than anyone. Despite the air of barbarity surrounding him, the bright halo on his head wasn''t ignored.


    "I told you Emmaline that one day you will make a beautiful bride," He said, that million dollars smiling face gazing at her. Even his smile was the same, heartbreaking yet soothing.


    "Lucien," Emma whispered while breaking out in sobs.


    Her quiet sobs echoed inside the room but she had no intention of stopping. At least, not today. Never had she ever admitted that she had done something wrong to be punished for. But today, seeing Lucien standing before him, all the phony confidence shattered, and the tales of bravery that she had weaved, disappeared into the thin air.


    She was nothing but a shell of lies and fantasies. There was nothing real about her, not even her innocence. She had long lost her innocence too.


    "I''m sorry," Emma begged for his forgiveness while falling on his feet. Today, she would beg for his forgiveness. So, she might be able to atone for her sins. "I''m sorry. I''m sorry. I am so sorry. Please forgive me. Please¡­"


    Lucien sighed as he pulled her gently by her shoulders. "Why are you crying? A beautiful bride like you shouldn''t cry."


    He sighed as if she was crazy enough to cry.


    "I''m not your bride, Lucien," Emma sobbed. Ginevra''s words were ringing in her head. They would never let her forget him.


    Lucien just nonchalantly looked at her. He still was as unserious as ever. But it was all a facade. "I never said you are my beautiful bride. You were never meant to be, Emmaline. I just hope that whoever is marrying you can give you the happiness you truly deserve. You are meant to be cherished. So, don''t settle for anything less than it."


    "How can you say those words to the woman who caused your death?" Emmaline whispered, her brown eyes staring deep at him, wishing to take a peek at his soul. Just what kind of man he is that he didn''t even think twice before sacrificing his life for the enemy''s kid?


    Lucien sighed once again. She must have vexed him too much. "Were you the one who shot me? Were you the one who stabbed me to death?"


    Emmaline shook her head. "If I hadn''t¡­"


    "Shh!" Lucien asked her to keep quiet. "You didn''t kill me. They killed me. My own blood killed me, Emmaline. You didn''t."


    "What do I do Lucien?" Emmaline whispered. "Every time I breathe, I remember how much of a villainess I am in reality. How I caused the death of many people. How things could have been different if I had gotten over that silly teenage crush or if I had understood what was right and what was wrong for me."


    "Does he not make you happy now?" Lucien asked, referring to Salvatore.


    "I''m not enough for him to stand up for me," Emmaline whispered. "I''m not enough for him to wait until marriage¡­ he says as long as we are not married...he can sleep with anyone he wishes¡­ It wasn''t the life I had wished for."


    "But you are getting married now," Lucien reminded her. "He will now abide by marital vows,won''t he?"


    Emmaline blinked her eyes, knowing how to answer. Would he abide by the vows once they got married?


    Every time, she would express her desire to meet him. He would avoid meeting her by saying how busy he was. Or his papa had told him to do something for him or something else.


    She knew he was lying. The sweet scent on his body which wasn''t his was the proof that he had a colorful time somewhere. He has told her before that he was sleeping with someone else and she couldn''t do anything about it as they weren''t married and she couldn''t sleep with him. So, he would spend all his time with whores and those escorts that even her father takes pleasure in when he was bored by her mom.


    Goomahs are just inevitable. She would never get a man who would not seek pleasure elsewhere too. Yet, only she could sire the legal heirs. But was it enough? Her mom might be happy with this arrangement, but was she?


    "I don''t know," Emmaline honestly answered.


    "You don''t trust him," Lucien said. "Why are you here for the man you don''t trust? Why are you desperate to jump into this abyss of a marriage? Don''t you think you deserve happiness too?"


    "I too deserve happiness?" Emmaline asked in hesitation.


    Does she?


    Truthfully, she didn''t know.


    Like Ginevra said, shouldn''t she be tormented every moment?


    "That depends on you," Lucien replied to her with a smile.


    Before Emmaline could say or ask anything, she heard another voice calling for her.


    "Emma?!"


    "Emma?!


    Emma opened her eyes to find a worried Persephone looking at her.


    "Are you fine?" Persephone questioned the girl as soon as she opened her eyes.


    Emma could just nod. She found her sitting on the same chair where her mom left her.


    "You were calling for someone in your sleep," Persephone informed her before Emma could ask.


    ''Oh, so it was a dream.''


    "Who is Lucien, Emma?" Persephone asked her next. When she entered the bridal room, she found Emma asleep on the chair. She was about to wake her up as it was time but when she saw Emma calling out for someone named Lucien in sleep in such a painful expression, she felt as if life had left her body. She didn''t know why but hearing the name Lucien was tightening her heart painfully.


    It was as if she was very familiar with this name but at the same time, she didn''t know who it was. Weird, right?


    "You don''t know?" Emma looked at Persephone in shock. She had heard from Salvatore that Persephone had muddled up memories since the time they found her yet she couldn''t believe that of all the people, Persephone forgot Lucien. The same Lucien, she loved more than herself.


    Naturally, Persephone shook her head.


    Before Emma could say anything, the door to the bridal room opened once again, and in came a person, no one had imagined would come.


    Isabelle Scuderi or soon to be Isabelle Moore or Isabelle Kingsley.


    Isabelle was dressed in a conservative knee-length, black-colored dress. Her face devoid of make-up. The girl who would always appear in bold makeup from the 90s was standing in front of them and they found her more beautiful than ever. Her hair was covered with a black scarf. Not a single tendril of her hair was visible.


    "Isabelle?" Emma softly said her name. It was as if she was an illusion, not the real person.


    Isabelle gently smiled at her. "Congratulations." She then handed the box that her maid was carrying to Emma. "May you have a blissful married life with a loving husband and many bundles of joy."


    Perhaps, Isabelle didn''t know how true her wish was going to be.


    Hearing her words, Emma did not know what to say. She stared at her and then sighed.


    Before she could utter another word, Persephone smirked, "Both of us know your good wishes would end up in vain, Belle, given the type of husband Salvatore is gonna be. As for bundles of joy, since when did Marinos start treating their children as children rather than heirs or bargaining chips?"


    To say Isabelle was shocked by Persephone''s change of tone would be an understatement. Never had she ever fathomed that one day, the sweet Percy would say something like that.


    Wasn''t she always sweet to speak to?


    When did she change so much?


    Perhaps, her kidnapping was for the better¡­


    Yeah, yeah only Isabelle could think like that.


    Choosing to ignore Persephone''s comment, Emma thanked Isabelle for the gift. She then asked, "Are you not attending the wedding?"


    Isabelle softly shook her head. "It''s not auspicious for a widow like me to attend your wedding when my husband hadn''t been passed away for even a month now."


    Emma nodded as if she understood what she was saying.


    When Persephone had to leave the room as someone was calling for her, Isabelle asked, "Are you happy, Em?"


    "What if I am not?" Emma cross questioned her.


    "Then, you get to break this stupid arrangement and never come back to this life," Isabelle simply said.


    "I''m not like you, Isabelle," Emma said.


    "Shameless like me?" Isabelle asked.


    Emma shook her head. "Brave and talented. I don''t even know if I could survive leaving my gilded cage."


    "How would you know if you never tried?" Isabelle raised her brow.


    Soon, Isabelle left too, leaving Emma with more doubts than possible.


    ¡­...

 Chapter 107 - Creepy Nico

    "Percy!"


    Persephone looked back to find Nico leaning against the wall. When she was initially inside the bridal room, a maid came to inform her that someone was calling for her outside. Thinking it was her father, she quickly came out.


    However, all of her good mood spoiled when she found Nico waiting for her there.


    So, much for ignoring the man.


    "You have been trying to ignore me,"Nico said when he saw that Persephone had no intention of breaking the silence. He stared at her for a long time and then sighed realizing how much she has changed in the whole month. She was no longer the sweet and submissive Persephone Marino he knew. The woman in front of him was indifferent and unconcerned.


    It wasn''t like he didn''t like this side of Persephone. It was just that he could not accept why she has changed so much.


    He couldn''t forgive himself for failing to protect one person that he had vowed to protect even at the cost of his life.


    Then, again when had a man ever been able to do what he had vowed or he wanted?


    Fate had a habit of surprising everyone at one point of time.


    However, he still couldn''t understand how that time is only when no body had ever imagined something like that to happen.


    "Why are you ignoring me, Percy?" Nico asked, his usual indifferent facade cracking.To this day, he yet to have to understand why of all people she must dislike him when all he had were good intentions for her?


    Persephone just shrugged her shoulders indifferently as if she had nothing to do with this man.


    "I was not trying to ignore you, Nicolas. I succeed in ignoring you for a week. So,I guess it was wrong of you to say my success just a try."


    Hearing her sharp retort, Nico looked at her bewilderment. Could a kidnapping alter a person''s way of talking and behavior? Or even temperament?


    Behind Nico, Sophia, who was now standing behind a pillar, sucked in a mouthful of air. Although she loved her sister, she still didn''t dare to protect her from the monster hidden inside Nico if she kept on fiddling with her.


    When Carina asked Sophia to visit Emma once to check if she needed something, she came across this scene. She wanted to go ahead but thinking how Nico would bitch later that she spoiled his meeting with his fiance, she hid behind the pillar to give both of them privacy. However, she couldn''t stop herself from wanting to hear their talk.


    Again, she was not eavesdropping. They just were talking so loudly. And she just couldn''t close her ears, could she?


    She was happy with stolen moments if she couldn''t have him. What a weird situation Sophia was in?!


    The feelings she had for this man who was about to become her brother-in-law were wrong and she knew it. Yet, she couldn''t stop the heat from spreading her body whenever he was in her proximity.


    How good would it be if he shared the same feelings like her?


    If he shared the same feelings as her, neither she nor her sister had to suffer. All of their sufferings began with this certain man.


    "Can I ask why were you ignoring me?" Nicolas asked her calmly.


    No, her unusual attitude didn''t anger him. Instead, he was happy that she wouldn''t let anyone trample on her. The girl was growing the spine and he was more than happy to find it.


    Truth be told, Persephone was always brave and fearless. It was just that she found hiding her real self under the facade of submissive and sweet daughter to protect herself. She didn''t want to be odd one by being different for she wanted to win this difficult game call survival.


    What a pity that Nico never truly understood her in the way Santiago did. And that too in a first glance.


    "Because you are creepy as hell, Nico," replied Persephone.


    The temperature of the surrounding dropped by several degrees abruptly. The hidden guards cried in their heart along with Sophia as they turned their eye to glare at the person who would be responsible for her own death.


    So, what if she was his fiance?!


    They knew it better than anyone what kind of temper Nicolas Scuderi possessed?!


    He was the epitome of iceberg. He could just lift his finger and kill the person who would dare to talk back to him.


    "Percy," Nico sighed. "What makes you think that? I''m just trying to take care of you."


    Ah, that treatment was not for Persephone, it seemed.


    Persephone''s nose flared in madness. "Take care of me? Come on, Nico. No one take cares of anyone by forcing marriage on them. You have been nothing but creepy fiance to me since the beginning. I have been begging you to break this engagement but everytime you would come with one or the other excuse. Can''t you see that I don''t want to marry you? Hell, I don''t want to marry any of the mafia asshole. I have enough of them."


    Taking deep breaths to calm herself down, she continued,"Go marry, Sophia. She likes you and I am sure you both will be the ideal couple. Leave me the hell alone."


    "Wait! Percy!" Nicolas tried to stop her but the angry little woman was gone from his sight.


    Sophia came out of hiding when she saw Persephone angrily marching towards her room.


    "You made her angry once again," She accused him.


    Nico turned to find another Marino woman who was always keen on infuriating him. Even he wondered why she would always pick a fight with him despite the fact she shivered in his presence.


    "What does it have to do with you?" Nico''s dangerous voice vibrated in her ear and she found herself drawn to him like a moth to flame.


    She couldn''t understand why her heart was insistent on having the man so dangerous?


    She must have gone insane or else what could be the reason for such foolishness?


    "Of course, it have nothing to do with me," Sophia tried to act nonchalantly but shivered when he took a step in her direction. She gulped and her hold on her peach colored bridesmaid''s dress tightened.


    Nico was now standing just an inch away from her. Her lips would touch his neck if he moved any further. Although she was petite too, she still was a bit taller than her elder sister.


    With wide eyes, Sophia saw Nico''s warm index finger touching the corner of her eye.


    He frowned when he saw a layer of something black accumulated on the corner of her eye.


    Sophia was left speechless when he wiped the smudged kohl from the corner of her eye.


    "So, careless," Nico mumbled while moving away, leaving the dumbfounded Sophia behind.


    Soon Sophia''s dumbfounded expression turned to that of a woman red with embarrassment. She couldn''t believe what he just did.


    He touched her?


    Touching the place where he touched her, Sophia kissed the tips of her finger.


    "I''m officially screwed," She murmured while going away, completely forgetting what her mom had asked her to do.


    ¡­


    ''Emma dear, prepare yourself. We will be leaving in five minutes.'' Her mother''s words rang in her head.


    ''You don''t trust him'' Another voice rang in her head. ''Why are you here for the man you don''t trust? Why are you desperate to jump into this abyss of a marriage? Don''t you think you deserve happiness too?''


    ''How would you know if you never tried?''


    Looking at herself in the mirror for one last time, Emma bent down and unbuckled the strap of her heel. Tossing the heels on one side, she picked up box that Isabelle had given her and found something that she would very much like this time.


    ''Sports shoes.''


    Once she had worn the shoes, she locked the door from inside before heading to washroom.


    ''I''m sorry, mama. Papa. But I can''t do this. I can''t marry someone who is not good for me or for who I will never be good enough.''


    And just like this, Emmaline Costas dumped her finance on the altar.


    ¡­


    "When will be the next flight leaving?" The woman looked up when a soft feminine voice entered her ears. Her eyes wide open when she found a woman dressed in wedding gown panting and looking at her in fear and¡­.anxiety.


    "In ten minutes," she found herself replying.


    "Can I buy the ticket?" The runaway bride asked.


    The woman nodded her head. "Just a moment, ma''am."


    With in the next few minutes, Emma brought the ticket of the next scheduled plane and was ushered by the security inside as the plans would be leaving soon.


    When she was seated on her seat, she murmured,"Las Vegas it is."


    ¡­


    What surprises or dare I say shocks Las Vegas will be bringing for Emma?


    ....


    Grins! Big surprise or shock or whatever you prefer to call it, awaiting for you all in the next few chapters. ????

 Chapter 108 - Eloped?

    [Back at the Church...]


    When Emily and her husband returned to the room, he found that his daughter wasn''t present in the room. Thinking that she might be in the washroom, he asked his wife, Emily to hurry up and call their daughter out as it was time and Salvatore was waiting for her on the aisle. According to them, making Salvatore wait for the bride wasn''t a good thing.


    However, Emily stood rooted in her place when she saw the heels that she had specially chosen for her daughter matching with the wedding dress, placed under the chair. There was a premonition that was going to be proven true.


    Her gaze hardened as she found the door to the washroom wide open.


    Near the abandoned heels was a box that she had seen Isabelle''s maid carrying.


    She now just knew what had happened but her heart wasn''t ready to admit it.


    "What happened?" Richard furrowed his brows. He didn''t know why but her wife looked...extremely tense. And what was this weird feeling in his gut warning him about the unforeseen circumstances?


    "Emma---" Emily couldn''t find the right words to utter at this time.


    It couldn''t be right?


    What she was thinking wasn''t right?


    She couldn''t believe that her daughter¡­


    No. No. No. She would be in the washroom.


    Where else would we go?


    They were talking about Emma here. Her spineless and dumb daughter. She wouldn''t take such a step impulsively.


    "Emily, I asked what on earth is happening?" Richard Costas asked when he saw his wife trembling and muttering something under her breath.


    Why was his wife behaving so abnormally?


    "This room. This room is jinxed, " Emily muttered in anger. Her eyes glossy with tears of frustration, anger and shame.


    To her, this particular bridal room was jinxed. Last time when Persephone was in this room, she was kidnapped and this time, her daughter¡­


    "Can you speak normally for once, Emily?" Richard looked at her face and a trace of annoyance flashed on his face, "What room is jinxed and what do you mean by that?"


    "Richard," Emily called out his name in a low voice. Her body trembling, still thinking what consequences they might have to face. "Our daughter¡­"


    "Our daughter what?" Richard was now experiencing a restlessness in his heart. He had a feeling that something wasn''t right. And judging from the look on her face, it was crystal clear that it had something to do with their daughter. "Will you tell me clearly that the heck is going on?"


    "Richard...our daughter¡­.she eloped."


    ¡­


    Currently, Persephone was sitting on the chair beside Ginevra and Sophia. As tense the surrounding was, she still had the time to joke about how cool the bride was by abandoning his extremely vain half-brother on the aisle.


    Well, it wasn''t everyday when a gutsy woman would abandon cocky as hell Marinos?!


    Salavatore was one arrogant prick and left him on the altar¡­.


    It was just a wow situation for Persephone.


    Salvatore''s face was a sight to behold right now. His dark expressions, clenched fists and menacing eyes were looking for the person who helped his almost wife to elope.


    Ah, where is the popcorn? Such a movie scene and she couldn''t even enjoy it right?


    How sad. She pouted her lips.


    Beside her, Ginevra was calm as a spring water but it was Sophia who was seething like lava. Ah, which sister would be pleased to know that her brother was abandoned by a girl on the aisle?


    And especially when that man was Salavtore Marino. The cockiest and the most vain bastard to ever exist on the plains of this earth.


    How cute. She clapped her hand in delight in her head since she couldn''t do it in front of everyone.


    The proud Emily had her head hung low as she was sitting on the table, with her hand supporting her head. Carina was sitting beside her, her lips pressed in a thin line.


    Ah, poor stepmomma. Aww, dear momma, your dumb son is left by an ever dumber woman who seemed to have grown brain overnight.


    "Don Marino, we couldn''t find her," A soldier said as he came running inside the wedding hall."We checked every nook and corner of the property but couldn''t find a single trace of her disappearance."


    [Dumbo, one doesn''t run away to leave traces behind!]


    "You idiot! How can you not find her?! How could she disappear in mere minutes?!" Emily shouted. Ever since she had realized that her daughter had eloped from the wedding, she had lost all of her senses. Although she knew the truth, she still refused to accept it."They took my daughter too! They took her too!"


    "Who took her?" Persephone turned her head to look at Ginevra with furrowed brows.


    She had heard people talking about someone unfortunate who was stolen from her own wedding. She couldn''t even fathom the torment that the poor girl might have to go through. However, she still doesn''t know who the unfortunate girl was.


    Ginevra caressed her head and smiled,"No one. Emily doesn''t know what she is saying."


    She would have believed Ginevra if Sophia had not given her that consoling smile.


    Her smile was fishy when there were no fishes in the pond.


    "Mrs. Costas, there was no sign of an ambush," one of the soldiers said. His words cleared all the doubts in the mind of the family members.


    Now they understood that Emma had run away because she decided that she didn''t love Salvatore anymore and didn''t want to be trapped in a loveless marriage.


    Emily looked at her husband with the look that was saying to speak but the man, who had just aged twice in mere minutes, just stood there with pained eyes and lowered head.


    His daughter didn''t even leave him to raise his head in the community.


    She destroyed the honor of his family.


    If he ever found her, he would snap her neck and toss her body in Hudson.


    "Richard! Please say something." Now Emily was a sobbing mess.


    Persephone heaved out a long suffering sigh as she glanced at the sobbing mother.


    Emma didn''t want Salvatore. End of story. What''s the point in blaming someone?


    As if Emily could hear Persephone breathing, her head turned in her direction and she pounced on her at the lightning speed. "You vile girl! You jinx! It''s happening because of you! You went to the room last! You must have filled her head with bullshit that you always utter! Or how else would my daughter have taken such a step?! Why is a dirty woman like you still alive?! you should have died in that hell! Why did you come to make us jinx like you own?!"


    Before Emily could hurt Persephone, a hand jerked Emily from her shoulder and she fell on the floor. When she looked up, she found Salavtore looking at her with those bloodthirsty eyes. His eyes resembled that of a demon.


    For a moment, she felt he wasn''t the man that his daughter was going to marry. Instead, he was someone else.


    Someone that she didn''t know.


    Salvatore, they knew, wasn''t capable of emitting this bloodlust.


    "You dare to touch my sister?!" Salvatore''s voice was chilling. "And what did you call her? Vile? Dirty? Do you dare to repeat those words?"


    Emily took a step back as she swallowed the words that she had on the tip of her tongue.


    "Can you not see that your daughter left her own wedding?" Salvatore''s words rendered her speechless. "If she didn''t want to marry me, can you force her? You have been putting pressure on her for years and today, her last bit of patience snapped. You pushed your daughter to take this step."


    In an angry blaze, Salvatore''s eyes looked more menacing than Don Marino''s. They couldn''t understand what triggered this effect on him. Could it be the embarrassment that a woman left him on the altar? Was that why he looked so chilling? After all, Salvatore was a proud man.


    Everyone had a bottom line and Salvatore too had one. His bottom line wasn''t hurting his ego or pride, but his siblings and mother much to people''s disbelief.


    "This is not true," Emily snapped. "She is my daughter. How could I do this to her?"


    How could Emily be responsible for this big step that her daughter had taken? No, it wasn''t her fault at all.


    But Salvatore ignored every word said by her and looked at his father. "Can I have a talk with you, papa?"


    Don Marino, who was eyeing his son for a long time now, narrowed his eyes at him but nodded in the end.


    This novel is a contracted work with W e b n o v e l. c o m (remove spaces). If you''re not reading ''The Villain '' on W e b n o v e l, it has been stolen. It''s very heartbreaking to see pirates profiting from my hard work.. Please support the original author,(tanu_sam).

 Chapter 109 - A Golden Angel

    It was almost evening when Emma had reached Las Vegas. Not letting herself linger in fear and insecurity as she now had very little money left with her and was not sure if she would even had a shelter above her head for the night. Her life in the glorious Costas residence was already a nightmare, what worse could happen in the streets?


    Still,wondering on the streets with no destination or plan didn''t help her either. Anyone who she would pass through would give her double glances and why wouldn''t they? One wouldn''t usually see a bride with tattered night eight thousand dollars wedding gown, dripping make up and messed up hair wandering in the middle of the deserted road.


    Thus, it was completely normal for everyone to look at her with those -- accusatory, curious and frowning gazes. If one were to ask her the truth, she would directly say that their gazes and murmurs didn''t affect her in a least. She had long learned to filter these voices.


    Even after without packing a single bag and with only just some money that she had been saving for years as her mind her once told her to, and her passport, she had sneaked out of the same church where she had dreamt million times about marrying the man she had once loved but didn''t anymore, when she was just a few minutes away from marrying the same man, she still thought about the same man and the other people she had left behind while wondering what would have happened if she would have stayed.


    However, she didn''t left herself linger in those ifs and buts for she had now taken a decision and would bear the consequences of her actions proudly all her life.


    Only a few minutes ago, she had asked what''s the worse thing that could happen to her, right?


    Look, what''s the worse that could happen!


    A few drunk men men stumbled in their muttering curses. Emma was naturally scared as she had never dealt with something like this. As brave as she may be appearing now, she is after all, merely a sheltered princess, who had never seen the brutalitiles that the world had to offer.


    "Ah,isn''t it a beauty?" A drunken man caught her arm. He would probably be in his mid forties and almost close to her father''s age. Never had she ever imagined that she would be harrased by someone her father''s age. But then again,she wasn''t this drunk man''s daughter and so he probably wouldn''t care about her age too."Come beauty...come home with me¡­"


    His slurs and his dirty touches were disgusting her as she tried to refuse his touches but he was too bulky and way bigger than her. So, she surely wasn''t able to fight him if he continued.


    "Leave me!!" She called out. Her eyes begged the passersby but none of them bothered to stop. For once she was forced to think if the world was this cruel?


    "How can I leave you when I just found you?" The drunken man murmured as he tried to grab her tiny waist this time. He wasn''t the only person trying to harras her. His comrades had now joined him too. They were laughing at her misery.


    Tears clouded her vision but she refused to let them trickle. Thinking of various ways to save herself, she was welcomed with nothing but helplessness. Hope bloomed in her heart when she noticed how drunk they were. As soon as she get a chance, she kicked his family''s jewel and ran away, obviously the stumbling drunk men following her. But the sober her was more fast than them.


    The other men accompanying the drunken bastard ran behind to catch her, leaving the groaning man behind. They couldn''t believe that the little bitch would run away from them. They licked their lips hungrily when they noticed her full breasts, tiny waist and miles long legs.


    If they get to fuck this Barbie doll, they would consider themselves lucky.


    Emma was running as fast as her legs could allow. Wiping her eyes, her wobbly legs took her towards the different route away from those malicious men. She refused to think about what torture she might have to experience if she get caught by them. Her father would shot her in the head if she went back fearing the tormenting situations that she might be facing moreover. Her mother, being proud woman, would never let her enter the household again, not that she was ever going back to that hell.


    She didn''t know how long she had run to this time. However her legs found rest when her wobbly legs stumbled on the pricky road. She suppressed a sob but her eyes widened when blinding car light entered her eyes and instinctively, the back of her hand was placed on her eyes to prevent the light from hurting her.


    The driver of the car abruptly pressed on the brakes making the car to get out of his control and the next moment, he knew his head had hit the steering wheel. Rubbing the unformed bump on his forehead, he gazed up to find something wrapped in white sprawled on the ground. He blinked his eyes when the figure in white finally looked up.


    Whiskey colored eyes met his first.


    The beautiful nose that seemed like to be carved out by a poet appeared next.


    And then he watched those glossy lips that would make him want to beg just to taste once.


    The goddess in white turned her head and the golden hair tied on her head cascaded down in a slow motion.


    He only had one word to describe the woman in front of him.


    A golden angel.


    The halo surrounding her glowed so brightly that the darkness inside of him felt paling.


    A rush of foreign emotions came running through him as his left beheld the golden angel sprawled on the ground. Never had Killian ever thought that the moment, he would step in America once again, would land him in such a situation. This woman was going to be his damnation and he could just feel it. If not, why would he, the unfeeling bastard, would be so consumed by her image?


    As Emma tried to stand up, Killian found her wincing in pain. As soon as her wince entered, he , without thinking for anything else, reacted to open the car door and help her stand up.


    "Are you fine?" Killian softly asked her. To this day, he wasn''t aware that he was capable of speaking in such voice.


    Emma turned her head to glare at him but was left speechless when she came across a Greek God on the middle of the road in Vegas. No, she wasn''t speechless but shocked. An extremely beautiful in the middle of desert?! Not, your everyday sight, right?


    "Are you fine?" The Greek God asked her once again. And she had to come back to Earth to reply him.


    "What do you think?" Emma glared at him as sanity hit her. "First of all you hit me with your stupid car and then you ask if I am alright?"


    Killian found him loss for words. It was true that he almost killed her by his car but it was not wrong to say that it was the woman''s fault. It was her who had appeared before his car out of sudden. If he wasn''t careful, his car would have surely hit her. Worse, she might have died before his car. And lord knew why he was hit by this uncomfortable feeling once again at the thought of her getting hurt.


    "Look,I''m sorry," Killian tried to be a bigger person. "If you want me to compensate, I will."


    Emma harrumped. "How will you compensate me?"


    [Shit, this wasn''t how I talk. What is this man doing to me?!]


    This time Emma abruptly stood up, ignoring the pain in her leg.Only when she stood up, Killian realized that this golden angel of his was a runaway bride.


    "However you want," Killian found himself replying.


    Emma thought how to get compensated. She had no shelter, no money and no food to survive. As much a she knew the power of her fiance and father, they would be looking for her all over the world.It wouldn''t be long before they found her. Although she hated to adopt such a mean, she must trap this man to survive.


    [God, forgive me. I will surely compensate this man once I will be free of this danger lurking around me.]


    Feigning herself deep in thought, Emma spoke shocking a certain darkhorse to the core. "Marry me."


    Killian stood rooted when he heard the bizarre words spoken this woman.


    "You are kidding?" Killian muttered.


    "No, I''m serious," Emma said. "You hit me with your car. I almost lost my life. Do you even know how traumatic that incident had left me? I want you to compensate me for the emotional and physical distress by marrying me."


    "You are crazy," Killian said while turning back. Did this woman think that he was a man easy to trap to?


    No way in hell¡­


    He would rather die than marry a runaway bride he found in the middle of the desert.


    She could go and marry anyone she wanted but not him.


    He had vowed to single for as long as he shall survive.


    And yes, this golden angel was nothing but a passerby in his life.


    And so, he was going to leave her right where he found her.


    This novel is a contracted work with W e b n o v e l. c o m (remove spaces). If you''re not reading ''The Villain '' on W e b n o v e l, it has been stolen. It''s very heartbreaking to see pirates profiting from my hard work. Please support the original author,(tanu_sam).


    This novel is a contracted work with W e b n o v e l. c o m (remove spaces). If you''re not reading ''The Villain '' on W e b n o v e l, it has been stolen. It''s very heartbreaking to see pirates profiting from my hard work.. Please support the original author,(tanu_sam).

 Chapter 110 - Just Married!

    Three hours later.


    Emma was lying on a hotel bed staring unblinkingly at the shiny ring which had now taken a spot on the ring finger of her left hand. Never had she ever imagined even in her most daring dreams that she would run away from her wedding only to get married to a man she just stumbled across once.


    To this day, the most daring act she had ever done was lying to her mom that she had a stomach ache and so she shouldn''t send her to school. And this too was decades ago. Not, recently.


    The door to the washroom opened and entered unarguably the most gorgeous specimen she had ever laid her eyes on.


    One would say she was exaggerating when she said that this man, who now also happened to be her husband, was the most gorgeous human specimen she had ever encountered. However, she would swear on her life that it wasn''t the case. His eyes which were the color of molten chocolates was capable of drowning anything or anyone in them. His nose that stood high and proud as his posture was telling tales of his brave and proud temperament. High cheekbones and chiseled jaw that could make any celebrity envious appeared feral on him. Lips that spout poisonous honey could tempt any nun to taste them for once as if promising them heaven.


    A towel was draped around his lower body but it didn''t stop Emma from eyeing his muscular body. Although he was muscular everywhere, he still was not bulky. He was tall and his athletic body was impressive. At least to her and she didn''t know about anyone else. Suddenly, the thought that any other woman would find his body impressive unsettled her. No, she hadn''t fallen for him at the first glance. It was just the feeling that this man now legally belonged to her and none of them must cheat on each other for however long they would be with each other.


    "Like what you see?" Killian evilly grinned at her. He appeared nonchalant, kinda devilish, and all playful, which was completely different from his normal behavior. No, he didn''t always look cold and unapproachable like Santiago. He was naturally apathetic and would talk very less compared to other dark horses.


    Emma gulped when she noticed his devilish expressions. Why did she was feeling as if it was her who was the trapped sacrificial lamb here not the other way around?


    It was for the better that Emma didn''t know the truth of their marriage. She has been feeling guilty as she was thinking of how she spoiled his happy life by trapping him in this marriage. However, if she were to know that it was Killian who gave her no choice of return, she would probably be left with nothing but to cry.


    "You -you...what are you doing here?" Emma questioned as he sat on the edge of the bed. She didn''t even realize when he approached the bed. The man''s footsteps were even lighter than a feather. He looked completely like a white-collar employee and after asking him, she got to know that he indeed was one white-collared employee. However, sometimes his aura gave her mixed signal which was probably due to her overthinking she believed. No one better than her knew what bad boys or mafiosos looked and felt like. And her husband was surely not one of them.


    "What am I going in our bed, wife?" The word wife rolled off his tongue like velvet. He would let her think for now that she was the boss in their marriage. But soon she would know how were the real boss and the exact truth of their sudden marriage.


    Three hours ago, when this gorgeously crazy and brave woman proposed marriage to him, he had refused straight away. What idiot would be willing to marry a woman that his car was about to hit? Although his aching dick was pleading him to say yes his ever-sharp mind chided his dick and refused to wed this chick.


    However, another hour later, when he got complete information on her from his men, he didn''t take a second before saying yes.


    Emmaline Costas. Oops, Emmaline Palmero now. Runaway bride of Salvatore Marino and now legal wife of Killian Palmero was lying on his bed in nothing but a silky night robe.


    Did he care if Marinos would come after him?


    No fucking way.


    In fact, he wanted them to come for him.


    This woman wasn''t Emmeline Costas anymore. She was Emmeline Palemrk now. She had his ring on her finger and soon or probably a little later, his kids in her belly. Soon, she would learn what it meant to marry a man like Killian Palmero. He just hoped that she wouldn''t regret her decision because not even she could stop him from unloading a bullet in her father''s and ex-fiance''s head.


    "We never said anything about sleeping together," Emma stuttered.


    Killian looked up when her voice brought him out from his thoughts.


    "Of course, we never said,'''' Killian said as he shamelessly laid beside her. This shamelessness was foreign to him. Santiago was right, he shouldn''t spend much time with Nash. His vices were contagious as Callum had once said.


    Killian shut his eyes as his mind wandered to that foreign land once again. No, he wouldn''t think about them ever again. And suddenly, the incidents of weeks ago came running, reminding him of the painful past and making him tremble with ache. The brotherhood ''darkhorses'' no longer existed. He was now alone in this big world.


    Understanding what he was saying, Emma locked her mouth. Turning her gaze at him, she said, "Killian, although I was brave enough to ask you to marry me, I still can''t just sleep with you. I need time¡­"


    Emma married him not because it was love at first sight for her or something even close to that. It was just her way of protecting herself. She knew as long as she was married to another man, Salvatore or someone else wouldn''t touch her.


    But if she was not married, she was certain that she would get dragged by her father and be forced to marry the man she left on the aisle. Just like Ginevra, she was safe now. Ginevra, Nico''s sister, had married another man to save herself from the marriage that her parents were about to arrange for her. However, she beat her father at his own game by bringing another man home and marrying him against his wishes.


    In the same way, Killian was Emma''s shield for now. As long as he cooperated, she would do everything in her power to become a good wife to him except sleeping with him. She just couldn''t bring herself to sleep with him. Intimacy with this man, who was her lawfully wedded husband was still a big no-no for her.


    When Emma noticed that the expressions on his face were disoriented, she asked him in a soft voice while wiping the creases on his forehead, "Are you alright, Killian?"


    Killian glanced at her in a puzzling gaze. What an irony the daughter of the man who had fucked his father was wiping the creases on his forehead and asking if he was alright?! If it wasn''t fate, then what the bloody hell was it?


    Richard Costas was the main reason why he lost everything in the first place but he was not an asshole who would blame the enemy''s daughter , saying it was Emma''s fault when his own father wasn''t a Saint to begin with. However, he does blame everyone including Emma for being the reason why his sister had to stay a lot away from him. Hell, he didn''t even know until recently that his Alicia was alive.


    "I''m fine, Emma," replied Killian. "It''s just that the events of today have taken a toll on me."


    "I''m sorry for troubling you," Emma said in a small voice, hoping he didn''t hear her but who was he if he didn''t know what was going inside her? He was Killian, the ever observer.


    "Well, we were we?" Killian asked her. He behaved as if the sad man from before was the mirage that Emma had seen.


    "Umm...I am not ready to sleep with you," Emma said.


    "I''m sleeping right beside you," Killian said adamantly. "Don''t worry I won''t do anything other than lying here."


    Emma heaved out a sigh of relief. "Thank you."


    Initially, she thought he wouldn''t listen to her opinion and would...


    "And Emma, I never force any woman to fuck me."As if he could hear what her tiny brain was thinking, he said out loud.


    His words were dirty for someone like Emma who had never heard words like these in her whole life that she had spent inside her house, but at this moment even she couldn''t help the shudder that she felt when she heard him talking dirty to her.


    The good girl inside of her craved the dirty man hiding beneath the layer of this sophisticated man.

 Chapter 111 - Husband For Sophia

    [At the same time at Marino Mansion. ]


    Isabelle looked at her new room with a troubled expression. Her eyes were showing emptiness along with exhaustion, the kind of exhaustion that wasn''t physically alone. With a heavy heart, she sighed and stepped ahead.


    She tugged at the black scarf wrapping her hair and her jet black hair cascaded down. She then tossed the same scarf on the floor.


    "Where are you going?" She paused in her footsteps when she heard the voice of her husband. Oh, yeah did she mention she just got herself a new husband? Was escaping from one not enough that she found herself one more?


    Isabelle turned around to find the unemotional bastard staring at her as if looking at her soul and trying to read her out. Never has she ever been intimidated by anyone''s gaze before until him.


    "Where would I be going?" Isabelle fired back in a resigned tone."Didn''t I marry you now? You are keeping me, hostage, here. What else do you even want now?!"


    Although Isabelle was forced to marry Salvatore Marino for numerous reasons, she still refused to believe that there wouldn''t be more chances that she would find in the future to get rid of him. Yet, she didn''t let him feel what she was thinking right now.


    Salvatore just coldly glanced at him. "Don''t you think you can escape easily, Isabelle."


    Isabelle sighed. "Will you tell me now why you bestowed, I, Isabelle Scuderi, the honour of being a married woman once again? I don''t think I deserve the title of Mrs Marino."


    Only Isabelle knew what kind of situation she was stuck in. This man who she had married was the half brother of her cousin, Persephone. Even though Persephone didn''t know how she and Isabelle were related, she did and that too very clearly.


    Imagine her awkwardness being married to her cousin''s brother!


    Now, you can imagine her awkwardness.


    "You are right," Salvatore replied, without bothering to look at her. "You don''t deserve the title."


    "You¡­"Isabelle was rendered speechless. Nobody has ever insulted her like that again.


    Before she could muster up more words, she heard him saying," I hope you will behave, Isabelle. But if you don''t, I have ways to make you. So, don''t test my patience."


    With this said, he was gone from her vision.


    Salvatore''s phone rang as she exited his bedroom.


    "What?!" He barked.


    "We found her." The person on the other side said.


    "Where?" His eyes turned sharp.


    "Las Vegas. In a hotel room. Apparently, she married another man," the person on the other side said. "Could it be that she always has an affair behind your back?"


    "Do I look like I care about this?" He barked once again. Taking deep breaths, he continued, "Look, just protect her. And don''t let my father or her father''s man find her easily. And that new husband of hers¡­.protect him too. "


    When the call disconnected, Salvatore leaned against the wall and took deep breaths while closing his eyes. The tiredness and helplessness were shown in his eyes when he opened them.


    He was glad for Emma finally finding her happiness. No, he didn''t blame her for abandoning him on the altar. It was better that way. If this marriage had really happened, for how long would it have worked? Sure, they wouldn''t have ended up divorced sooner or later and that girl''s life would have been spoiled. It was better than she left him before he could hurt her.


    He was really his father''s son. For a certain goal, he was going to use anyone and anything until he gets what he wants. He didn''t care for anyone''s emotions or what they thought about him.


    Yet, he couldn''t bring himself to hurt that girl.


    As for Isabelle...he knew she wasn''t as simple as she looked. He knew his kind and could recognize them in a single glance.


    Isabella was just like him. Hiding behind a facade. However, he was very curious to find just what she was hiding.


    ¡­


    "Papa?" Persephone knocked on the door before entering Alessandro''s study. Everyone in the household knew that this place was forbidden for everyone except for him. So, he made sure to ask for his permission before entering it even when she was called by him.


    Only when Alessandro hummed, she walk in.


    "You called for me, Papa?" Persephone asked him. She was curious and a little intimidated to know why her Papa called her. As much as she knew, from the last three days, her papa was extremely busy. He didn''t even have the time to eat with them. And it seemed he had just returned home today.


    "How are you?" Alessandro asked her as she stood before him.


    "I''m doing fine," She honestly answered.


    It had been a week since Salvatore''s marriage with Isabelle and everything in the house had been awkward. Sometimes, she found herself wondering if Emma had been alright. As much as she remembered, she was not very close to her then why was she worried about her?


    Alessandro asked her to sit while studying her. And naturally, she took the seat before him.


    "What do you think about Scuderis?" Alessandro asked her.


    "Scuderis? Nico''s family?" Persephone questioned with furrowed brows. "What about them, Papa? As far as I can say, the recent tragedy that has befallen on the family has damaged them a lot. Nico and Ginevra are dealing with a lot currently."


    Not to mention, Ginevra''s recent divorce from her husband for who she had left her family, must have hurt her a lot. Of course, she didn''t know the truth of Ginevra''s sham of a marriage.


    And when she heard how Nico''s parents passed away in an accident, she was left dumbfounded. Weren''t they fine when she met them last time? Now thinking about how Scuderi siblings lost their parents were rather pitiful. They must have been hurting a lot now.


    "It seems like you are quite affected by the sudden death of Scuderi elders," Don Marino said thoughtfully.


    "Well, who is not?" Persephone said.


    "Right¡­"Don Marino was studying her changing expressions. " If you understand their condition so well, don''t you think it''s your responsibility to bring back the happiness to their family once again?"


    "Papa¡­"Persephone called out his name, knowing where the topic was heading.


    "Listen to me, Percy. There is no point in delaying your wedding with Nicolas. He need a bride and you need him too."


    Persephone was quick to retort. "I don''t need him."


    "You understand nothing, daughter. If I say, you need him, then there is no benefit in cutting my words."


    Persephone''s face had lost its initial colour. She was lifelessly looking at him. "I don''t want to marry him, Papa." She had said in a whisper.


    "You won''t be another Emma Costas, will you?" Alessandro directly asked her.


    Persephone found herself failing to reply at this time. This man sitting in front of her was her father. The man she probably loved the most in the world. She couldn''t see him hurt and she couldn''t refuse any of his wishes too. After her mother, he was her only kin who cared and loved her.


    However, she still couldn''t bring herself to say yes to marrying Nico. Earlier, she didn''t care this much. But what was happening to her now? Why did the idea of marrying any man disgusted her?


    What just changed now?


    Instinctively, she clutched the sapphire pendant tightly. It''s coolness bringing her back to reality.


    She was going mad. She didn''t even know what was happening to her.


    "Papa, I need time," This was what she had said before leaving his study.


    "A week. A week is all you have. I want the answer to be yes. And after the week time is over. You will marry Nico and a man will come to ask for Sophia''s hand."


    Don Marino''s words were ringing in her head. She didn''t know why all these kinds of things always happen to her. She just wants to live a peaceful life. Is that too much to ask for?


    "Percy?!"


    Persephone looked back to find a panting Sophia calling for her name.


    "What happened?" This half-sister of hers was really confusing at times.


    "Nico is downstairs looking for you," Sophia informed her.


    See, wasn''t she confusing most of the time? Instead of using the time in seducing her unwanted fiance, Sophia was acting as a messenger.


    "Sophia!"


    Sophia was going back after informing her but when she heard Persephone calling for her. She turned back. How long has it been since she talked to her without being disgusted? It was a good feeling, to be honest.


    "Hmm?" Sophia smiled widely at her.


    "Papa is arranging a husband for you."


    The smile from Sophia''s face faded away instantly as her words settled in her head.


    "Why?" Sophia whispered. "Why must he have to take all our decisions?"


    "And he demanded that Nico and I marry within the next week."


    Persephone walked leaving a stunned and pale Sophia behind.

 Chapter 112 - Protecting Her

    Somewhere on the earth.


    A tall and built man opened the gates to the two-story house which appeared like a normal residence home for a typical white-collar employee.


    "Welcome back boss!" He greeted his boss who had come after a long time.


    "Where is he?" The boss asked without bothering with the pleasantries.


    "In the basement," he replied.


    In long strides, his boss walked ahead of him. Sigh, his boss was a tall man, even taller than him, so it wasn''t a big deal that he was walking faster than him. However, the ferocious expressions on his face sure were a big deal.


    If he told boss now that his prey hadn''t opened his mouth yet, he wondered what kind of barbarity he would have to go through this time.


    The normal-looking house from outside wasn''t so normal from inside as well. Men were positioned inside the house as if it was a military base or something similar to that.


    Taking the hidden elevator, they reached the floor which was hidden from normal eyes. Everywhere one could see computers and hackers engaged in cyber wars. This place was everything a hacker or cybersecurity enthusiast could ever ask for.


    Taking another elevator, they reached the forbidden place. A place where only the boss or his trusted men were allowed to enter. And those trusted men couldn''t be more than four people including him.


    "Chan?"


    "Yes, boss?"


    "Have he uttered a word yet?"


    "Nothing. He is a freak, I tell you. All the torture has no effect on him. Even the psychological test results came unsatisfactory. Our men are still working on making him utter the truth."


    Whenever he would assume that this time the man that his boss had chained in the cell would give up, each time he would be amazed to see the willpower of the man.


    His boss was a crazy man and no one knew it better than him. However, the man chained inside the cell was crazier than his boss. He didn''t care about anything at all.


    Even when he was bleeding from every possible place, he would just show that toothless evil grin.


    In short, the man locked inside was a freak. Such people shouldn''t be left to roam on the streets at all.


    Noticing that his boss wanted him to not follow him inside the basement, he stopped outside the door, gesturing everyone else to leave too.


    Was Boss finally going to end the freak?


    He shrugged. It was good. He wouldn''t need to keep him alive anymore. It was a big headache to rip open his skin only to bandage it later.


    ...


    A scent of iron entered his nostrils as he (boss) opened the door. The room was dark with no window or door other than the one he entered through. Just a not-so-bright bulb was flickering.


    Lorenzo''s bloodied body was sprawled inside the cage. He was grunting and moaning in pain and why wouldn''t he be? The sick motherfuckers had done a job on his body. Yet, he believes that they all copied all the methods of his signature torture!


    He grinned when he noticed a pair of expensive Italian loafers approaching him.


    If Lorenzo could, he would have placed both of his hands on the back of his head and watched the scene in pure amusement. Sigh, only if he could. As much as he knew, his bones were broken, wounds still bleeding. Though they fed him some medicines to keep him alive.


    Even if they didn''t feed him medicines, he would have lived. These kinds of people couldn''t kill him. He was Lorenzo. The Lorenzo. Even if he failed to protect him, he knew the Bastardo called Alessandro would save him even though he was the reason why he was stuck in this mess.


    When the approaching person(Boss) stopped in front of him, only then did Lorenzo speak to his visible dark shadow.


    "So, you are the boss!"


    "I told your dogs that you will come begging to me for answers but they didn''t believe me."


    "You are finally here, aren''t you?!"


    The grin on Lorenzo''s face was telling how he could never be wrong.


    "I''m finally here," the boss then said in a husky tone. "Just like you anticipated."Pausing for a moment, he continued," Won''t you look up to see who has come for you, Uncle Enzo?"


    As the words sank into Lorenzo''s head, he looked up with a jerk. The amusement from earlier was time from his face. He was looking at the person standing high and proud, with sheer horror.


    "H-how¡­"Lorenzo stuttered to voice out his thoughts.


    "You want to ask how I am alive?" He asked with a smirk dancing on his lips.


    Lorenzo could very well see that smirk along with the green emerald-like eyes shining even in the dim light. Although one couldn''t see the other side of his face, one side was enough for him to guess what the other looked like. How could he forget this person? The person he killed with his own hands back then?


    Then standing in front of him was no longer the tall and lanky boy. He was a grown-ass man. Or dare he say he had an intimidating aura too! It wouldn''t be wrong to say that his aura could easily suppress the one emitted by Alessandro although both emit pure bloodlust.


    "You are not him," Lorenzo shrieked like a mad man like he sure was. "I killed him. I killed him. How could you be alive?! You are a ghost!"


    "A ghost?" His lips tugged up to form a smile. "Sure, I''m a ghost. A ghost who has now come to life just like you. Aren''t you dead in records too? Why can''t I come to life as you did?"


    "You faked your death?" Realization hit Lorenzo. "You faked your fucking death. You rascal! You deserve to die. I will kill you! I will kill you again! I will never let Penelope''s spawn live again! I will kill that bitch she had left behind too!" All of a sudden, he started laughing. "I will kill her too. Nobody cares about her. Not even her father--"


    Before Lorenzo could say anymore, a knife came flying, piercing his ear in the process. "Who said nobody cares for her? I came for her, didn''t I? I found her before that bastard. And Lorenzo, if I hadn''t come, do you think I would have stolen you right from my father and those kidnappers'' noses? They planned and plotted for years to capture you in vain. In the end, they lost you to me. You know I would have let them take you, kill you or hell even forget my own revenge if they hadn''t touched my sister. But they touched my bottom line. My family is my bottom line. I never attack anyone but if they attack my family, I ruthlessly erase any trace of them from the face of the earth. And the same would happen with them and that Bastard who unfortunately is my birth father."


    "You can''t kill me¡­"Lorenzo was mumbling to himself crazily. He was so in shock that he couldn''t differ true from fake.


    "You can''t kill me¡­"


    "I''m Lorenzo. The Lorenzo. Nobody can touch me."


    Even when he left the basement, Lorenzo still was mumbling these words.


    "Boss?!"


    "Where is Ace?" He asked Chan.


    "He is on duty tonight since Logan is on leave."


    A frown marred his perfect forehead as he heard what his subordinate said. "Then, who the hell is protecting ''her''?"


    "Boss, Ace, and the rest of the boys are on duty to protect her," Chan said. He knew how protective his boss was of ''her''. If something like even a small scratch came to ''her'' while on duty, he couldn''t fathom the punishment that the boys would have to go through.


    "Is she alright?" He asked after a little hesitation.


    Chan understood what must have happened. It seemed like he had pissed her off once again. And why wouldn''t she be pissed off? He had not gone to see her in nearly two months. No wonder, she refused to talk to him. Hell, she even forbade everyone from taking his name.


    "She is fine. She didn''t say anything about you. But someone else is anxious to meet you," Chan said, breaking out in sweats. This time if he went back without his boss, that someone else would never talk to him ever again. And he wouldn''t be able to bear that.


    A smile blossomed on his lips as he understood who Chan was talking about."Tell that special someone that I will be back soon. Very soon,in fact."


    "I will, boss!" With this said, Chan left.


    He looked up before rubbing his face on his palms before mumbling. "I wonder what you will do if you know what I have done? Will you try to understand my point of view or leave me for better this time? Whatever your decision will be. I hope you will give me a chance to come clean.. I can''t deceive you anymore, Ali."

 Chapter 113 - Familiar Blue Eyes

    Alessandro Marino has given her an ultimatum. Either marry Nico within this week or lose her father!


    Sometimes, Persephone wondered if her father even cared about her or these were just the lies that she was feeding herself. When she was ill, he personally looked after her. From her doctor''s appointment to her meals, everything was arranged by her papa. But now that she had asked him something for her. He refused to even hear her side of the story.


    She didn''t want to marry Nico. Why the hell was it so difficult for all of them to agree? And what kind of bullshit was this that the marriage was for her own welfare. Like hell it was.


    Even she knew that this marriage was a big mistake but only if her father would listen to her.


    If she was even half as brave as Emma, she would have eloped too. Then again, she was Persephone Marino, even if she eloped, she would be dragged back to this underground.


    Now, she understood why her mom named her Persephone. She was as pitiful as the goddess of Spring. Hell no, the goddess of spring had a great destiny as she met the king of the underworld and became his queen. But she? She was forced to become Nico''s bride!! How tragic!!!


    "Miss Marino we might be delayed for several minutes," Her driver-slash bodyguard said with a frown. " The traffic is worse than we initially thought."


    Persephone didn''t immediately respond to Kale, her bodyguard, rather her gaze shifted to outside of the car window as she laid her head against the window and heaved out a sigh. She had never been more thankful for New York''s traffic than this particular moment. Her eyes abruptly shut down as she once again recalled why her bodyguard was under stress.


    They were visiting the Scuderi mansion today as per Ginevra''s invitation. She wanted to decline as she knew her papa would never allow her to go outside the mansion but she found herself surprised when he said yes. Well, she was going to her in-laws'' house and he didn''t find any reason for saying no.


    Outside the window, her gaze fell on the name ''Allison''s Paradise''. It was a cafe but it was adorned in such a cute way that she found herself drawn to it.


    "Kale, we are visiting the cafe," Persephone said, pointing in the direction of the cafe.


    "I don''t think it''s a good idea, Miss Marino," the bodyguard said without hesitation.


    Understanding the game, her bodyguard was playing. She understood that it must be her father''s order not to stop anywhere in the route.


    "Kale, I am feeling dizzy."


    "I...I want to puke."


    Persephone held her head as if she was dying.


    "Miss Marino! Do you want to take a rest?!" The bodyguard was anxious seeing her condition. He drove a little and then parked the car. When she was inside the restaurant, she shouted at Kale.


    "I want to drink something lemony."


    Seeing her excited, Kale understood that he had once been played by her. But what could he do right now? He just sighed and once again fell silent.


    When she noticed that Kale was buying drinks for her, she found that on her left, different kinds of desserts were on show. She didn''t know why she was behaving like a kid seeing these desserts. She so badly wanted to eat all of them.


    Ah, she wanted all of them. She didn''t like desserts this much before. But today, she found herself salivating for them.


    Forgetting that she had sent Kale to buy drinks for her, she sprinted towards the desserts. ''Ah, I want all of them. ''


    "Santiago!"


    "Santiago!"


    "Stop Santiago!"


    Persephone''s body froze all of a sudden when she heard a woman calling this name. She didn''t know what happened to her but her legs felt wobbly, her eyes turned glossy and her stomach...it felt weird but not sick.


    "Listen to mama, Santiago!"


    She turned around to find a child sprinting towards her. Well, not towards her but the desserts just like her. And a tall and pretty woman who was probably in her late twenties trying to catch him. It seemed like she was this kid''s mom. It really was a hard job raising children.


    "Mama, I want this. This. This and this." The boy was dressed in an army-printed shirt and denim. "Oh! I want this too. Mama! Uncle Cam said he will buy all the things I want! I''m so excited to meet him"


    "Baby, we will choose something else. I will also buy you things if you listen to mama."


    "But mama I want to eat desserts!"


    "Baby, I will make yummy desserts for you."


    "But I want these!"


    "Baby, you know that you can''t!"


    "Why mom?!"


    "Hey?!" Persephone said with a smile as she kneeled on the floor to be on an equal level. She thrust the container in his hand and said. "This is for you."


    The Kid''s mom was about to say something when Persephone said. "It''s sugar-free if that''s what you are worried about." She pointed towards the particular dessert container where it was clearly written that it''s completely sugar-free.


    "Valencia," The kid''s mom said.


    Persephone looked at her in confusion as to what she was saying.


    "My mom''s name," The kid who was busy munching on the dessert said. Seeing that the pretty lady had bought him his favorite dessert, he kindly offered the information. "My Nana loved Spain. So, she named Mama Valencia because Nana was born in Valencia and me, Santiago because she met Poppy in Santiago, right mama?"


    Valencia sighed when she saw how kindly her son was giving information to a stranger. However, seeing her son''s earnest gaze, she just nodded.


    Noticing Valencia''s attitude, Persephone realized where she was wrong. "I''m sorry." She should have at least asked the kid''s mom first. "I should have--"


    "It''s okay," Valencia smiled in return. "It''s just that they didn''t sell sugar-free sweets before. So, I was troubled. But thank you."


    "Oh please don''t say thank you," Persephone quickly said. "It''s just that I found myself immune to his puppy eyes." She once again looked at the boy who was looking as if he had found all the joy in the world in that plate dessert. It wasn''t his innocent face that she found herself immune to, but his beautiful pale blue eyes that were about to tear up.


    Why were those eyes so familiar?


    And why did she find herself mesmerized by them?


    Persephone glanced at Valencia and then quickly averted her eyes. His mother had brown eyes. He must have inherited them from his father.


    "So, you are from New York?" Valencia asked her. Now they were seated at a table and enjoying each other''s company. She was waiting for her brother and Persephone was looking for a company to forget all her problems. And little Santiago was more than enough.


    Persephone nodded. "What about you?"


    The twinkle in Valencia''s dimmed. "We moved here from Boston when I was offered a job here. Truth be told, I was reluctant to leave the place where I spent all my childhood and youth but then my only family, my little brother, was offered a full scholarship to NYU for his course. I guess it was God''s will. And so came here, thinking it was best for the three of us."


    "What about Santiago''s dad?" Before Persephone could stop, the words escaped her mouth. "I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to be nosy."


    "I get it," Valencia smiled but her smile was an attempt to stop herself from crying.


    When little Santiago heard that they were talking about his father. He looked up at the pretty lady and said in a voice that showed how proud he was at this moment. "My dad used to protect our country from all the bad guys. He was so brave. He carried a gun and wore an awesome uniform. Mama said he was so courageous and I must be like him in the future. And you know, now he is in another world called heaven. I told Mama that dad is saving all the angels from the baddies there too. Isn''t my dad really awesome?"


    Persephone found her eyes tearing up but she managed to nod her head in the end. She leaned over and kissed his forehead. "And you are awesome too. I have never seen a man so brave and beautiful before."


    Santiago blushed and shied away from her loving gaze.


    "Do you have a boyfriend, Percy?"Santiago asked while blushing.


    Valencia was amused. She had never seen her chatterbox of a son so shy before.


    " Umm..No."


    "Great," Santiago said, a little excited. "Then, can I be your boyfriend? Pretty please."


    "I never had a boyfriend before," Persephone said. "So, sure. If I have such a brave and handsome boyfriend, I will be so glad."


    "Great," Santiago beamed.. Looking at his mother, he said, "Mom, she said she will be my girlfriend."

 Chapter 114 - Making New Friends

    "I never had a boyfriend before," Persephone said. "So, sure. If I have such a brave and handsome boyfriend, I will be so glad."


    "Great," Santiago beamed. Looking at his mother, he said, "Mom, she said she will be my girlfriend."


    "But Santiago, didn''t you say you are Rose, Kate, and Nelly''s boyfriend?" Valencia asked his son, feigning ignorance.


    Persephone feigned a gasp and Santiago hit his head with his palm. "No, mom," he groaned."I''m not their boyfriend but they are my girlfriends."


    "Aww, aren''t you a little heartbreaker?" Persephone asked the kid, amused.


    "Ah, if this heartbreaker is not my favorite customer?!" A woman''s excited voice rang. Persephone saw a very beautiful brunette coming their way. She had a kid fastened on her hip. And did she mention the kid''s eyes were like balls of her favorite chocolates? Excitedly, she asked, "Did you see I added new desserts for you?"


    "Oh, so it was you, Ellison," Valencia said. "Thank you."


    "Who else if not for this beautiful Ellison Salvatore," Ellison said dramatically. "Ah, I now notice a beauty beside my favorite customer."


    "Hello," Persephone smiled.


    "This is my girlfriend," Santiago announced, amusing Ellison to no end.


    "Hello Santiago''s beautiful girlfriend," Ellison beamed.


    "Mrs. Salvatore, you have a phone call," A tall and Bulky man said as he emerged from behind.


    Ellison groaned. "Not now, Ace." Seeing that he insisted, she sweetly added, " Tell my dear husband that I am shifting our new house into a harem for myself. And he could shove all his problems down his ass if he had any."


    "Sir?" The man called Ace hesitantly said while fastening the phone on his ear.


    "He was on call?" Ellison''s eyes widened funnily. "Why the hell didn''t you inform me beforehand."


    "I tried to tell you but ---"


    "You are fired, Ace," Ellison said in a threatening voice.


    Everyone including Persephone gasped. They thought Ellison was a funny and easy-going woman but no she could be a mean bitch too.


    "Sure, Mrs. Salvatore. I will pack all the bags before you reach your home," Ace said before leaving.


    Ellison had an urge to stomp her feet on the floor like a kid but then she realized that the kid on her hip was staring at her with those big chocolatey eyes. "I wish I could bite you, baby." She said while trying to take a bite of her baby''s chubby cheek.


    "Dawda!"


    "Wncle Sase! Wave Wemy! Mommy weating Wemy!"


    [Uncle Ace! Save Emy! Mommy eating Emy!"


    "Hush! You! Like father, like daughter!" With a harrumph, she sat on the chair next to Valencia with her baby on her lap.


    Persephone looked at the retiring back of Ace and then at the madwoman. What on earth was happening?


    "You fired him just like that?" Persephone asked Ellison.


    Valencia choked on her drink when she heard Persephone. "I have known Ellison for a week. And all I can say is...in those days the man had been fired more than twenty times already."


    "Is he not your bodyguard?" Persephone glanced at Ellison with curious eyes.


    "Does he look like one?" Ellison raised her brow. "If I ever chose one, I would choose a handsome one. The kind of bodyguard who would not let me miss my husband."


    And isn''t it the reason why her dearest husband had chosen this ugly ass as his boyfriend?!


    "So, he is not your normal bodyguard," Persephone was amused now.


    "Oh, honey, he is my husband''s snitch as well as bitch," Ellison said sweetly. "People are right when they say if we say and do something so frequently, you lose your value. I will not fire him for at least one day. Perhaps, the next day when I will fire him, he will leave his job out of shame." Then she looked at her daughter and said," And you Uncle Ace''s ardent follower, you are not allowed to talk to him and your daddy. Or else I will prepone the date of our divorce."


    Emy just rolled her eyes at her dramatic mommy. She was too calm and smart for a two and half year old kid.


    "For a moment, I really thought he was going to leave his job this time," Valencia said. "Especially when he said he will pack all the bags."


    "Please, don''t remind me again," Ellison said sadly. "I secretly came to New York without my husband''s knowledge a month ago. And now that he knows that I am here, he is asking me to leave this state. I can''t believe that he did this! The audacity of the man! I have yet to see his sexy but infuriating face for more than two months! And the first thing he said to me in these two months is to leave New York?!! Who the hell does he think that he is?!"


    "Why doesn''t he like you staying in New York?" Persephone asked. She pities the man who would experience Ellison''s wrath.


    Ellison fell silent. "He never had a problem with any other state but whenever I talk about New York. He gets irritated. I love this state but he doesn''t. Val, I know I can be dramatic sometimes but do you think he is hiding other women such as a mistress in this state?"


    "It''s not good to mistrust your partner, Ellison. He must have his reasons."


    Ellison sadly nodded. She then turned to Persephone and asked, "Are you a local, sweetie?"


    Persephone nodded with a smile.


    "Then, you must come regularly to visit me. I am alone in this big city. And I think I will love some friends."


    "I will try, Ellison," Persephone didn''t decline but she knows her limit.


    "Miss Marino?" Kale''s nervous voice was heard.


    Persephone turned her head to look at Kale.


    "We should leave now."


    Persephone sighed and nodded."I have to leave now."


    Valencia and Ellison nodded.


    "Take care, honey. I hope to meet you again." Persephone left after leaving a kiss on Santiago''s forehead.


    "Marino," Ellison whispered the name as her eyes linger in the direction where Persephone left. She was familiar with this name. Many times, she has heard her husband saying this name when he believed that she was not listening to his conversations on the phone.


    ''Just who are you?''


    "Why are you sad, Santiago?"Ellison heard Valencia cooing her son.


    "Persephone left, "Santiago said sadly.


    "Persephone?" Ellison furrowed her brows.


    "Yeah, Percy. The girl that was sitting here."


    "Her name is Persephone?"Ellison asked her, horrified.


    "Yeah," Valencia said with a confused look. "Everything alright?"


    "Yeah." Ellison smiled. As she was about to say something, her baby started crying for food and so she excused herself to feed her.


    "Persephone Marino, why is this name so familiar?" Ellison wondered out loud.


    ¡­


    Outside, the cafe.


    "Miss Marino, please wait here," Kale said before leaving to bring the car.


    "Sure," Persephone said. She was humming as she was in a good mood. Earlier, when she had entered the cafe, she was sulking and no doubt in a bad mood. But a few minutes with these strangers and look at her. How happy is she to meet them?


    And little Santiago, she didn''t know why but she found herself very drawn to the kid. She couldn''t describe what it was that drew her attention, his eyes or his name.


    Seeing that Kale wasn''t back even after five minutes, she thought of looking for him. But before she could take a step ahead, she found herself crashing against a hard chest.


    "Ouch!" Persephone winced in pain and rubbed her nose to ease the pain.


    When her teary and angry eyes look up to glare at the person who had the audacity to bump into her, she forgets to breathe. A pair of pale blue eyes were staring right back at her. Why did it seem that she had seen those eyes somewhere?


    "Have we met before?"Before Persephone could control, the sentence had left her mouth.


    She heard a snort and turned her head to see a teenage girl dressed in the most outrageous dress possible. "Really? People still use this pick-up line?!"The girl snorted in disgust. But when she saw that her boyfriend was still staring at the woman in front of them. She said in a sickly sweet voice," Baby! I''m so hungry. Can we please go in?"


    The aforementioned baby nodded his head.


    "What a bitch!" Persephone mumbled.


    The girl stopped to glare at her. "What did you say?"


    "Why? Are you deaf? Or your ears need to be cleaned that you can''t hear what I said!" Persephone was merciless to the girl she just met now.


    "How dare you?! How dare you call me birch after eyeing my boyfriend?!" the girl shouted.


    "Eyeing your boyfriend, little girl?"Persephone snorted. " I got a Deja Vu after seeing him, which is the only reason I asked him if I knew him. Plus, I have a boyfriend who is a thousand times cuter and sweeter than this block of ice."


    "Miss Marino!"


    Persephone turned her head to find Kale. "And little girl, tie your boyfriend to your panties or he will run away!!"


    It was not only the girl left dumbfounded but also her boyfriend. What was his fault and why was he berated by this Red Chili?


    "Cameron?!"


    "Enough, Jennifer! You can leave now. I don''t want you to create a scene before my sister and nephew!"

 Chapter 115 - If Only Nash Knew

    An hour later Persephone reached Nico''s house. She still didn''t know why Ginevra had to invite her. With a sigh, she stepped inside the threshold of the Scuderi house. But the scene that she came upon shook Persephone to the core.


    "Gia, why don''t you understand?" Nico was scowling at his sister. Never had Persephone ever seen him showing such grave expressions than this time. He was always indifferent and calm like nothing could ever touch him. But today she saw a very different scene.


    "It''s not me who needs to understand but you bro!" Ginevra was not the one to back down easily. "She didn''t want to marry you! Why are you forcing her?!''''


    Persephone felt as if Ginevra was taking her side.


    "She doesn''t understand what''s good for her," Nico told his sister. "I''m the best option for her. She can get out of that bloody haunted house if she marries me. What else does she want?!"


    She wanted to ask what he meant by this! Bloody haunted house? What the hell was he talking about?


    "Really bro?"Ginevra scoffed. "She is not a kid who can''t understand her good and bad. She is Persephone. She always knows what she wants and is quite vocal about it. As for getting out of one bloody haunted house to get stuck at another, she didn''t need this."


    Persephone just stood at the door watching two people arguing over her. One was arguing about what was good for her as if he didn''t understand and the other was well¡­


    "Gia, even you know her mental condition is not right! She doesn''t even remember the majority of the things," said Nico as he rubbed his hand on his face in exasperation. It was clear from his posture that he was frustrated and angry. "Hell, she didn''t even remember Sophia and Carina! She has forgotten how they used to love each other. She thinks she is some Cinderella getting bullied by her stepsister and stepmother. Tell me now Gia, does she know what''s right or what''s wrong about her?!"


    "Nico¡­"Ginevra tried to say something bit Nico held up his hand to stop her from saying further.


    "No, let me finish. You must not forget she is my responsibility. I have given words to my late best friend that I will protect his sister. How can I not fulfill the promise that I have given to Lucien?"


    So, Nicolas was doing this for his best friend, not because he felt something for her. No, it didn''t break her heart but it sure hurt her to know that the man was marrying her for some kind of verbal promise. She would always be his responsibility, nothing more. This wasn''t how relationships worked.


    "You are being selfish, Nico," Ginevra softly replied. "Just because of fulfilling some oral promise, you are hell-bent on destroying her life."


    "It''s not me who is destroying her life. But her father. And if I leave her at Marino house, he will kill her. Persephone is a liability for her now. And he is not very tolerant of his liabilities." He paused for a moment. The look on his face was that of utter devastation. His words not only hurt him and Ginevra but shook Persephone''s woven world."He will kill her, Gia. Persephone will die at Don Marino''s hand just like her brother, Lucien."


    Everything had been a lie. She had been lying to herself all along.


    ...


    Persephone didn''t know how she reached her home. But she had to thank Kale for it. From the last thirty minutes, she has been having one panic attack after another.


    *knock knock!*


    Someone was knocking on her bedroom''s door but she didn''t have the energy to stand up and open it. The cold floor of the bathroom was making her legs numb. But it was the coldness seeping inside her heart like acid that was burning her insides.


    She suppressed a sob when she was haunted by Nico''s words once again.


    Her papa will kill her.


    These words were ringing in her head.


    The door to the bathroom opened with this and an anxious Sophia emerged.


    "Percy!! What happened?!"She kneeled on the ground and hugged her wet and dishevelled sister. "Did Nico do this to you? I swear that I will kill that bastard!!"'' She stood up to rush to Nico''s house to cut off his head but stopped when she felt a tug on his hand.


    "Don''t,"Persephone whispered before breaking into sobs. " Who am I, Sophia?"


    "You are my sister, who else?!" Sophia replied, preventing the tears from falling. And after saying this, she hugged her tightly.


    "I don''t know me at all, Soph," Persephone cried. "I don''t know what or who I am anymore. Help me. I''m crying for help. Please save me before this darkness swallows me."


    ....


    Life Care hospital, New York.


    "Hey, you!" Valencia heard a masculine voice calling someone in the most rudest voice. When she turned back, she saw a tall hunk pointing his finger at her. "Yes! You! I''m talking to you!"


    She had to blink her eyes to realize that the handsome but rude man was talking to her.


    Although the man wasn''t taught ''M'' of the word manners, still she wasn''t like him.


    "What can I do for you?" Valencia neutrally asked him.


    "Holy shit," he murmured as his gaze fell on her. "You are smoking hot, doc!"


    "Excuse me, this is a hospital and I am a doctor here. So, I hope you know how to behave," Valencia said in a polite and formal tone.


    "Sure, doc," Nash grinned. "Stitch me up "


    Only when she heard him asking her to stitch him up, she placed at his bleeding leg.


    "Please sit here. I will call a nurse for you," Valencia could only do this for him.


    "Why a nurse? Am I not even worthy of requesting you to stitch me up?"Nash asked her. His devilish expression causing hard time for Valencia. She has seen all kind of patients in the hospital but never had she ever seen one as weird as this one.


    "I''m a gynecologist. And I have a patient waiting for me," Valencia calmly told him.


    "Doctor Reynolds?" A nurse appeared holding a file in her hand. "Mrs. Chance cancelled her appointment."


    Valencia scrunched up brows as if she didn''t understand. "I just saw Mrs. Chance at the reception?" She asked.


    The nurse hesitated for a moment but then she said,"She cancelled her appointment with you and then booked one with Doctor Harris." She wanted to say something else too but she stopped.


    "I get it," Valencia just smiled at her. "Mia, can you do his dressing? It will not need stitches. "


    "You are breaking my heart, Doc," Nash wailed like a kid. "How can you do this to me?!"


    Right now, even he didn''t know why he was behaving like this. Usually, girls would come running for his evil charms but look at this hot doctor, she not only not glanced at him second time, but informed his handsome existence too?


    "Sir,I told you previously too that I am a gynecologist. It doesn''t come under my task assignment. The related doctor will check your wound and prescribe you medicine," Valencia once again calmly explained to him.


    "Tell me, doc, what will it take for me to convince you to treat my ailment?" Nash asked her in an exaggerated tone.


    "Female reproductive system," Valencia directly answered him.


    However, instead of getting offended, he gave her a panty dropping smile. Too bad it didn''t work on her.


    "How can you break my heart when my leg is already broken?" Nash looked at her as if she had offended nine of his future generation.


    Before Valencia could retort him, she heard the voice of her life saver.


    "Val?"


    "Doctor Simon?" Valencia smiled at the newcomer. "Can you please see this patient? He comes under your department."


    "Sure, why not!" James Simon said with a broad smile. "And please call me James. Doctor Simon sounds way too distant."


    "Thank you, James," Valencia said. "I will see you soon."


    "Doc,I will not let him treat me if you don''t stand by my side. This is me compromising!!"Nash yelled.


    Valencia could only sigh. Not wanting to create a scene in the hospital lobby, she obliged with his stupid request! Only she knew what kind of consequences doctors had to face if they failed to do things according to their patient''s will.


    Nash shouted when the son of the bitch aka the doctor was disinfecting his wounds. What kind of doctor this hospital had! How could they flirt with other doctors on duty?! Fuck, why must they flirt at all?!


    "Santiago, bastardo. Ti romper¨° la mascella nello stesso modo in cui mi rompono la gamba!!" Nash was shouting in pain when another bastard was disinfecting his wounds or more like tormenting him.


    [Santiago, you bastard. I will break your jaw in the same way they break my leg.]


    Nash always cursed Italian.


    "Shut up," he blinked his eyes when she glared at him. "One more word and you are out!"


    "What did I do?"Nash asked her in confusion.


    "Cursing is not allowed here," Valencia said.


    "You can understand Italian, doc?" Nash grinned, forgetting about the pain.


    "Doctor Simon, I will be back," Before Nash could say anything else , she was gone.


    "What happened?!''Nash could only ask the bastard.


    "Her son''s name is Santiago. I think she got offended by your comment,"James said.


    "She has a son?" Nash''s eyes widened with this new information. "Thank God, Santiago guy is only a son not a brother!"


    If only Nash knew¡­.

 Chapter 116 - The Truth

    "Sophia, please tell me the truth!"


    Sophia had just helped her sister change into different clothes when she heard her requesting her to tell the truth. From the looks on Persephone''s face, it was clear that she wanted to hear the truth or she wouldn''t sit still. However, she wasn''t sure if she should tell her sister the truth or not. After all, her emotions had been quite unstable these days.


    As if Persephone could hear the doubts running in Sophia''s head, she said, "Or even think I am not mentally stable enough to bear the truth."


    Sophia''s eyes widened but she clearly refused. "You are not mentally unstable. Emotionally, yes. But you are strong, Percy. I know this.


    Hearing her, Persephone sarcastically laughed," If you do, then why don''t you tell me the truth? Come on Sopha, don''t let me live in darkness. I don''t even know who my ally or enemy is. Please, Sophia."


    Sophia looked at her once again and sighed. She knew that there was no way to stop this. It was inevitable. Even if she didn''t tell her sister, she wouldn''t calm down until she hears what she wanted to.


    Thus, Sophia narrated the story of what happened around two months ago. She informed her how her and Nico''s wedding was fixed. But when it was time to bring her to the altar, the church where Salvatore married Isabelle was attacked by a mysterious group of kidnappers. And this was how she was kidnapped.


    And almost a month later, their father and his men brought her back. But when she woke up, she didn''t remember the major events of her life. Her memories were muddled up. She didn''t even remember many things about herself.


    "So, the woman I was pitying all along was no one else but me?" Persephone asked, her voice dripping with self-mockery. She closed her eyes to stop the tears from falling down. Why was she even crying?


    Sophia nodded. "I''m sorry, Percy. Papa forbade everyone to talk about this incident at all. We never want to keep you in the dark. But we thought that it was for the better."


    Persephone smiled painfully. "I understand." She paused for a moment, before asking helplessly, "Soph, did he at least love me? Does my papa care for me?"


    Sophia hesitated before shaking her head as she said, "Percy, our father values his organization more than anything else in the world. We have long gotten used to the fact that we are just bargaining chips for him. Nothing else."


    Persephone didn''t know what to do or say to her, she just kept staring blankly at Sophia''s face, truly helpless and broken. Why did she want her father''s love and acceptance?


    "How did Lucien die?"asked Persephone.


    Sophia looked at her in shock before asking, " You remember big bro?" There was a look of hope on her face when she heard Lucien''s name. However, it disappeared instantly when Persephone shook her head.


    "Lucien died in an accident. Or this was what everyone talks about. Oops, sorry! No one talks about him at all. It''s like big bro''s topic is forbidden in our family," Sophia informed her. "I never understand until now why no one mentions big bro at all. When we were young, I remember I asked mom why we can''t go to pay respect to bro''s grave! That was the day when mom scolded me for the first time. She asked me never to mention his name at all. And I was so scared by that incident that I never asked about him."


    What surprised Sophia was how the trace of Lucien was removed from the house. Not even a picture of his was found anywhere. Now nobody remembers what he even looked like. Except for the fact that he had green eyes, but so do all Marino kids.


    "Don''t you find it weird?" Persephone asked her.


    Sophia smiled. "Even if we do, then what? It''s not like we can change anything at all."


    Persephone and Sophia sat in silence for a while. Nobody said anything but inside their hearts, a loudness was tormenting them. The kind of loudness was asking several kinds of questions that had no answers.


    "Soph?"


    "Hmm?"


    "Are you hiding something from me?" Persephone asked, meeting her eyes.


    Sophia swallowed before shaking her head. She didn''t tell her sister about those bloody sheets. She didn''t even know how to say that. She didn''t want to dump the painful content of information on her.


    Even if she did tell her, it would only bring her pain and nothing else. So, she would wait for her to become more emotionally stable.


    ¡­


    It had been three days since Persephone had returned from Nico''s house. Nobody found any difference in her except for the fact that she had been unusually quiet. But they didn''t think much about it as before her amnesia, she used to be quiet too.


    It was only Sophia, who felt like Persephone''s silence was like a ticking bomb.


    And she wasn''t wrong either. Persephone was withering inside. If she wasn''t saved, she would soon succumb to depression and uncertainty.


    Self-blaming is worse than a disease. And Persephone was doing this to her. She was thinking that there must be something wrong in her to experience such fate.


    "Tomorrow, you will go with Nico. He had asked me if he could take you with him to a friend''s party. I want you to be on your best behavior," Dan Marino said.


    Persephone was biting bread crumbs while staring at the plate blankly. So, she didn''t hear anything her father said.


    "Percy?!"


    "Yeah?" She looked up.


    "I said you will have to accompany him tomorrow," Alessandro said to his daughter with narrowed eyes.


    "Accompany? Who and where?" Persephone questioned him.


    "Where is your concentration, Percy?" Don Marino put his cutlery on the table and turned to look at her. "I have been talking to you for a while but you didn''t hear me at all."


    "I''m sorry, Papa," Persephone murmured. "You will be accompanying Nico tomorrow to a party. Sophia will help you in getting ready and Nico will pick you up."


    What could Persephone do other than nodding her head obediently?


    "And you are attending with Isabelle?" Alessandro asked his son.


    "Yes, Papa," Salvatore replied, throwing a look at his wife.


    ¡­


    At midnight, Persephone woke up with a jerk as nightmares dominated her. Panting, she switched on the light and leaned against the bed surface.


    Since she was feeling suffocating inside the room, she thought of going out for fresh air.


    However, when she was descending the stairs, she heard voices from her papa''s study. She didn''t know what took over her, but she found herself walking in that direction.


    "How can you not find him?!!" Her papa was shouting at someone on the phone.


    "I don''t care what you do to find him? But I want Lorenzo as soon as possible! Do you get it?!"


    "Lorenzo?" Persephone murmured the name. Suddenly, a memory clicked in her head."Wasn''t Lorenzo ''Uncle Enzo'' who killed my Mama? But what is papa talking about? Did he not kill him for avenging my Mama?"


    "Don Marino, we can ask for the Police''s help. If they assist us, it will be easier to locate him," the man said on the phone said. Persephone stood there rooted when she heard it.


    "Are you kidding me? He has been dead in the government''s records for years. What would happen if they got wind that we faked his death and he is alive? Don''t you forget he was one of the most wanted criminals? No matter, how many of our men work in the department, there will always be some officers loyal to the government. I can''t take that risk with him. I need him safe and sound."


    "Then, how will we look for him? And what would happen if he gets caught now? He is a liability now," the other man sighed.


    "That fucker is not a liability but a ticking bomb. If he opened his mouth as to how he killed Penelope and Lucien on my orders, my throne, my organization, and my everything will be snatched from me. Don''t forget there are rules of the ''Famiglia'' that even I have to abide by."


    To say Persephone was shocked after hearing the sudden revelation would be a lie. It was a doubt coming true. Still, her legs were trembling badly but she made sure to leave no traces while returning to her room.


    It was only when she was in the safety of her room, she let herself shriek!


    Suddenly, the realization hit her.


    She was going to die.


    Her papa will kill her.


    And not even Nico could save her.


    Not just Nico, but no hero or knight in shining armor would come to take her away from this haunted place.


    ¡­


    [Of course,t hey wouldn''t come to save her. But it didn''t mean Villain won''t?]


    [Are you guys excited to see our Villain, aka hero of the story?]

 Chapter 117 - Dont Hate, Mama

    "Sophia, switch the lights off when you decide to go back to your room," Carina said to her daughter before disappearing into her room.


    "Sure mom!" Sophia shouted back. She told her mom that she wasn''t sleepy so she would watch a movie before going to bed. However, even her mom knew that she was lying.


    Ever since Persephone had left with Nico for his friend''s party she was not able to sleep. Hell, she was panicking for no reason.


    Why was she feeling as if something was going to happen?


    Her hands were sweating.


    And in her gut, there was a weirdly bad feeling that she couldn''t ignore.


    She still wasn''t able to forget the broken and defeated look on Persephone''s face. When she asked her if she wanted to stay home, she just smiled at her and said nothing. She knew her sister was not right. If she didn''t want to do something nobody can force her, not even their mafioso dad.


    But the broken and shattered look on her face broke Sophia''s heart.


    As if these thoughts were not sufficient to haunt her presence, her phone beeped with a message.


    And when she looked at the screen she saw a message from Persephone''s number.


    ''Thank you for everything, Soph. You know I love you? Take care of yourself, my darling angel. I will always wish for you. Tell mom that I said I love her too.''


    To say Sophia''s heart stopped after reading the message would be an understatement. She didn''t know where the tears came from, but she saw water drops gathered on her phone screen.


    "Randy!!!" Sophia shrieked as loudly as she could. Randy was Sophia''s shadow bodyguard like Kale was Persephone''s.


    "Miss Marino?" Lord knew where he emerged from it thank God he did. In the next two seconds, he was standing before her.


    "Call Salvatore!" She managed to form the words. "Call him right now!!"


    She didn''t know why but she had never felt this dying urge to cry so hard that she would be left with no tears to pour. No, she didn''t want to cry at the same time. Because crying meant wasting time and she didn''t have any. No. No. Whatever she was thinking was wrong. Wiping her tears, she dialed Persephone''s number but it was switched off. She then dialed Isabelle but her call was left unanswered.


    "Miss Marino, Mr. Marino is not picking up the call," Randy said, anxiously.


    "Try Nico!" Sophia yelled. "Or his men or anyone."


    "No one is picking the call," Randy said with furrowed brows. "They are at a party. And Anderson''s party is notorious for being extremely wild. Perhaps, they didn''t hear the phone ringing."


    "Do you know where the party is held?"Sophia hopefully asked him.


    Randy said hesitating for a bit. " I do."


    "Take me there now," Sophia ordered.


    "I''m sorry, Miss Marino. I can''t take you out of the mansion without Don Marino''s permission," Randy outrightly refused her.


    "I''m telling you, Randy, if something happened to my sister because of you or your stupid codes,I will take your life myself, " Sophia threatened him.


    "Miss Marino¡­"


    "Are you taking me there or not?" Sophia asked him for one last time.


    "Just a minute, Miss Marino."


    She wasn''t the kind of girl who would do nothing when she had time and later cry for what she had lost. No, she refused to lose her sibling once again. Lucien left them when they were too young to understand the meaning of loss and now Persephone¡­ no, no. Whatever she was thinking was wrong, absolutely wrong. Her sister was strong, very strong. Wasn''t it the reason why she was marrying Nico three days later?


    She swore that if something happened to Persephone, she would never forgive him. She would show him what it meant to hurt Sophia Marino''s sibling.


    ¡­


    As soon as Randy stopped the car in the driveway, Sophia hopped out of the car, running towards the elevator with Randy on her tails. According to him, the party was held at the penthouse of this building.


    Randy talked to the guards standing outside the doorway to the inside of the penthouse before they allowed her to go inside.


    "Did you find Persephone?" Sophia asked Randy.


    "Our men had surrounded the whole building. They all are looking for her. No news of an accident or.."Randy stopped when he noticed a glare in his direction. " I''m sorry, Miss Marino."


    "You better save her or I will not spare you," Sophia''s threat wasn''t casual.


    The party was going on in full swing. The expensive drinks were spilled, the drunkard youths were falling here and there and girls in skimpy dresses were attached on their thighs.


    "Sophia?"She heard a low and angry voice calling her name. She turned around to find Nico, the bastard looking at her as if she had committed a grave sin.


    "What the fuck are you doing here?" He growled at her. "Is this the place for a single woman like you to come?"


    Nico was answered by a loud and hard slap on his face.


    Just as Nico was slapped, the music stopped, the surroundings stilled and everyone was holding their breaths.


    "Nicolas Scuderi, pray that my sister is alright or else I will skin you alive. This is not a threat but a promise," Sophia said. Angry tears clouded her vision but she refused to let them fall. To show him her weakness once again. After all, he had been taking advantage of her weakness from the start.


    "What the hell is going on here?" Salvatore emerged. His angry green eyes narrowed at Nico and then at Sophia. "And why are you here, Soph?"


    "Where is Percy?" Sophia questioned her brother. "She came with you all, didn''t she? Where is she?"


    Only when they heard her question, they realized that they had not seen her for a long time now.


    "Fuck," Salvatore murmured before running outside.


    Isabelle, who was standing there in confusion, walked to Sophia and asked for what happened , and Nico, he just stood there rooted, staring at a pair of angry green eyes, which looked at him with utter loathing and disgust. For the first time in life, he felt disgusted even to himself.


    ¡­.


    ''Several minutes before on the terrace.''


    Persephone was standing on the perimeter of the terrace railing, one foot ahead and thud. Her vision was blurring, her body was shaking tremendously and she was scared, truly scared of dying.


    However, it was the noises inside her head that were urging her to jump and silence it.


    No, she didn''t want to die. She too wanted to live. But she wouldn''t be able to die at the hands of her own father, the man she still loved and cared for despite all the crimes he had committed.


    Why was she so fucked up?


    He killed her mama. And she hated him for it.


    He killed her brother. And she loathed him for it.


    But she was his daughter, his flesh and blood. She wasn''t able to forget this kinship. Why was this like this?


    Why was she so unlucky?


    What was her fault?


    Why would his enemy come for her and destroy her life?


    And every chance of starting over.


    Why?


    She was kidnapped and the lord knew what happened to her that whole month.


    No, she wasn''t a fool to believe that she was untouched.


    No one gets pregnant without¡­


    Oh, God. She was pregnant.


    She found it this morning. Hell, she knew something was wrong with her, with her body. But pregnancy¡­


    When Kale brought the pregnancy test kit for her secretly, she told him not to tell anyone, hell even begged him.


    But when the results came positive, she knew she had no one to lean on. Not even her own family. She dare not fathom the consequences her child might have to face. Her papa would torture that little life for the sin of the child''s father. And she...she wouldn''t be able to bear that.


    It was better if they die now than die everyday at the hands of Alessandro Marino.


    Looking down at the twinkling New York city, she caressed her belly tenderly. "I''m sorry, baby. Mama is too weak. She can''t protect you. Please don''t hate, Mama. I swear if I see you in heaven,I will love and care for you till the end of time. Just forgive Mama this time, please."


    As she was about to jump down, she heard the sound of the terrace door opening and turned to find a boy who was probably in his late teenage years taking out a cigarette. When he met her eyes, he said,"Ah, don''t mind me. Do what you are doing, I won''t stop you."


    Persephone just looked at him. When he moved a bit, she realized that he was the same boy she met outside the cafe. The boy with pale blue eyes.


    "It''s you,"Persephone softly murmured.


    Cameron just shrugged his shoulders as if it had nothing to do with it.


    Persephone turned her head ahead, a sad smile marked her lips as she closed her eyes and cold air graced her skin and a suppressed memory hit her.


    She could see a little girl with wild red curls announcing her love for the boy, whose face she can''t see clearly for some reason.


    Suddenly, she opened her eyes and looked down, before she said, " I''m sorry, baby. Don''t hate mama."


    And she fell with a loud thud!

 Chapter 118 - Suicide And Baby

    "Sis, will she be fine?" Cameron asked Valencia as his gaze studied the unconscious woman lying on the bed. Her usually pale face was scaring them. He was more scared than he was letting anyone know.


    "A pregnant woman under so much stress, I can''t even imagine the pain she is under, " Valencia sighed. She checked her up before giving her an injection and medicine to rest her brain. "Where did you find her, Cameron?"


    The day she met Persephone in the cafe, she had never thought that the next time she would see her would be in this condition. Not even for a second that day, she felt that the girl was anything but fine.


    "On the terrace," Cameron answered. "She was about to jump down the terrace. But before she could jump down, I pulled her back and she lost consciousness. There was no one and neither did she have her phone or anything that could help me with her identity. So, I brought her here."


    Cameron was shaken badly. One he knew who he felt when he saw a woman trying to jump down. And to his shock, she was the same woman he met outside the cafe. The woman who brought his girlfriend to tears with her words.


    "You did the right thing, little bro," Valencia patted his shoulder."I can''t imagine that the next time we meet will be under such circumstances. She was such a jolly and funny lady a few days ago and today¡­ Truly, we can''t understand the pain one is in¡­ just by judging their happy expression."


    Persephone''s innocence is her mask. Her unusual sense of humor and untimely jokes, her weapon of survival. She uses her beauty to hide her heart. Her easy smile will let you keep your guard down in her presence. But underneath her skin, she was a chaotic being begging for help. People in need of help often turn to escapes like drugs, alcohol, hell even cutting their skin. But she? She would sharpen her armour and pose even more to act strong. Her strong facade was her cry of help. But nobody heard it.


    Neither her family nor Valencia could understand this simple fact. It was only Santiago, who called his so-called strong character, a facade and it truly was. Persephone had been faking it for so long that she had forgotten what truth really was now. The mask had seeped deep into her skin now.


    "Should we call the police?" Cameron asked his sister. They should have called the police first but since he was a nervous and scared boy, thinking his only priority was to save her life, he brought her to his sister''s apartment, where she checked her up.


    Valencia nodded. "That''s the right thing to do. Moreover, I know her name. Perhaps that will help us."


    Valencia was about to dial the police number when someone rang the doorbell. "I will check who is outside. You keep an eye on Santiago. Don''t let him know that his Percy is sick and at our house."


    If her son knew that his current favorite person on the planet apart from his family, Persephone, was in their home, he was going to lose it. He wouldn''t sit can''t until he met her. For days, he had been singing praises of her, and truth be told, she was a bit envious of Persephone now.


    Putting a stop to her thoughts, Valencia left to open the door.


    "How can I help you?" Valencia asked when she opened the door. She found two tall and dangerous-looking men standing outside the door with two women next to them. One of the women had the same height and eye color as Persephone and another was slightly tall but still, she resembles Persephone a bit.


    "We checked the CCTV and found a boy who brought my sister here," Salvatore said. His voice sounded frightening but Valencia was proud of her calm demeanor.


    "You are Persephone''s brother?" Valencia asked him. She studied him front down to up. This man was over 6ft tall and his sister was, well, petite. So, it didn''t make any sense. But then she noticed that they really resembled each other a lot.


    "You know my sister?" Salvatore asked her, surprised. He could count the number of friends that Persephonehad on his hand.


    Valencia nodded. "Please come in."


    The four came inside her house and Valencia took them to the guest room where Persephone was lying unconscious.


    "Why is she not awake?" Sophia asked her worriedly. She went near her sister and touched her pale face. She was so thankful to this lady that her sister was alright. Her worry wasn''t in vain. She knew that her sister wasn''t fine.


    "She is unconscious, " Valencia replied with a strange look. "My brother found her on the terrace in a bit of a complicated situation. And when he found her unconscious, he immediately brought her here. I''m a doctor by profession. Valencia Reynolds."


    "Miss Reynolds, would you please define the uncomplicated situation?" Isabelle asked her. Her eyes still staring at Persephone''s sleeping form. She has been pretty shaken up.


    "I think my brother will be able to explain clearly what he witnessed earlier," Valencia replied and called Cameron, who told them all the details that he encountered earlier.


    "You are saying she tried to commit suicide?" Nico asked him, crestfallen.


    Why would she do that?


    "She would have succeeded if I hadn''t pulled her back," Cameron replied. His hostile gaze linger on Nico''s face.


    Salvatore closed his eyes in despair and took a deep breath to calm himself down. He was such an incompetent brother. But what was the benefit of self-blaming now?


    This novel is a contracted work with W e b n o v e l. c o m (remove spaces). If you''re not reading ''THe Villain'' on W e b n o v e l, it has been stolen. It''s very heartbreaking to see pirates profiting from my hard work. Please support the original author,(tanu_sam).


    ....


    We have a baby on the board guys? Let''s welcome tiny Vittello who had yet to come into this word. ????

 Chapter 119 - Delicate Situation

    Salvatore closed his eyes in despair and took a deep breath to calm himself down. He was such an incompetent brother. But what was the benefit of self-blaming now?


    "Mr. Marino, Persephone had been under a lot of stress. And pregnancy always tends to make emotions more unstable. You must understand her condition. It was quite lucky that my brother was there. If he wasn''t there, not only one but two lives would have lost the chance to live a peaceful and beautiful life," Valencia told Salvatore, who much to her disbelief looked at her in utter horror.


    "Pregnancy?" Sophia caught the word.


    "Yeah, Persephone is pregnant," Valencia announced.


    Everyone fell silent all of a sudden after hearing the good news.


    "I take it you were not aware," Valencia said.


    "We sure were not," Nico whispered.


    ¡­.


    When Persephone gained consciousness, she found her lying on a foreign bed in a very unfamiliar room. She winced as she felt her head hurting. Looking around at the room, she found that she wasn''t familiar with this place.


    Since her bladder was about to give up, she stood up with a jerk and ran towards the washroom. When she came out of the washroom after several minutes, she heard some familiar yet unfamiliar voices.


    "Mom, why can''t I meet her?" A very familiar sulking voice said. "I know Percy is inside. I heard uncle Cam talking to Sophia and Belle. I will just take a peek at her and come back."


    "Santiago, I told you no. Get ready, Uncle Cam will drop you at school, " Valencia said.


    "But mom, today is the weekend. How can you forget my favorite days of the week?" She could sense a pout on his lips.


    Persephone laughed when he heard him.


    Wait a moment, what was she doing in their house?


    She looked around to find where she was. But suddenly the scene of last night came haunting her once again.


    "Oh my God," She whispered and fell on the floor. "How can I do this? How can I do this to my baby?"


    She felt tears wetting her cheek. "I''m sorry, baby. Mama was so stupid. So idiot. How did I ever think of hurting you? Please, don''t hate mama."


    "That boy saved you. I will never be able to thank you enough, " She whispered thinking about Cameron. When she felt a knock on the door, she wiped her face and laid on the bed under the cover.


    A few moments later, the door opened, and in entered, a smiling Valencia. When she saw Persephone awake, her smile widened. "How are you feeling now?"


    "You are giving me doctor vibes, Valencia," Persephone tried to joke but she was in no position to joke.


    Valencia chuckled. "That''s because I am a doctor."


    "Really?" Persephone was shocked. Look at her luck?


    Valencia nodded with a smile.


    "Is my baby okay?"Persephone whispered after a while. Her eyes were shining with tears.


    Valencia''s smile slimmed and Persephone''s worry rose. "For now. Sweetie, you are not allowed to be so stressed. You need to talk to someone. If you kept on stressing, you may affect the health of the baby as well as yours."


    Persephone nodded. "Thank you, Valencia. I can''t thank you enough."


    What would she do if she hadn''t met her last night?


    "Oh, sweetie, it''s not me who you need to thank but my younger brother, Cameron, who brought you to me," Valencia said. "He found you on the terrace unconscious."


    "Can you thank him for me?" Persephone looked at her, ashamed. Yes, she should be ashamed of her action. When did she become such a coward? Instead of fighting, she chose to give up on her life?


    "Sure," Valencia''s smile was infectious. "Your sister and sister-in-law are here. Would you like to meet them?"


    Persephone looked hesitant and so Valencia didn''t force her.


    "I take it they know about my pregnancy," Persephone said after a while.


    Valencia paused before saying yes. "Your brother and the dangerous hunk with him too."


    "Nico?" Persephone murmured. ''Way to spoil the mood. How to tell your fiance that you are pregnant with someone else''s baby? Someone, who you don''t even remember. I can''t even believe how broken Nico must have felt? He must be blaming her now, right?''


    "Yeah, that was the name," Valencia explained. "They left at night but Sophia and Isabelle remained here to look after you." Persephone was about to say something but she cut her off."Before you apologize for troubling me, let me tell you that your Richy rich brother left a huge check for rendering my services and it will last me for at least a year."


    "That check must be for shutting your mouth," Persephone said with a sad smile. "He must have forced you to sign an NDA and when requesting didn''t work he would have threatened you, right?"


    "Don''t worry, your brother quite nicely asked me," Valencia assured her.


    "Salvatore never asks, Val," She said. "He orders or threatens."


    "See, you are stressing again," Valencia told her. "You need to relax."


    How could Persephone tell her that relaxing wasn''t added in the dictionary of a mafia princess?


    "I will leave you to rest," Valencia told her.


    Persephone shook her head. "Tell Sophia and Isabelle that I am ready to go home."


    ¡­


    "Did she say that she is ready to leave?" Isabelle asked with furrowed brows. Ever since she had heard about Persephone''s pregnancy, she has had a very bad premonition. However, what else could they do now?


    Plus, Salvatore had been lost since last night. Although she knew he must have stationed the guards outside, it didn''t stop herself from worrying as to what he might be planning. They had been married for weeks but none of them had feelings about this marriage or for each other at all. He hated her guts and she hated him for being Alessandro Marino''s son. If she could, she would have killed him for a long time.


    Sometimes she wondered why he even married her? Come on, it couldn''t be because he loved her or anything like that. She needed to find as soon as possible to escape the Marino house.


    "Yes, she said she will leave with you guys. But you have to take care of her both physically and emotionally. Her situation is quite delicate. Try not to make her stressed and if you can, please make sure she talks about her feelings to someone," Valencia advised them.


    They nodded their heads.


    "Thank you, Dr. Reynolds," Sophia said.


    .....


    Please add the book to your library.. And don''t forget to vote and support.

 Chapter 120 - So In Mess

    It was neither a secret nor a shock to Persephone that her father had asked her to get rid of the ''bastard'', his words not her when she had returned from Valencia''s house that day. He had made perfectly clear that day to her that there would be no place for her in their lives if she insisted on keeping that child.


    However, who was Persephone if she submitted to her father''s demand? She fought for her stand and told him in clear words that she wasn''t going to listen to him this time. A lot of drama happened that day which ended with her getting faint.


    She had never been more thankful for her delicate health until that day!


    When she woke up the next day, she noticed that her papa said nothing to her. Hell, he stopped talking to her at all. Not that she minded his silence. Truth be told, it was more than welcome. She didn''t have to hear that scumbag at all!


    Later, she heard from someone that after she fainted, Nico and her father had a long talk which forced papa to let her keep the child. She didn''t know what the talk involved but as long as she and her baby were out of the stress zone, she was alright.


    She would go downstairs to have a meal with the family-like usual but when she noticed how her father ignored her presence, she stopped leaving her room too. She would rather eat inside her room than spoil her whole mood by seeing his disgusting face.


    Only she knew how difficult it was for her to pretend to be a loving daughter when all she wanted was to shoot him. She longed to cut him into pieces and feed him to dogs.


    Lord knows why she had such bloody thoughts. She had never been like this!!!


    Like her father was ignoring her, she wished for bloody Nico to ignore her too, but it seemed that man didn''t get the memo. He was hell-bent on acting the role of a doting fiance.


    Carina had taken over the job of providing everything for her these days. Her mom was looking after diet and medicines, and she has to admit that she was stricter than her gynecologist who happened to be Valencia.


    She had to admit that Valencia was a great doctor!


    Isabelle was a great listener. She had given her a unique diary a few days back and asked her to write her feelings in it. And she really liked the gift. Every night, she would write about her journey towards motherhood. She would note down all the things that she wanted to tell her baby when he/she grows up.


    It wasn''t only Isabelle who had become her rock in this hard time but her brother, Salvatore too. She perhaps had never said before but he was a brother many sisters would envy to have. Every day, he would get time out of his busy schedule and spend time with her. He would tell her stories, jokes, and even talk with the baby. He knew so much about these things that sometimes she wondered if he had kids of his own. Once she told him that he would make a great father someday. And her big brother got so emotional that he hugged him so tightly. Lord knew that she could never forget that look of helplessness and longing in his eyes.


    Whatever her brother was a papa material although he was a shitty husband!


    Standing before the mirror, she caressed her non-bumped belly. She was twelve weeks pregnant now but her tummy was still flat as ever. Instead of gaining weight, she had lost so much in the course of twelve-week but Valencia said that it was normal. Pregnancy differs from woman to woman. It must be the morning sickness that was responsible for her weight loss.


    How long had it been since she had enjoyed a real meal?


    She was underweight for a pregnant woman and it was scaring her now.


    Shouldn''t she have a baby bump now?


    She would ask Valencia in the next appointment about this.


    *knock knock*


    She turned her head to find Sophia standing at the doorway with a plate of food salad.


    "Not this, Soph," Persephone groaned. She wanted something spicy not fruits and boiled veggies.


    Sophia narrowed her eyes and quickly put the plate on the table. "Finish this or I will call mom."


    Sophia was still better than mom. Her mom would not sit calmly before feeding her this whole thing. Hell, she would cook two more dishes too!


    Although she was not hungry, she still started eating them. "Wow, it tastes different."


    She wasn''t lying. The salad really tasted a lot different.


    Sophia grinned. "I know. You remember the cafe you told me about?"


    Persephone thought about Ellison and then nodded. "She is an amazing dessert chef."


    "She made this salad too. She added some things which she claimed as her secret recipe," Sophia said. "Have you seen her baby? I just wanted to bite her chubby and delicious cheeks."


    Persephone laughed. Baby Emy could charm anyone. Well, she wasn''t a baby but Ellison insisted on calling her baby Emy. She was two years old and could talk a lot in her babyish language. The baby was too adorable to be true.


    "You went to her cafe?" Persephone asked her.


    Sophia hesitated before nodding. "Yeah, I just returned from there."


    Persephone looked at her and realized that Sophia was still dressed up formally. "You went to meet someone?"


    Sophia was the type of girl who would roam the house in the same pair of clothes for a week straight. Until and unless she wasn''t forced to leave the house, she wouldn''t dress up.


    Sophia nodded. "My fiance to be exact."


    "You fiance," Persephone repeated the words and stared at her. "I thought that was just a rumor."


    Lately, she had been hearing the rumors that Don Marino had arranged a man as Sophia''s fiance. But like she said, she thought they were just rumors. Nonetheless, who had thought that these were true, given the fact that her papa had informed her about this many days before?


    Sophia nodded sadly. She held up her hand and Persephone''s gaze fell on the ring shining on her ring finger. "He gave you the ring."


    Sophia smiled. "He gave me the ring today. Papa said the wedding will be held next week."


    "Sophia, why did you say yes? If you don''t want to marry him, you just say no," Persephone told her.


    "It''s not easy, Percy. Bratva and the Irish are giving a lot of problems to papa lately," said Sophia. "Papa believed that the man he chose for me could help him in dealing with those problems. And ever since we engaged, half of the issues had been resolved. He is a powerful man. He is good for papa''s connection. Papa also said that he didn''t wish to go to war at this time. Circumstances aren''t in favor of him. "


    "Who is this man? Do I know him?" Persephone asked her quickly.


    Sophia shook her head. "He doesn''t live here. He is a man of resources. Well, a lot of resources. And since he is helping papa, our papa chose to show his sincerity by wedding his daughter to him."


    "This is crazy," Persephone murmured.


    "He is coming for lunch tomorrow," Sophia informed her. "Papa asked me to inform you to dress up and show up at the luncheon. He didn''t want anyone other than family to know about your pregnancy news."


    Persephone heaved out a sigh. "Fine. But make sure you send food to my room before lunch. I don''t think I will be able to swallow a bite in his presence."


    "Ah, don''t worry about it," Sophia winked. Although she was showing her sister that she was happy, she still couldn''t fool herself. She was far from happy.


    "Soph?"


    "Hmm?" She looked up at Persephone.


    "What about Nico?" Persephone asked him with slight hesitation.


    "What about him?" Sophia calmly asked her.


    "Sophia! You have nothing to hide from me. Although this topic is really weird to talk about, you know we both are stuck in a place that we can''t seem to abandon anytime soon," said Persephone. "Why did you say yes?"


    Sophia sighed looking at the ceiling. "We are a half-written story, Percy. And he left me to figure out our ending." She let out a mocking laugh and then continued, "You know what''s funny? This half written story is written by me only. There was nothing from his side. Hell not even something to fool me. Yet, I insisted on fooling myself. It stops here. I''m tired now. This stupid unrequited crush of mine. It ends here."


    "We are so in a mess, " Persephone murmured as she hugged her.


    ¡­


    Please add the book to your libraries. Don''t forget to vote and comment! And Happy Holidays to y''all. It''s Diwali week. And I''m so lazily excited. Haha, I found a new way of being excited while being lazy at the same time!!


    However, make sure y''all have a safe and green Diwali!!

 Chapter 121 - Deadly Blue Eyes

    GOAL :


    20 GOLDEN TICKETS (month) = 2 extra Chap.


    200 Power stones = 2 extra. chap.


    (weekly)


    ....


    Laughter and greetings were heard from the patio when Persephone arrived downstairs. Since it was the beginning of the winter, her mother might have thought why not have an outdoor luncheon. Carina Marino was a pro at organizing such events.


    Warm sun fell on her skin and she smiled with it. She loved winters but she loved winter sun even more. Basking in the winter sun was a joy that not everyone could enjoy.


    The weather was perfect. The setting was great. The flowers were blooming even in autumn. Delicious food was laid on the table. And sparkling wine glasses were raised.


    "Where is your sister?" She heard her papa asking Sophia with a frown. She had an urge to tell how this frown was marring his perfectly gorgeous face. Though she could correct this beautiful face of his but what about his black and disgusting heart?


    "Here," said Persephone with a grin. "I''m right here."


    She was wearing her best dress. It was an emerald green dress with a sweetheart neckline, short sleeves and ended a little below her knees. Her usually untamed red hair was beautifully curled quite naturally and she had let them loose. Nobody told her that Tiktok hacks were literally useful but don''t worry now that she had found it.


    Her pregnancy glow was enough to lighten her whole face that she didn''t need makeup. But she did apply a pink-colored balm on her dry lips.


    [Ah, she was a natural beauty! ]


    Nico stood up and kissed her twice on her cheeks before saying, "You look gorgeous, babe."


    Persephone grinned. These days she loves dressing up. So, she focused only on the complement, not on the endearment. "I know right."


    Sophia choked on her drink when she heard her sister''s reply. She was never narcissistic before?


    "Easy, Soph," Isabelle said, patting her back.


    "You are late, " Alessandro said with a scowl.


    "I''m sorry, Papa. Sophia told me to be on my best behavior and looks. So, it took me a little time," Persephone replied while cursing him in her heart. She even said that she was only a little late, not half an hour. She had been testing his patience lately.


    Before Alessandro could say anything, they heard Nico saying, "Come sit." She even pulled a chair for her gentlemanly much to someone else''s discomfort.


    Persephone was so busy salivating over the number of delicacies spread on the table that she forgot to notice a person sitting right in front of her. She was just praying for her mama to say that they can start eating now.


    "Percy?"


    "Yes, Papa?" She spoke as soon as the word escaped Alessandro''s mouth like a teacher calling for a mischievous student.


    "Would you not greet your brother-in-law?"He said and Percy had an urge to smack her head. How could she forget the man of the noon?


    [Her brother-in-law was the point man today!]


    "I''m sorry, Papa. I forgot that we were supposed to meet my brother-in-law today, "Persephone said, guilty.


    A giggle escaped Isabelle''s throat but she controlled it when Salvatore threw a look in her direction.


    "Persephone." The word was a low warning in her papa''s signature style.


    Persephone quickly averted her eyes off food and apologized to it for not being able to savor it just now. She turned her eyes to find her brother-in-law. Even she wanted to see what kind of man and her papa gushing over.


    She just needed to look up, a gasp left her mouth when a pair of deadly blue eyes were staring right at her as if boring a hole into her face. She blinked continuously but was unable to take her eyes off his face or stop her eyes from blinking. She had to close her eyes forcibly with her palm to stop making a fool of herself. Thank God, her papa was busy making conversation so he didn''t notice this little scene. But the man whose eyes had stolen the color from the deepest ocean had seen it all.


    [Way to make a fool outta yourself, Percy!]


    "Mr. Vittelo, that''s my sister Persephone," Sophia, who was sitting next to him, introduced them. "And Percy, that''s Mr. Vitello, my fiance. We will be marrying in a few days."


    Persephone was jealous. She was officially jealous of her sister. Her sister''s kid would get the most beautiful genes and her...she didn''t even know what the father of her child looked like. What if he was not handsome? Would her children be defeated by Sophia''s in terms of gorgeousness? No, she was a shallow person but she loved beautiful people. And she would absolutely love to have beautiful children. Instinctively, under the table, she caressed her belly.


    "It is very nice to meet you, Mr. Vitello," Persephone said with a blinding smile.


    "Likewise," Santiago''s reply was short and curt.


    [Holy smokes, even his voice is hot. Lucky, Sophia.]


    [It must be my pregnancy hormones that are raging to pounce on this gorgeous man]


    Santiago, who was now miraculously Sophia''s fiance, saw clearly how Nico held her hand under the table and lovingly served her the food. No, it wasn''t the scene he was here for. Instead of standing the fork on the steak, he had an urge to stab it on the bastard''s neck whose hands were wandering here and there.


    "Vitello, who would be attending the wedding from your side?" Alessandro, another bastard asked him. He forced his eyes from her to look at her father.


    ....


    Author''s Ranting time.


    Tomorrow is Diwali and I am super excited. Well, who is not? Now, please don''t ask what Diwali is?


    Diwali is one of the most celebrated festivals in India. Yeah, I''m indian. *Laughs*. And I will be super busy with the celebration tomorrow. But don''t worry I won''t forget the update.


    Let''s enjoy two chapters as Diwali gift from my side!


    Have a happy Diwali everyone. May God bless you all with happiness, prosperity and more happiness.


    ...


    PS: Where is my Diwali gift?

 Chapter 122 - Exotic Fruit And Exotic Her

    [GOAL :


    20 GOLDEN TICKETS (month) = 2 extra Chap.


    200 Power stones = 2 extra. chap.


    (weekly)]


    ....


    "Vitello, who would be attending the wedding from your side?" Alessandro, another bastard asked him. He forced his eyes from her to look at her father.


    [Ah, wedding to Sophia Marino. How could he forget this most important task? ]


    "I don''t have any living family members," Santiago replied.


    Lies.


    He did. But they are not family anymore.


    Moreover, he wouldn''t want them present at his wedding to Sophia Marino of all people.


    As to what he was planning? It was a talk of another time.


    "I''m sorry," Don Marino said without being sorry at all. It was a question as to how could a man say all the things with such a straight face, without showing emotions at all.


    Santiago just nodded. Right now, his focus was only on one person.


    "I made some special dessert for you," Carina smiled at him. "Tell me how it tastes."


    Lord knew who many preparations she had made for this day. When she had heard of her daughter''s engagement, she was scared. Really scared. But when she met Santiago Vitello, all her worries disappeared into the thin air. She didn''t know why but this man felt reliable to her. And only the Lord knew that her gut feeling was never wrong.


    "Sure," Santiago smiled like a gentleman. Even without trying, he was charming all of them.


    As a servant came with a plate of dessert everyone was assaulted by a weird stench but only Persephone found the fragrance coming out of the dessert delicious and mouthwatering.


    It was the same fruit that once helped Santiago in helping Persephone. Unfortunately, she didn''t remember any of that. Perhaps, it was for the good.


    On the other hand, just one smell, and Santiago knew what fruit it was.


    Why did everyone here think that just because he was from the Maisean empire, he liked this fruit too just like them?


    "What''s that Carina?" Don Marino didn''t bother to hide his contempt when everyone else was miserably failing.


    "That''s a dessert made of fruits which is indigenous to Mr. Vitello''s country," Carina informed her husband kindly.


    "Okay," Don Marino grimaced. Why did his wife had all of the weirdest ideas? Was one idiot not enough that he had brought another one of the same kind? Sometimes, he wondered if Carina was an even bigger mistake than Penelope.


    "Mrs. Marino, I really appreciate your effort but I particularly don''t like the fruit," Santiago said, making several people sign in relief. However, he didn''t fail to notice a look of sadness casting on Persephone''s face when she saw the dessert tray going away from her. This girl! She still didn''t find its smell unbearable?


    He had to pinch the bridge of his nose to cover his reaction. How could she? She stayed with this stench for hours without feeling bothered. Amidst these thoughts, his mind wandered to a particular scene when he found her naked by the creek in the middle of the forest and danger. He pinched his thigh and chided her brain to not wander into the forbidden zone.


    "But I think Miss Marino would like to try it," Santiago kindly offered and Persephone''s eyes shone with happiness.


    This was how Persephone was served the dessert but she chose to eat it away from everyone. She needed a reason to leave the dining table and she got it when she ate the dessert much to everyone''s horror. She even asked the housekeeper to send the remaining dessert to her room. The beautiful and calming fragrance of the fruit was calming her down. It was even better than Ellison''s salad.


    She was taking deep breaths while closing her eyes when she heard Sophia''s voice.


    "What are you doing, Percy?"


    "I''m thinking if someone would make perfume from that fruit. I loved its fragrance," Persephone replied, making Santiago choke on his breath.


    "You are crazy," Sophia could only say this.


    She opened her eyes and found Santiago standing beside her sister. And so she said, "Mr. Vitello, how about you send me this fruit occasionally and you can have my blessing? I won''t mind you marrying my sister."


    Sophia gasped in horror before leaving them alone. She couldn''t deal with this crazy sister of hers. Pregnancy was harming her brain cells too.


    Santiago just looked at her. "You will sell off your sister for some mere fruits?"


    [Truly, it sounds like something Persephone would do if you ask him. ]


    "Mere fruits?" Persephone gasped dramatically. "Did you just call them ''mere fruits''? How could you? How could you call Euphoria just ordinary? How can an empress and a maid be the same?"


    Did her words make sense?


    No, right? But why did it not surprise him a bit?


    She always managed to render him speechless with her unusual talks and actions.


    Yet, Santiago couldn''t help but smile when he realized that her reaction was the same as the day when he called the dolphins mere. Why the hell memories were surfing in his mind? Why was he connecting everything to the past that they shared?


    "Ah, I''m sorry," Santiago said. "I forget you are just like our people. Crazy over this stinky fruit."


    "Your people sound intelligent, " Persephone commented while shrugging her shoulders.


    Santiago''s eyes weren''t on her face now but on the Sapphire shining on her neck whereas Persephone''s gaze was behind him where Nico and Sophia seemed to be arguing. Even she could sense tension between those two from here. She wondered what her sister''s fiance would do if he found Nico talking so intensely with his soon to be wife.


    "Would you like a tour of the mansion?" Persephone offered.


    Santiago naturally agreed.


    He didn''t know that she was buying some time for Sophia and Nico. Men like Santiago and her brother were always possessive of their belongings. To them wives and mistress were belongings too. If Santiago found this tension between Sophia and Nico, she dared not fathom what a scene might be created right here.. So, she attempted to take him away from the premises and give time to Nico and Sophia to solve whatever was going on between the two of them.

 Chapter 123 - Boyfriend

    As Santiago was having a tour of the mansion by his Red, Persephone''s phone rang. She excused for a moment before going away to take the call.


    Only when he noticed that no one was in sight, did he let himself lean against the wall and study her once again. Her previous straight dark hair was curly and red now. Her face had an otherworldly shine. The freckles trailing on the bridge of her nose were as beautiful as before.


    The green of her body-hugging dress was popping the green of her eyes. Those green eyes which had been haunting his dreams for the last two months. The green eyes which didn''t let him sleep.


    He noticed that her body changed in these months. Her breast seemed more fuller and her hips rounder. But she still was as thin as before, if not more. He wondered if all of his food went to her boobs and ass only.


    "I don''t think your fiance would like you talking to another man," Santiago said when she returned.


    "Excuse me?" Persephone narrowed her green eyes at him.


    "You heard me fine," Santiago said in a tone which infuriated her. Apparently, everything he said and did infuriate her, including his existence.


    "Who were you talking to?" He said in that smoky sizzling voice of his as he took a step ahead, his hands tucked in his pockets.


    Persephone found herself speechless as his hot breath landed on her face. No, he wasn''t standing that close to her but she still could feel tremors on her skin when he spoke.


    Stay away from him. She warned herself. He was an intriguing man. But dangerous nonetheless. Way more dangerous than her papa and Nico.


    She should stay away from him. But did she find herself attracted to him? Even without trying, she could only focus on him. It was crazy. Total crazy. And extremely ridiculous. But she couldn''t stop or control it.


    [Oh God, I''m pregnant with someone else''s kid. And engaged to someone else too.]


    "Who were you talking to?" Santiago asked. He didn''t know why it was so important for him to ask her. But he wasn''t able to forget how she called the man on the phone ''baby'' and smiled at him.


    "My boyfriend," Persephone instinctively replied.


    "You have a boyfriend?" Santiago managed to utter the word.


    Persephone nodded. She closed her eyes and remembered little Santaigo''s grinning face. He was a sweetheart to her. He has been keeping her sane these days. And it was clear that she had grown too close to him. Luckily, Valencia had no issue with her spending time with her son.


    "Yes," Persephone nodded.


    "Hey, I have been looking for you," Sophia came with Nico behind her. Actually, she came here running away from Nico who had been behaving strangely for the last few weeks. Come on, she wouldn''t believe that now that she was getting married to someone else, he had a sudden interest in her. And Lord knew why he didn''t want her to marry Santiago! Well, he could just fuck himself along with his issues.


    "Sorry, I was giving Mr. Vitello a tour of our mansion but had to stop when I got a call from my love Santiago, " Persephone happily told her. One must note that she was happy only after talking to little Santiago. Grown-up Santiago was only the cause of her worries. "I love that boy too much."


    Santiago ends up breaking in a fit of cough when he hears her. Sophia had to hit on his back with her fists.


    Wait, did she say she loved Santiago?


    And that Santiago wasn''t him?


    What the heck?


    "You were talking with that little boy again?" Nico asked her with furrowed brows. Of course, he knew who this Santiago was.


    Persephone nodded like a fangirl. "My beautiful blue-eyed boy."


    Nico heaved out a sigh. "You and your obsession with blue-eyed boys." He then weirdly looked at Santiago and apologized. "Sorry, we weren''t talking about your blue eyes. I didn''t even notice until now that you too have blue eyes."


    He was doing a fine job at hiding his hostility for the guy.


    "I do have blue eyes too," Santiago said while staring at Persephone. His gaze was burning her bare skin. "And my name is Santiago too."


    Now it was Persephone''s turn to break into a fit of cough.


    Could this get more awkward?


    [Ah, baby, come save your mama from this embarrassment.]


    ¡­


    "Are you fine?" Isabelle asked her with naked concern. She was holding Persephone''s hair while the latter was busy puking the food she consumed.


    Persephone nodded while her eyes were about to drop anytime soon. She was now lethargic.


    "You need rest," Isabelle said.


    "I''m fine," Persephone insisted. "If I defy papa''s orders once again, it will give him a chance to talk shit about my baby again. I don''t wanna hear him saying any bad words about my baby, Belle."


    Don Marino had to leave immediately after lunch as he got a call that changed the color of his face. She didn''t know why but she had a feeling that it must have something to do with his dear Enzo.


    She scoffed inwardly but didn''t comment any further.


    On the other hand, Isabelle had been worried sick. She had been trying to contact Killian for the last few weeks but none of her calls connected. Salvatore had been keeping a close eye on her and she had a feeling that he knew something. However, she had been playing safe lately.


    When she noticed Don Marino''s ashen face, she immediately texted Killian even though her calls weren''t going through. If he saw her text, he knew what to do.


    Now, they were told to spend quality time with Santiago Vitello and so they would do as ordered by Don Marino. But Isabelle had a feeling that once she knew something substantial about this newcomer, it would certainly give her clues.


    But clues about what?

 Chapter 124 - Nash In A Fight

    [GOAL :


    20 GOLDEN TICKETS (month) = 2 extra Chap.


    200 Power stones = 2 extra. chap.


    (weekly)]


    ...


    "Can you stop eating that?" Valencia said with a frown as she pointed at the huge chips packet in Persephone''s hand. Persephone had known this woman for several weeks but until now she hadn''t seen such a scowl or frown soiling her beautiful face.


    Valencia was a very gorgeous woman. She was in her late twenties but the matureness that this woman carried was ahead of her age. It was completely right when people said that tragedies changed people and so did it to her.


    After losing her elder brother at a young age to losing her childhood sweetheart who later became her husband in an army mission to become a single mother while she was in med-school to becoming the sole custodian of her teenage younger brother when they lost their parents in an accident. She had always been haunted by tragedies. No happiness had come to her without taking something in return.


    Persephone pouted her lips as she looked at her then at the chip in her hand and then sighed before placing it back in the packet. "My handsome boyfriend gave it to me. How bad would he feel if he gets to know his mom did let me eat my current craving?"


    No, Santiago didn''t give his snack stash to her. He had been prohibited by Valencia to share his snacks with her for some reasons he couldn''t understand.


    Valencia just shook her head at her. "You didn''t tell the truth. And neither did Santiago give this snack packet to you."


    "Okay. Fine. I stole it from his secret stash. But I swear he shared this secret with me, " Persephone swore. "He even asked me not to tell his mom."


    "I don''t mind you eating his snack but you can''t eat these unhealthy snacks," Valencia chided her. She had to remind her daily that she was pregnant. And she had to manage her diet well. "You are eating for two. So, please eat healthy food."


    Persephone wobbled her lips. "But Google said that it was okay to have snacks once in a while."


    "Google ain''t your doctor. I''m," Valencia sighed. Why did all her patients vouch for google for their stupid activities? If Google could treat their ailments, did they need a doctor?


    "Fine. Fine. Miss Doctor. I will listen to you now."


    Persephone in the end kept that tempting packet of chips away from her. She didn''t want to disturb Valencia more than she already was. She could see something was troubling her doctor slash friend.


    Just as she was thinking, her gaze fell on a huge rose bouquet. Ah, now she understood what was troubling her. That damned self-proclaimed lover of hers. She had an urge to beat that Nash guy now.


    "Is that man still troubling you?" Persephone asked her in a quiet worried tone. She had seen how mad Valencia was when he started sending her flowers and stuff. But she had to admit that the guy was really sweet if not creepy.


    "It''s not him," Valencia sighed. "It''s James."


    "What about him?" Persephone asked her with furrowed brows. As much as she knew, James was the doctor working in the same hospital where Valencia used to work previously. And he was also Valencia''s late husband Jackson''s friend. This was the reason why Santiago and Valencia were closer to him. They said that James had done a lot for them after the death of Jackson.


    "We are friends, Val. You can tell me anything. I am the last person on this planet who will ever judge you for anything, " Persephone told her. "Tell me what''s worrying you. I swear I will help you. Or ask Salvatore to beat the shit out of that lover of yours if he is troubling you."


    Valencia nodded. But she was suppressing her tears. Just as Persephone hugged her, she lost control. She said in a broken and choked voice," James was drunk last night. I didn''t tell you he has been behaving weirdly ever since I left the hospital to start my own clinic."


    She was a sobbing mess now. " He had been messaging and calling me non-stop. I thought he was just worried about me. I get it that I was new to this big city and lost the job that pays my bills. But it was not like that at all."


    She really thought James was worried about her after she resigned from the job after a tiff with a coworker. She wasn''t the kind of woman who would endure injustice just because the job pays her bill. She knew that she was talented and would get a job if not at that hospital but somewhere else even if it wasn''t as fancy as her last job. Then again, nothing about being a doctor was fancy.


    She continued in a broken voice," Last night, he called me and said he had something to talk to me about and he couldn''t tell it to me on the phone. But when he started ranting about how bad and dangerous Nash was for me and Santiago, I lost it. He thinks I am dating Nash when I am certainly not. Not even in the next million years. But you see it was none of his business and I told him straightly. He got mad and he was drunk too."


    She paused and was shaking badly in Persephone''s arms. " He was so drunk that he didn''t even realize that he was forcing himself on me. He said that he loved me and what not! He said he had been waiting to take Jack''s place ever since he left. I don''t know where Nash, the man who is sending me flowers and cards, came from. But he beat James black and blue." She looked up to glance at Persephone''s face. "Percy, it was so scary. So much blood. I couldn''t see it. For a moment,I thought he would kill James. Thankfully, the police came on time and arrested both of them."


    and write something....

 Chapter 125 - Creepy But Hot

    "Oh my God, Val. Why did you not call me?"


    Persephone asked her, wide eyes. "Oh, God. That Nash, guy? Where is he? And the fucker James? What about him?"


    "The family lawyer helped me in getting a restraining order against James," Valencia said with a worried expression. "As for Nash, before I can bail him out. He was roaming in the police station as if he owned it. That man is not normal, Percy. He has connections to support his cockiness."


    And his connections truly scared her. That man was so different from the one she grew up with. Her dad was a cop, her late husband was a soldier and her mom an attorney. So, she grew up in the family where laws were taught in the womb. But Nash? He was born to break them. He didn''t even care about the police. He surely wasn''t a normal man. Or perhaps, a mafioso like Percy''s family?


    "I''m sorry , Val, " Persephone mumbled, hugging her even tightly. "I call myself your friend but when it comes to helping you,I fail myself as one. Please, next time if you are in danger. Just ring me once. I promise I will help you as much as I can. Although I am a useless woman, I have a capable brother."


    Valencia nodded. "I know. It''s just that my head stopped working suddenly when I saw Nash beating James."


    Persephone could understand what she was saying. "So,are you going to give this Nash guy a chance? Even his name sounds sexy. He was a classic example of a knight saving his beauty in a damsel.I think you should go on a date with him."


    Valencia scoffed. "He is nothing but trouble. And Percy, I am a mother of an eight years old boy. I have to plan my life keeping him in mind. I agree he is an attractive man but he screams danger. Last night was a promo to what would happen if I am with him. He is volatile, crude, violent and short tempered, all the qualities I want to keep my Santiago away from."


    Not just this, he could be a criminal. And Mama, she couldn''t be in love with a criminal. She was past the age where she would find such man mysterious and desirable.


    "You know what you are doing, Val," Persephone sighed.


    "Enough about me, tell me how is your life going?" Valencia said and Persephone groaned.


    "As bad as word bad can stretch to, but the only golden event is that I get to see my baby today, all thanks to you," Persephone said. She paused and then added, "I thought only my life changed in these few months but yours too changed so much because of me."


    Valencia smiled as she looked at her home. Her life changed so much in the last few months. She left the place where she shared every moment of her childhood and youth. She experienced love there for the first time and even her first experience of heartbreak was there. She shattered into pieces there but glued her back too. So many emotions and memories associated with a single place. And in the end, she left that place too and came to New York. A city she had dreamed of visiting once in her life but never thought about settling down. She found a great job here. Did it for a few months and lost it when she met Persephone. But maybe, it was for the better.


    Now she has a small clinic near her home. She invested the little money she inherited from her parents after their death. Well, the sum of money she received after her husband''s death wasn''t little for a white collar worker. It was almost a million dollars.And her husband had been saving behind her back and so she had no idea about it. She only got to know about it after her husband''s death. When she found herself pregnant and lonely in college after his death, the little amount of money was helpful in filling her bills.


    But when it was combined with the money they got as remuneration as she was the wife of a martyr with a child, it was enough for her to plan her and her son''s future. She used this amount to create a trust fund for Santiago. Life is really unpredictable and she has learned it the hard way. If something happens to her tomorrow, at least her son would have financial security.


    As if losing her husband wasn''t enough for shattering Valencia, she lost her parents too after four years of her husband''s death. She had just graduated that year from the med school and her son had entered the pre-school when she was allotted thirteen years old Cameron''s custody.


    Losing her parents was the biggest setback that Valencia had ever gotten. At ten, she lost her elder brother. Her best buddy, her crime partner, her everything. At nineteen, she lost her husband. At twenty, she was a mom to a baby. At twenty four, she lost her parents who had been keeping her sane. And four years later, she still was parenting an eight years old kid and a seventeen years old teenager brother. But she swore that if Santigo and Cameron hadn''t been there, she would have long gotten insane. She didn''t know what to do and for whom to live.


    Well, enough of her soap story¡­


    Right now, both of them were at Valencia''s house. Kale had dropped Persephone at her clinic and since her home was opposite of her clinic building, both of them were spread on the couch in the living room after having a heavy lunch that Valencia had cooked. Everytime, Persephone would come for a check up, Valencia would keep her day vacant and would hang out at her house.


    It was Salvatore''s arrangement and Persephone didn''t forget to inform her brother that she quite liked his arrangement.


    ¡­


    "So, you are telling me that you find Sophia''s fiance creepy?" Valencia asked her.


    Persephone nodded. "Creepy but hot too."


    Persephone was sometimes so straightforward that Valencia had to take breath to calm herself down. No, ordinary women would use the word hot for the man who they find weird but Persephone was far from ordinary. And she still was understanding how extraordinary this friend of hers was.


    "Why did you find him creepy?"Valencia asked her. She had met Sophia several times along with Persephone. She had to say that the girl was honest and just as straightforward as her sister. She didn''t think that Sophia would agree to marry a creepy man like Persephone said.


    Persephone sighed. "I met him two days ago. And since then, he is everywhere. Wherever I went, he was there, doing one thing and the other. Always studying someone or something. He just is everywhere...and he makes me so uncomfortable. And my womanly hormones rage whenever he is in my proximity."


    "Creepy indeed," Valencia said with a mysterious smile. "Would you now tell me why you find him hot?"


    Without their knowing, Valencia was her lowkey therapist too.


    "He had blue eyes, blue as in the color of the ocean or my necklace." Her hand had clutched the sapphire in her hand. It was a habit that was instilled in her mind.


    "Just for it?" Valencia raised her brow.


    "Yeah why else?" Persephone furrowed her brows in confusion.


    "Why does he make you uncomfortable?" Valencia then asked her.


    Now Persephone was quiet. Even now she was thinking about it. Why did she find him uneasy? It could be because various blurry scenes flashed before her eyes whenever she was in his proximity. She had words to say to him, but when it came to saying, she just found herself speechless. It was like she had all the words on the tip of her tongue but when it came to saying, it didn''t come out of her mouth at all. Her brain seemed to know something but never let her recall it. It was really weird.


    ¡­


    In the evening, when Persephone returned home. She went straight to the kitchen as she was sure that she would find Carina there overseeing dinner.


    "Hey mom!" Persephone said, leaning against the counter, her eyes eyeing the dishes simmering in the pot.


    "You came already?" Carina asked her. "Since Alessandro wasn''t at home, I thought you would spend more time with your friend."


    "Your husband is not at home?"Persephone asked her. Why did nobody tell her? Whatever! "Why are you cooking so early?" She then asked.


    Carina smiled at her. "Oh, Santiago is here. He arrived just an hour before. He had some work with your papa but since he wasn''t home, he asked his subordinate to assist him. A maid informed me that their work is almost done and he will be coming down."


    ''Ah, work with papa? Must be to kill someone.'' She scoffed.

 Chapter 126 - Reminds Of Home

    Carina smiled at her. "Oh, Santiago is here. He arrived just an hour before. He had some work with your papa but since your papa wasn''t home, he asked his subordinate to assist him. A maid informed me that their work is almost done and he will be coming down."


    ''Ah, work with papa? Must be to kill someone.'' She scoffed.


    "Cindy?" Persephone called out as she saw the chef steaming the soup.


    "Yes, Miss Marino?" Cindy smiled. "What can I help you with?"


    "I want to cook something,"Persephone announced, horrifying the two women.


    " I don''t think that it''s a very good idea, "Carina was quick to reply. She was horrified with the idea of Persephone in the kitchen. Yes, she was giving her daughters cooking classes as Persephone had insisted but it didn''t mean that she was all ready to be inside the kitchen on her own. " You must not hurt yourself in this condition."


    "Chill mom. It''s pregnancy not a disease," Persephone said. Taking a bowl from the drawer, she started taking out the ingredients. "And I know my capabilities. Just stand there and see if I am doing it correctly." Seeing that his mom had no intention of bulging, she pressed, "Please mom."


    "Fine," Carina could only sigh.


    After forty minutes, a whole messy kitchen and around twenty contaminated utensils later, Persephone yelled, "I''m done. Cindy, please help me take it out of the oven." She turned with a grin and asked,"It looks yummy, mama, doesn''t it?"


    Carina couldn''t help with that infectious grin. "Yes, it does." Only after saying that, she saw what Persephone had cooked. Well, she was doing something with nutella, fruits and oats. Lord knew what she was cooking. However,it didn''t look as horrifying as she had initially thought.


    "Cam shared this recipe," Persephone informed both the ladies. "He said when he used to work in a diner, these recipes helped him in getting the girls!" She then grinned and continued,"And Valencia approved this too. She said it was good for my diet too." Then she tore a bite and fed it to Carina and Cindy. "Tell me, is it good?"


    Carina and Cindy were surprised to find that it actually tasted like food. They meant it didn''t taste that bad.


    "I didn''t know that little Percy one day would be able to learn this art of cooking,"Cindy added with a smile.


    "I guess being a mom changes you,"Persephone said with a happy smile. " Truth be told, I''m feeling many changes in my body,both physically and mentally. It''s like I have this excessive energy to do and learn new things for me and my baby but at the same time so lethargic to handle some things. I don''t know if I will ever be able to make you ladies understand what I am feeling."


    Carina patted her shoulder with a teary smile. "To be able to nurture another life inside of you is a bliss. It changes you for good."


    Despite the circumstances, Persephone was thoroughly celebrating her course of pregnancy. She didn''t learn cooking for anyone but for her baby. One day, she would leave this family with her baby for good. And there wouldn''t be chefs and servants to serve her. If she didn''t want to starve, she had to learn certain survival skills, cooking being one of them.


    Another servant helped her in taking out the dishes she cooked to the dining table, until she would freshen up. She went upstairs leaving her hardly cooked food alone on the dining table. When she came downstairs only a few minutes later dressed in comfy home clothes, she found that ridiculously weird but gorgeous man munching on her food. The same food she spent more than half an hour on.


    "What the hell are you doing?"


    Santiago looked up when he heard a horror shriek. He found angry green eyes weaving ways to murder him right there on the spot.


    Chocolate was still glued to his finger when he blinked his eyes at her. "I was just trying it out. It''s not that bad..."


    To be honest, when Carina asked him to wait on the dining table as she would serve him dinner and wouldn''t let him leave without dinner. He agreed as he knew how insistent Italian mamas can be about the matters relating to food. But when he occupied the chair, he found a dessert kind of thing made with Nutella. He didn''t know why but it reminded him of his mom''s recipes. She used to make something very similar to this thing. And imagine his joy and surprise, when this thing tasted almost like his mama''s desserts. For the first time in years, Santiago found solace. It was odd but precious indeed.


    One might not understand what he was feeling right now. Not even a single bite of this snack could top fancy restaurants but no fancy restaurant cooked bring the magic of this kind of home cooked meal to him.


    "How can you do this to me?" Persephone asked him. Her eyes filled with tears. No, she wasn''t actually crying. It was just pregnancy messing with her emotions. She couldn''t control her emotional outbursts.


    Santiago paused and looked at her with apparent worry. He had never seen his Red crying except that day. And he had never dealt with crying women. So, he had no idea how to console them.


    "Hey! I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to hurt you," Santiago awkwardly said.


    Instead of sobering up, Persephone cried even more. As he tried to console, her tears became uncontrollable.


    Those sobs were heartbreakingly saddening him. "I will go if you don''t want me at home. Tell me, why are you crying,I will try my best to make up for you."


    Persephone sobbed. These stupid hormones. ''Why am I even crying?'' Thinking for a minute,she came out with no answer. ''I wanna cry for no reason.''


    Carina came running out the kitchen. She found Santiago patting Persephone and apologizing in a thousand ways. Soon after him, Isabelle and Sophia came too. They all started looking at him with accusatory gazes.


    "I didn''t say anything to her. She shrieked at me and then suddenly started crying." For the first time in life,he was afraid of women who were even one-tenth in his power." Now she is not telling the reason either.''''


    Ignoring his existence,Sophia went closer to her sister and asked in a cooing voice,"Why are you crying, Percy? Did this man hurt you? Tell me and I will sharpen my knife."


    Behind her, Isabelle picked the knife that was placed beside the fork and spoon. She even gestured in a way that said she was sharpening it.


    Imagine Santiago''s horror¡­


    When Persephone''s sobs lessened , she said amid hiccups,"This damn man ate the food I hardly cooked for the first time in my life."Pointing towards the empty plates,she continued when her tears started pouring out,"He didn''t even leave a bit for me. How can someone be so callous?! I want justice. For me and my food. How could he do this to me?"


    "Wait, you were just crying because of food?"Isabelle asked her. She had heard about the fluctuating emotional state of pregnant women but saw and experienced it for the first time. All she could say was that she had no intention of experiencing it once again.


    Persephone threw a glare at Isabelle and she shut her mouth, understanding that she said something she shouldn''t have.


    "You cooked it?"Santiago asked her in a weird tone.


    Persephone scowled at him first but then nodded her head. " You didn''t have the decency to save something for the chef. Mannerless brute!"


    Rather than getting offended, he smiled at her genuinely. "I didn''t mean to offend you. I''m really sorry. But as a person who was bestowed with the opportunity to taste your first cooked meal,I can say that you did a pretty good job. Your food reminds me of my mom and home. Thank you."


    Now how could Persephone get offended? His words meant more than a simple compliment to her. It felt good to be honest.


    "Wait, you were just crying because of food?"Isabelle asked her. She had heard about the fluctuating emotional state of pregnant women but saw and experienced it for the first time. All she could say was that she had no intention of experiencing it once again.


    Persephone threw a glare at Isabelle and she shut her mouth, understanding that she said something she shouldn''t have.


    "You cooked it?"Santiago asked her in a weird tone.


    Persephone scowled at him first but then nodded her head. " You didn''t have the decency to save something for the chef. Mannerless brute!"


    Rather than getting offended, he smiled at her genuinely. "I didn''t mean to offend you. I''m really sorry. But as a person who was bestowed with the opportunity to taste your first cooked meal,I can say that you did a pretty good job. Your food reminds me of my mom and home. Thank you."


    Now how could Persephone get offended? His words meant more than a simple compliment to her.. It felt good to be honest.

 Chapter 127 - Slow Dance With You

    "Why must I be tormented with them?" Persephone muttered as soon as she entered the fancy restaurant.


    Today her new brother-in-law informed them that he would be taking all of them out for dinner. Yesterday, when she was recovering from a day of almost killing morning sickness, Santiago and Sophia were on a date. And surprisingly, her papa gave them the permission too. Not that she cared but still¡­.


    Wait a moment, why was it irking her where he took her sister for a date?


    He could take her with him to hell for all the care¡­.


    Whatever!


    Yes, whatever!


    But why was he taking all of them (Persephone, Sophia, Nico, Salvatore and Isabelle out)? He even invited Papa and mom but they politely declined.


    After that, he dropped her sister home and didn''t bother saying anything to her. Not that she was dying to talk to him. But that man ate her desserts. Wasn''t he supposed to compensate her?


    No, she would never admit that she had forgiven his grave mistake after hearing those sweet words that her food reminded him of his mom. No, she wasn''t touched at all. And she wasn''t lusting at him at all. Yes, she wasn''t lusting after him. It was just her pregnancy hormones messing up with one of her vital organs; the brain.


    "Please take your seats and I will be back in a moment," Santiago said with a very gentlemanly smile.


    What host left their guests to attend to other things?


    Apparently, Santiago Vitello.


    Wait a minute¡­


    Why on earth did his name sound so comforting to her all of a sudden?


    Whatever¡­


    Ignore him¡­


    Thankfully, Nico pulled a chair for her first and then sat on the one next to hers. Quite like a possessive fiance. Sophia sat beside her and the chair adjacent to hers was kept empty for Santiago. Likewise, Salvatore and Isabelle occupied theirs when Santiago was away.


    At times like this, she had this weird feeling as if Santiago was trying to read out her family. It was strange. If she didn''t know better, she would have thought that he was an agent in disguise, collecting evidence against her papa but she knew better than to believe her crazy ideas. However, if it was the case, she was sure that she would be the first one out of her family to betray the great Don Marino.


    "What''s the purpose of the dinner?" Nico asked without bothering to hide his contempt for the man. He was unusually wary of Santiago even though he had no reason for his growing wariness and hostility for this foreign man.


    "Too bad, he didn''t personally call me to state the purpose of arranging the dinner to get to know his fiance''s family even better," Isabelle sarcastically said with a straight face. Did this ex-grandson of hers think she didn''t recognise the look in his eyes? Well, he had another thing coming.


    "How can you blindly take his side ?"Nico scowled at her and his voice was a little loud.


    "Raise your voice and see what I do to you?" Isabelle narrowed her eyes at him. "Widow or not! I''m still high in rank. And you gotta respect me for that! As for the dinner, you were not forced to attend it. Even if anyone can''t see it, I know better than anyone why you are truly here."


    This caused Nico to shut his mouth.


    Fortunately, This exchange wasn''t witnessed by the siblings sitting next to them. Even if they had, they wouldn''t have bothered to get involved in it. Salvatore was not a big fan of Nico and he has made it several times clear. It would be interesting to see if Nico as a consigliere would be loyal to Salvatore, who he thinks is nothing more than a boss due to Nepotism.


    "What do you mean?" Nico questioned, suddenly self-aware. Even he didn''t know these days, why Santiago irked him whenever he would be in proximity to Sophia.


    "You know all too well what I mean," Isabelle replied mysteriously and Nico just huffed before keeping quiet.


    A waiter came to take their orders and Persephone shamelessly ordered the food she was craving for, not bothering to wait for the host. After all, they were there for food in the first place.


    When Santiago came back to the table, he started making small talks with Salvatore and Sophia. Persephone was munching on the starters, Nico was sulking quietly like a fool and Isabelle was entertaining them with her unusual sense of humour. Even today she was dressed in 90s fashion. This woman had a peculiar obsession with vintage clothes. But she was looking like a diva as always.


    "What do you think about it?" Santiago asked Persephone with a smile.


    "About what?" She was still chewing. Sophia was getting second-hand embarrassment looking at her but like she said before, pregnant women are scary.


    "About the restaurant?"Santiago said. " Food? Ambience?"


    "I didn''t know we were here as reviewers. Ask Sophia, that''s her department, "Persephone was ruthless. She wasn''t going to engage in small talks with him. To be honest, she couldn''t talk to him without getting hot and bothered.


    "Of course, "Santiago could only smile at Sophia to save his face. Then looking at Persephone, he said," The restaurant is popular for its delicate and delightful desserts."


    "Ah, thank you but I will pass," Persephone said. Her eyes were out of the window. Ellison''s cafe was in front of this fancy restaurant. How badly did she wish to fly from here and land there?


    "What are you looking at?" Sophia asked her and Persephone pointed out.


    "Ellison again?" Sophia sighed. "Are you not bored already?"


    Nobody noticed how the fork in Salvatore''s hand paused as he heard the mention of the new name. His gaze looked up and followed Persephone and paused at the place''s door.


    "Who is Ellison?"Santiago asked casually. It can''t be another boy? This woman had a hobby of picking up trophies wherever she went. First, it was the King, secondly, it was the captain and lastly, that Romeo guy. Not to mention, there was a guy named the same as him with similar blue eyes. Lord, knew how much she had collected in the last two months. And let''s not forget the tool sitting beside her. How he wished to push the bastard in his mouth! Especially when his hands wander too much.


    Sophia sighed again. "Can you see the cafe out of the window? The one with catchy and cute decor? That''s Percy''s favourite hanging spot. She loved the desert there!"


    "I didn''t know your sister was a foodie?" Santiago mentioned, not a bit surprised.


    "You don''t know anything about her at all," Nico growled.


    "You are right," Santiago said in a calm voice with a taunting smile. " But I will know everything about everyone soon, Mr Scuderi."


    "So we can go to Ellison''s after dinner?"Persephone said, cutting off the tension between the two giants.


    "Absolutely not!" Salvatore was the one to respond. Calming his voice, he said," How bad it will sound if we ditch Santiago to go to the cafe you mentioned?! You can go there later. Or you can always order takeaways."


    " Bro--"


    " Percy!" His decision was final and she knew it.


    Before Persephone could say anything, she noticed Isabella gesturing to her to keep calm as she would help her out later.


    On the other hand, Santiago was studying Salvatore. His reaction wasn''t natural. Why did he feel the need to study Salvatore Marino all over again? Was he really just a pretty prince? Or there was a layer within him that he was purposely hiding?


    They were all making small talks and jokes to lighten the tense atmosphere when the band started the music.


    "Wow," a word left everyone''s mouth.


    "They are really good," Someone mentioned.


    "The voice is heavenly," Isabelle was the one to make a comment and even Salvatore seemed to agree.


    Suddenly, the light dimmed and the tune changed.


    Santiago choked on wine when he recognised the melody. How could it be that song?


    Was it a way of destiny to laugh at him?


    ????Lights go down wheels go around


    I''m taking you home


    Hoping for a slow song to come on the radio


    I''m not ready to shut it down¡­..????


    His eyes turned and met hers. This song meant something to them if not to anyone. But no one had to know. It was their secret to keep. Even when her brain forgot him, her heart still remembered him.


    As the band started playing this particular melody, she had found herself breathless and she didn''t know why but something so sharp was pricking her heart and trying to rip it into two. Her head was splitting and the ache was unbearable. But as his beautiful blue gaze met hers, all the ache and the discomfort disappeared. She was drowning in those blue orbs and strangely, she never wanted to come back to the shore. She just wanted to stay there.. Forever.

 Chapter 128 - Sweet Memories

    ????A slow dance with you


    Spinning you around by the Walmart sign


    And moving our feet over the painted white lines


    Getting close to you


    Making the most of whatever we got


    Even if it''s just a slow dance in a parking lot????


    As the song came to end, Persephone crashed into reality. Her eyes unknowingly turned glossy. Muttering an excuse, she walked out to have a moment in the washroom.


    But she just needed fresh air to breathe. Instead of walking to the ladies room, she walked in a different direction.


    When Persephone was walking on her own, she heard voices of help. Not knowing what to do, she just opened the door and found two people beating each other. A man was getting beaten by a lean and frail teenager who was a head taller than the adult. What shocked her wasn''t how a teenager overpowered the well-built adult but the face of the teenager.


    "Cameron! What are you doing?" Persephone shrieked in horror. "Leave him!"


    She should call Val, right?


    But right now, she couldn''t even do anything!


    "Percy! Don''t stop me! You don''t know what this bastard has done!" Cameron was not listening to anyone. He was beating the man black and blue and the other man didn''t leave a chance in attacking his attacker. "This fucker assaulted my sister! How dare he touch her?!"


    Only when she heard him, she saw that the man who was getting beaten was James, the fucker.


    "Dammit, he is James? The asshole?" Persephone growled. "I''m going to call Salvatore to assist you."


    Persephone was about to leave the room when James caught her hand. He looked dead into her eyes and growled in a sinister voice, "So, you are the bitch! Who talked shit about me to my Val!"


    "Don''t you dare call her your Val," Persephone roared at him. She would be damned before leaving him intact. If she could, she would beat him black and blue and throw him into Hudson "She ain''t your Val."


    James was about to hit her when Cameron caught him by his hair. In the process, Persephone got free of his hold but he started slamming Cameron badly into the wall. Cameron''s nose was bleeding, his jaw had a tear and his knuckles were badly bruised.


    Persephone couldn''t call the police as she should, but if she did, Cameron would be arrested too. As she was stuck in a dilemma, the door to the room was kicked again and another angry growl was heard.


    When Santiago saw Persephone leaving the table with teary eyes, he felt as if someone had hit him in the gut. Nobody found anything wrong with her but he did. He was sure that she didn''t remember anything. He knew the effects of hypnosis that he had on her but it didn''t mean she could never recover her memories. In the veil of attending a call, he followed her. But he was shocked when he heard a familiar shriek. When he walked ahead, he found a boy getting beaten by a man twice his age. Without looking here and there, he yanked the man and punched him straight in his stomach.


    Santiago rendered the man unconscious with a few of his punches. He was a man taught to hit to kill. And so his punches weren''t light. Only when James fell on the ground, he straighten his suit and then indifferently look at the boy.


    "Are you fine?" Santiago asked the boy as if unconcerned.


    Cameron looked at him suspiciously before nodding. "You didn''t have to help me. I was managing it all too well."


    "Of course, you were," Santiago muttered.


    "You could have killed him, "Cameron accused.


    "If I hadn''t hit him, he would have killed you," Santiago told him.


    Cameron grunted, avoiding his gaze. He didn''t know why this man was making him anxious for no reason. Remembering that Persephone was still standing behind the tall man, he muttered in a sheepish voice while scratching his head, "I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to scare you."


    Only when Santiago turned back, he find his Red standing in the corner looking at both of them with wide eyes. " Do you know this boy?" he asked her and she shook her head.


    "No, how can I know this man?" Persephone was quick to answer.


    She gulped before giving a sharp look to Cameron who was looking at him in bewilderment. How could she tell him that this dangerous man before them was her father''s snitch! And if she told Santiago that she knew Cameron, he might tell her papa who would make Cam''s life hell if things go south. It was better to stay away from people she cared for, to keep them out of danger.


    ''Really?'' Santiago narrowed his eyes on him but she just nodded in return. Turning towards Cameron, he asked, "Do you know her?"


    Cameron was halfway in his nod when he felt a glare in his direction, so he turned his nod in to a shake of the head.


    "What''s happening here?" It was Salvatore''s voice. Persephone in horror turned her head to find both Salvatore and Nico standing there. Their eyes on the unconscious man on the floor.


    "Isn''t it Simon?" It was Nico who said this. Simon aka James Simon was the doctor the mafia families had on payroll to stitch them up whenever they were in fights, which was very common.


    "You know him?" Persephone asked him.


    "He is your father''s doctor on payroll," Santiago indifferently replied before any of them could.


    "What''s he doing here?"Nico asked with furrowed brows. His question was pointed towards Cameron.


    "Ah, "Persephone winced. "My stomach aches."


    Both Nico and Salvatore glanced at Persephone in worry. "What happened? We should take you to the doctor now."


    Persephone shook her head at Salvatore. "No, it must be because I have caught a cold. But I am still feeling pain. Take me home. I want to rest."


    Salvatore could just nod.


    "I will take her home," Nico said and she shook her head.


    "It would be a waste of time for you to specifically come to drop me at home. I will just leave with Sal and Belle," Persephone replied. "Moreover, the boy is hurt, Nico. Why don''t you take him to the hospital?"


    "No," Cameron shrieked. He was still underaged. If he went to the hospital, they would call his guardian who was his sister. And if she got to know, he got into a fight¡­ He dared not to fathom the consequences. "My friend is outside the restaurant waiting for me. I will just leave with him." Before anyone could do or say anything, he disappeared from their sight. But Persephone was still gesturing to Nico to run after him and take him to the hospital.


    Santiago scowled at her. Could she not tell him to take the boy to the hospital? Why must she ask everything she wanted to be done to this tool? Was he better than him?


    However, nothing happened there as all of them went back to their table, still in discussion.


    "If she is not feeling well, you have to take her to the doctor," It was Isabelle who shouted at Salvatore.


    "No, I''m fine--"Persephone was about to say when she felt a gaze in her direction. Gulping her words, she said, "Bro, Belle is right. Take me to the doctor. But who would drop Belle and Sophia?"


    Nico had left after a while as he was allotted the duty by Persephone to take Cameron to hospital. So, he wasn''t present there.


    Persephone looked at Santiago and opened her mouth to say something but Sophia cut her off."Don''t worry. The driver will take us back."


    As if on cue, Santiago''s phone rang. It could be seen on his face that he had to leave for somewhere immediately. Since Sophia was his fiancee, it was his responsibility to drop her at home but in this situation, he couldn''t¡­


    Thus, Persephone left with her brother and Isabelle and Sophia with the driver and their respective shadow guards.


    ¡­


    "Where is he?" Santiago asked as soon as he came out of the restaurant. His right-hand man was the same man from the island. He was standing there to share some information.


    "Boss, as you said, he was lying earlier. We checked that he was indeed lying. No friend of his was waiting for him outside. In fact, he came here all alone," His right-hand man informed him.


    Santiago frowned. This restaurant wasn''t a regular one where just anyone could enter without a reservation. And how come that seventeen years old boy had the means and connections to enter the high-end restaurant?


    "Then, how did he come inside and what for?"Santiago asked him. He had to know why Cameron beat James Simon.


    "This is still unclear to us. But our boys are looking for information," He answered.


    "Stop them,"Santiago ordered. "It shouldn''t be known to anyone that I was investigating the boy, Billy. And erase any trace that shows he met me."


    Billy frowned but then nodded his head.


    "Where is he now?"Santiago asked him.


    "Back at the alley."

 Chapter 129 - Santiagos Family

    Cameron grunted as he noticed a wound on his elbow. He was limping while walking. His face was swollen. His jaw had transformed into a purplish colour.


    The alley was dark, apart from one flickering streetlight, nobody was visible. He was about to stumble in his footsteps and fall on his mouth when a strong arm held him from his back and made him stand up.


    "Perhaps, you should have known that you wouldn''t be easily able to overpower a trained fighter, " Santiago said, narrowing his eyes at him.


    "I still did a pretty good job for a novice, " Cameron muttered.


    "You call it a pretty good job? I call it getting beaten," Santiago scoffed.


    "Not everyone is mafioso like you," Cameron retorted. "Some people shouldn''t be involved in fights and brawls."


    "Exactly. Some people are expected to stay away from them, Cameron Vitello," Santiago snapped. "And so were you. Do you think a kid like you should get involved with Marinos and Scuderis? So you think they are like you?"


    Although the cuts on Cameron''s face were painful, he still acted like a big man. "Who are you to tell me what to do? Did Percy send you? Or you came sniffing me? Come on, tell her that I don''t need a babysitter. I can manage on my own."


    "Let''s cut the chase, Kid. You have two options; either come with me or I will take you to the hospital where they would certainly call your guardians. The choice is yours," Santiago kindly informed him.


    "Who the fuck are you calling kid?" Cameron growled at him.


    Santiago lightly hit his shoulder, "Cut down your curses or see what I do!"


    Cameron pursed his swollen lips. He didn''t want to get into a fight with him. He had seen what he had done to James. He wouldn''t be able to fight the big man especially when he knew the outcome all too well.


    "Follow me," Santiago ordered Cameron.


    Cameron wanted to protest but seeing the look in Santiago''s eyes, he swallowed back all his words. It wasn''t good to get in a brawl with him.


    Santiago opened his range rover''s door and motioned him to get it. Cameron made a face before going in but in actuality, he was eyeing this black beauty. Even Santiago could see appreciation for his black beauty in his eyes. He stifled a smile and sat in the driver''s seat.


    "Do you think sulking like a teenager will get you out of trouble?" Santiago asked, his eyes still on the road. Even at night, traffic was tight.


    "I''m a teenager," Cameron said in an angry growl.


    "Oh, you were aware of it?" Santiago asked, feigning innocence.


    "What the fuck do you want to say? Why beat around the bush? Just say what you want to! But do remember one thing that a stranger like you has no right to unnecessary advice me." Did this big and scary man think he could scare him? Well, Cameron wasn''t one to get scared of him.


    Yes, he was a bit intimidated¡­


    Santiago parked the car in the driveway. He gripped Cameron''s chin with his index and middle finger. "Do you know who James Simon was? He was Alessandro Marino''s doctor on his payroll. He stitches up the guys who can''t go to the hospital to protect their asses from the police. Do you know what kind of connections he might have? This is New York. And that restaurant was in Marino Territory. Even if they had killed you tonight, no one would have bothered to file a police complaint. Do you know why? Because Alessandro fucking Marino, your lovely Percy''s dad rules the territory. He is a don. And kiddo, he ain''t the don you see in movies. He is much more badder than you can imagine."


    Cameron pursed his lips and refrained from making comments. He understood the intensity of his impulsive action now. And how on earth was he supposed to know that Simon had such dangerous connections?


    All he knew was that Simon and Jack were childhood friends. And he


    Santiago removed his finger from his chin and was about to get out of the car when he heard Cameron''s soft whisper.


    "He tried to force himself on my sister," Cameron whispered. "He was playing with her emotionally. In the guise of friendship, he didn''t unspeakable things behind her back. If I could I would have killed him right there¡­"


    Santiago''s hand clenched in his fist and his jaw tightened but Cameron failed to notice the slight change in demeanour. In the end, he just nodded. "Come, I will tend to your injury."


    What could Cameron say at this moment? He hadn''t imagined that this dangerous man with rough edges was capable of producing this soft voice. So, in the end, he too nodded his head.


    Inside, Santiago applied to medicine and bandages on his wounds. He wasn''t particularly gentle like a doctor but he tried his best.


    "Where do you live?" Santiago asked him.


    "College dormitory," Cameron answered him. "It''s closed now. I will just head to my friend''s. He is a local."


    "I have an empty guest room," Santiago offered him. "You can stay the night¡­"


    Cameron looked around at the fancy one storey house and then at the time¡­ It was better to stay the night here...tomorrow he would just head to live with his friend for a few days.


    Thus, in the end, Cameron ended up staying at Santiago''s fancy house in New York.


    Moreover, he kind of felt safe in his home.


    ...


    Santiago was inside his study when he took out an old yellowish half-burnt photograph from his wallet. His fingers softly caressed the happy faces in the picture. A family of four was looking right back at him.


    It was so wonderful, so nostalgic.


    The beautiful and young woman in the picture was his mother. Aspen Vitello. The tall and handsome man was his father, Paolo Vitello. A Sicilian man through and through. He was born in the capital of Maisean. Paolo''s father had seen those turbulent times when the country was in grave dip-shit. Santiago''s grandfather was a national hero who fought for his country with the late King but was termed a stain on the name of national fighters when he was wrongly accused of something he never did. He left the country heartbroken with his wife and son and settled in the new country. He died soon after but the love that he had for his country didn''t die down. In fact, he passed it on to his son, who later passed it down to his own son(Santiago).


    Aspen and Paolo were gifted with a son just after a year of their marriage. They named him Santiago because Aspen, being the romantic she was, met the love of his life in Spain and later named her first son Santiago, to cherish their first meeting. Two years later, they were gifted with a baby girl. And Aspen named her Valencia.


    Everything was going fine in their life but one day, Paolo had to pay for his uprightness and loyalty to his country. He was assigned to arrest a wanted criminal; Lorenzo.


    As if fate couldn''t get any worse, Lorenzo already had his eyes set on Paolo as he held the key to Lorenzo''s destiny.


    Lorenzo kidnapped Paolo''s children but fortunately, Valencia was saved. However, his son wasn''t so lucky like his younger sister.


    Santiago was thirteen when he sacrificed himself to protect his sister. He had been dead to the people in the bomb attack where according to the sources, only Valencia survived among fifteen other people. Along with fifteen other people, Santiago was deemed dead. But Paolo knew better than to believe the false information about his son''s death.


    Until this day, nobody except for Santiago knew why Lorenzo had kept him alive in that dungeon when he didn''t even ask for ransom from his father. He was imprisoned and for the outside world...dead.


    His phone rang and jerked him out of his dreamland. "Vitello."


    "We have the information, boss." The voice on the other side said.


    "Report," he said.


    "Cameron Vitello entered the restaurant with the help of the manager. The manager there is his friend''s father. He played the old man and got in. Someone deliberately leaked the information to him that Simon would be found there." He paused for a moment before saying," As for Valencia Reynolds¡­ she recently got a restricting order against Simon. And¡­ there has been a guy sending her flowers and cards every day¡­"


    "How many times have I told you not to intervene in her private life? Keep your boys'' nose out of her personal affairs," Santiago said in an angry voice. " Just stay in background¡­.act only when she is in some serious danger¡­ I don''t need to know who she meets and what she does¡­ Don''t act until you get the orders from me. In short, just protect her from sidelines...."


    "Yes, boss!"

 Chapter 130 - Salvatore And Emy

    "How many times have I told you not to intervene into her private life? Keep your boys'' nose out of ger personal affairs. Just stay in background¡­.act only when she is in some serious danger¡­ I don''t need to know who she meets and what she does¡­ Don''t act until you get the orders from me."


    Santiago had been protecting his family from the sidelines from the moment he had enough resources. When he fled Lorenzo''s prison, he thought of going back. But just the thought of how he escaped the prison, made him stop in his footsteps. He was fifteen at that time. And had killed two of Lorenzo''s men.


    Thinking how his cop father would react when he would know that his son was a murderer, he realized that he was going to make a big mistake. Moreover, he wasn''t the same boy anymore. He had killed and been killed by them mentally and emotionally since that day. He didn''t see his life from the same mirror his father or his family did. Most of all, he would never be able to face them again, especially not after understanding how big of trouble his family would be when he returned.


    Lorenzo would hunt him down and kill him along with his family. At that moment, when he escaped that prison, he vowed to become strong and avenge him and his lost childhood in that dungeon.


    When he became a man of means and resources, he watched his family from the sidelines, protected them and made their life more comfortable.


    Thankfully, it wasn''t too late. His family had another son, Cameron. He was loved and spoiled by all. Santiago longed to touch him and feel what it meant to spoil the little brother. But he wasn''t allotted with the joy ever. He saw his sister falling in love with a man who had loved her genuinely and later marrying him. He saw Jackson''s demise and his sister shattering into pieces. He also saw a little blue eyed little boy, his nephew coming to their lives. All from the sideline.


    When Jackson died, it was him who by his connection produced the document stating Jackson had a million in his account. It was him who had been bearing little Santiago''s and Cameron''s fee to fancy and private school in the name of educating the martyr''s family.


    It was him who was paying for Cameron''s so-called scholarship to NYC law school. It was also him who brought their ancestral home from Valencia in Boston at double the price.


    They would call him a bastard for manipulating them or cheating them. But in his opinion, he was just trying to make the lives of his family easier. He had seen Valencia shouldering more burden she deserved. He was just trying to help his family as he still considered him one of them. He loved them and cared for them in his own sick twisted way.


    Was it too much that he just wanted to see them happy? He knew that he would never be able to call them family as he feared their lives getting tangled with him, but still it didn''t stop him from caring for them in his own way.


    And today, when he saw Cameron bleeding and getting beaten, all his deterrence flew away. All those years, he maintained distance from them but today, in a moment of loss of control, he did the unthinkable. And as greedy as he might look, he tricked Cameron with his words and made him stay the night at his home. Even for the one last time¡­


    Still, Santiago wasn''t able to understand Persephone''s connection with Cameron. He wanted to know how they were acquainted. Given Persephone''s obsession with pretty blue-eyed people, it wasn''t hard to believe that she was acquainted with him just for this reason alone. After all, he had seen the height of her madness. She had tattooed blue eyes on her heart. Was it less proof?


    ¡­.


    On Persephone''s side¡­


    Persephone saw Isabelle and Sophia leaving with her pitiful face and hands clutched on her stomach.As Salvatore took a step, he murmured,"You can stop acting."


    Persephone''s eyes widened and she turned her head in his direction. "How did you know?"


    Salvatore ruffled her hair lovingly and murmured,"Perhaps, I have met people more dramatic than you "


    Persephone pursued her lips. "Why didn''t you ---"


    "Why didn''t I tell everyone else about your lie?" Salvatore asked her.


    Persephone nodded her head.


    "That''s simple...I wanted to know what you were planning." Salvatore''s answer was some but there was a tinge of curiosity in it. "I have noticed you behave strangely with Vitello. Did he give you any kind of trouble?"


    Persephone thought for a moment before saying,"If he gives me trouble, would you take my side? Would you stand against papa?"


    "Try me," Salvatore said with a teasing look. But something in his eyes was telling her that he was indeed serious. Shaking these thoughts, she asked,"Don''t ever fight with papa for me. It ain''t worth it."


    "We will see when the time comes," Salavtore said as he held her hand and took her out of the parking lot.


    Since they were standing in front of Ellison''s cafe,shouldn''t they come in too? These were the thoughts that were wandering in Persephone''s mind.


    "Sal?"


    "Hmm?"


    "How about you take me there?" Persephone asked him, pointing her finger at the cafe.


    "No," His answer was sharp and curt.


    "Why do I have a feeling that you are hiding something from me?" Persephone questioned him.


    "You are thinking too much," Salvatore ticked her forehead with his finger.


    "Really?" She looked at him with narrowed eyes. "If everything is as fine as you are making it seem, come and accompany me there. I will believe you."


    Salvatore was at a loss for words but in the end he nodded his head.


    With a huge grin and holding his hand, they entered the cafe. It was closing time and only a few people were present there. She asked Salvatore to accompany him to buy the desserts and snacks and immediately asked the family waitress to pack them up. Quickly, she was handed her paper bag and they were about to exit the cafe when they heard a loud wail.


    Persephone in worry turned her head to find a crying Emy. Her nanny was holding her and trying to console her but the kid was just keeping on crying. The nanny looked restless and the toddler¡­ sick.


    "Baby, calm down. Mama will be here soon," Her nanny said while consoling.


    Persephone kept the paper bag there and went to the crying toddler. "What happened to her? And why is she crying?"


    The nanny was on the verge of crying. She took this job just a month ago. The kid didn''t cry unnecessarily but today she wasn''t keeping calm.


    "Emy! Baby!" Persephone cooed at her. She touched her red and wet cheek. "Why are you crying? Hush¡­"


    With a worried tone, she asked,"Where is Ellison?"


    "Ellison had an accident in the kitchen¡­"Persephone''s eyes widened at the intensity of the information. She continued," It was just twenty minutes ago. And Emy saw her mother''s hand getting burned¡­ It wasn''t a big accident but it needed medical attention. So, Ace took her to see the doctor."


    "Will she be alright?"Persephone asked her.


    "It was a second degree burn. So, she will be fine,"The nanny replied. "But I don''t know how to make Emy understand that her mom will be alright. She has been freaked out since then."


    Little Emy who was still crying was now breathless. She was having trouble breathing from all the crying. Her gaze accidentally fell on the tall figure standing behind Persephone. If one were to see him carefully right now, they would find him trembling. His face was empty and his jaw tight.


    "Dawdaaa!" Emmy wailed.


    "She is calling for her dad?" Persephone asked with furrowed brows.


    Emmy cried and tried to get out of her nanny''s hold.


    They saw that the toddler was looking the figure behind them. She had been calling him her dad again and again.


    "Sal," Peesephone uttered. "Take her in your arms for a moment. Perhaps, she will stop crying. I can''t see her crying any more."


    Salvador robotically took the toddler in his arms. Emmy clutched on his neck and buried her face in his strong shoulders. She let out an even louder wail this time. "Dawda, mommy huwrt. Hurt. Big hurt. Uff. Ewmy. Saw mommy crying."


    "Ahh," Salvatore hushed her as he patted her lovingly. "Mommy will be fine, cupcake."


    Much to their shock, Emy after her long crying session fell asleep in his arms soon after.


    "Thank you, Sir!" The nanny sighed in relief. She tried taking Emy out of his hold but she didn''t understand why Emy even in her sleep isn''t letting him leave.. It was such a weird scene for her. As much as she knew the toddler, she hadn''t seen her as much attached to her mom than anyone

 Chapter 131 - Wedding Shopping

    [GOAL :


    20 GOLDEN TICKETS (month) = 2 extra Chap.


    200 Power stones = 2 extra. chap.


    (weekly)]


    ....


    "It''s strange that she isn''t letting him go even in her sleep," Persephone murmured when she saw how Emy fell asleep in Salvatore''s arms. Was he the same brother who had never picked children in his arms before?


    "Would it be alright if we drop you guys at home?" Salvatore asked them. This kind of behaviour of his was giving Persephone suspicious vibes.


    The nanny looked hesitant. She glanced at the man stationed behind him and said, "If it''s fine with them." She pointed behind him and continued, "It will be fine with us."


    Salvatore turned to find a guard stationed on duty. "Would it be alright, gentleman?"


    The bodyguard''s eyes popped but he controlled his expression before nodding.


    "Then, please drive my car," Salvatore told him. He possibly couldn''t hold Emy and drive a car at the same time.


    Salvatore''s unusual behaviour surprised Persephone the most. She saw how he held the little girl close to her chest in a very protective and possessive manner. The way he was patting her head when she would stir up and then go back to sleep was making her feel curious for some reason. He was whispering something in the girl''s ear too. And what''s with the nickname?


    Cupcake it was? Huh¡­


    Fine, Emy''s eyes were like molten chocolate balls. But cupcake? So unnatural yet it was uttered in a very natural manner from his mouth.


    She had always seen her brother behaving indifferently to everyone. She knew that he wouldn''t show his care to anyone in public, not even to his family. He was way too reserved. But today, he was not bothering to hide his overflowing sudden care for a toddler he never met before.


    When they reached Ellison''s house, Salvatore had reluctantly handed the little girl to the nanny. He even advised her to not leave her alone at night. Not only this, he asked them to take care of the girl''s mom too.


    If Ellison were to hear his words, she would surely punch him in his mouth.


    Salvatore was driving back to Marino house with Persephone. Now he was unusually tense and silent.


    "Sal, how did you bond so well with Emy?" Persephone asked him. "I have met her so many times but she didn''t come running to my arms. She is only this frank with her mom and sometimes with Valencia but never with me."


    "I don''t know," came the simple reply.


    "I''m jealous," Persephone confessed. "Emy didn''t like me. I have no experience with kids. You don''t have kids yet you are so good with her. Look at Emy, no one was able to calm her down but you did it. I wonder if I will ever be able to become a good mom."


    Even Salvatore was confused with the way her thoughts went in a different direction.


    "Percy! No one is a ready-made parent," Salvatore chided her like a big brother. " When you hold your baby for the first time, all the maternal instincts will come running to you." He told her with a smile. " You would want to cross every sea of fire just to keep your child safe. It happens naturally. You won''t even know. And trust me you will be a great mom. I won''t say perfect because no parent is perfect but with effort, they can become decent parents. "


    "Thank you, Bro! Your words mean a lot to me!"


    ¡­.


    The next day, Sophia was supposed to go wedding shopping. She had to try on her wedding dress and buy some jewellery. Plus, she and Santiago would be choosing their wedding rings today. She was accompanied by her mother, Isabelle and a very reluctant Persephone.


    She would meet Santiago when she would be done with the wedding dress''s fitting and some other stuff.


    "Wow, you look like a princess," Carina gasped. Her eyes were teary and she was so emotional seeing her daughter in the wedding dress.


    "You are right, Carina," Isabella agreed. With a strange look, she continued, "She indeed looks like a princess."


    Sophia smiled at them but her gaze fell on Persephone who was dozing while leaning against the couch. It was clear to everyone how uninterested she was in this wedding shopping.


    "How does it look, Percy?" Sophia asked her.


    Persephone had no idea in the world that her sister was talking to her. She was feeling too sleepy today. And she was way too exhausted today; physically and emotionally. Lord knew why but she was feeling too heavy today.


    To say her mood was kind of gloomy for some reason that even she didn''t seem to know wouldn''t be wrong.


    "Percy!"


    Persephone jerked from the sleep immediately and yelled, "Yes ma''am."


    She groaned in embarrassment when she saw how the shop attendants were looking at her weirdly. ''Oh, God! Can I not make a fool out of myself for at least one day?''


    Ignoring everything, Sophia asked her, "How do I look?"


    "Beautiful," Persephone replied with a big smile. She didn''t even look at her yet.


    "Percy! Be serious," Sophia chided her.


    Only then Persephone loomed at her from head to toe and frowned. "You look like a white sparkling Christmas tree. The only difference is the Christmas tree brings happiness and this thing is bringing darkness... "


    How blunt¡­


    Everyone gave her a weird look but she didn''t seem to mind.


    Why did it matter to her that Santiago was carrying her sister?


    She realised now that she didn''t have any problem with her sister marrying anyone...but when it came to Santiago taking vows with his sister the day after tomorrow...she had this heavy and gloomy feeling. And why on earth would she want to drown her sister in river Hudson?


    It was weird, right?


    But she knew that she was even weirder¡­


    Whatever...who cares¡­


    ''I do¡­''


    ''Dammit¡­''


    ''Screw you, Santiago fucking Vitello¡­ Fuck you¡­''


    ''The idea is quite tempting¡­.''


    ''Ugh,'' She wanna pull her hair.


    Back to Sophia¡­


    "I''m not buying this one," Sophia said to the assistant helping her with the dress.


    "But ma''am, it was fitted according to your measurement," The woman in black uniform said.


    "And?" Sophia raised her brow. She didn''t forget to throw off her status as Marino princess.


    "We will show you some of our exquisite new pieces," the shop manager said.


    "Help me in selecting the one," Sophia said to her sister with a sigh.


    "Nope," Persephone directly replied. "Wedding is akin to a funeral for me. Choose yourself. I don''t have information about such stuff¡­"


    Sophia and Isabelle gave her a look. In the end, it was Isabelle who stood up to help Sophia out. Persephone was checking out the beautiful shop assistants when the other ladies were choosing the right dress for her dearest sister.


    "How about this one, ma''am?"


    "Blush is not my colour."


    Only when Persephone heard her, she looked up to see a very cute woman holding the one piece. It was a blush coloured wedding dress with a sweetheart neckline and puffed sleeves. It was a simple piece with no shimmering stones and stuff but it was beautiful, too beautiful actually. It was simple, way too simple for someone like Sophia but for her...it was the one dress that every girl would love to wear on her wedding day.


    ''Can I have this dress?'' she wanted to ask.


    ''So what if I won''t ever marry anyone? I can wear it for myself once, right?''


    All of a sudden, she would imagine herself walking in this particular dress to the altar where a blue-eyed man was standing, waiting for her. He had eyes for her. Only for her.


    But still, she couldn''t see his face clearly. It was blurry but his physique resembled a certain forbidden man.


    Shaking the thoughts from her mind, she parted her tummy and murmured, "Just a few days baby. After your aunt''s wedding...we will be gone from their lives. I promise you that your mama will give you the best. I will keep you safe from every danger that dares to even stumble into your path. I love you more than anything. We only have each other¡­.only you and I¡­"


    ¡­..


    On the other side, Santiago was driving to the mall where he would be meeting his in-laws for ''wedding shopping''. He was getting married without his brothers¡­ Then again, he didn''t even know where the rest of his brothers were from the last two months¡­ They have scattered like petals¡­


    It was sad but true¡­


    "Vitello," Santiago said.


    "Boss, you called?" The voice said in his ear.


    "Yes, pack your bags. Come to New York. I will send you the exact address. I want you here." His words are short and curt.


    "I have school¡­" the other party murmured.


    "You have vacations,"Santiago said. "Bring your boyfriend if you want."


    "Yes, boss!"


    "But can I ask what''s the task?"


    "You''re gonna assist my wife here for the time being, " Santiago replied.


    "You are married?"


    "No, I will be married soon."


    "W-who is the woman?" The other man asked.


    "You know her," Santiago said while parking in the car.


    "W-who?" A very hesitant voice called out.


    "Persephone.. Persephone Juliet Marino."

 Chapter 132 - Forbidden

    Did she mention that Sophia couldn''t stand her happiness?


    No, right?


    She was mentioning it now.


    She was so okay with checking out beautiful shop attendants but her sister just had to torture her by demanding her to be her maid of honour. No, she didn''t have a problem with her being the maid of honour but she indeed had a problem with trying out so many dresses for the occasion.


    After trying so many dresses, she settled on this one.


    In the trial room, Persephone was studying her image in the mirror. She selected this maroon strapless dress. It looked pretty good on her figure. She didn''t want to sound narcissistic but the beautiful dress hugged her body and her boobs were looking bigger and sexier than before.


    She thought of showing the dress to Sophia first as she was going to choose it for her dear sister. As she unlocked the door of the trial room, she was glancing down at her feet because the floor was a bit slippery and she was wearing low heels. She had only taken a few steps when she bumped into a hard chest.


    So much for walking carefully¡­


    With a red nose and angry watery eyes, she looked up only to find icy blue orbs staring right back into her. Dare she say with such an intensity that she found his ocean eyes capable of combusting her right there and then¡­


    Her body was on fire. Her hands were placed on his chest, and his strong arm was holding her waist, preventing her from falling. Even his touch was as magnetic just like him¡­


    Perhaps, Persephone didn''t realize how she was continuously blinking her eyes at him as if she was appreciating a wonderful piece of God''s creation. However, Santiago noticed everything. Actually, he noticed more than he should.


    He noticed how his throat was drying while looking at her milky smooth skin. How the exquisite slender neck was carrying the weight of the face which could be the cause of the nations'' ruin? How her naturally pink lips that were the shape of rose petals were begging to be licked by his wet tongue.


    Her red curl fell on her face and unknowingly his finger tucked it behind her ear. She sucked in a breath as his skin graced its touch on her face. She closed her eyes...in anticipation of what may come next.


    It was this simple, innocent expression of hers that burned through his skin and transmitted signals right to his dick. If his touch was combustive, hers just caused short-circuit in his head. He wasn''t wrong when he said that Persephone Marion held the power to overpower his brain. When she was in his proximity, his brain tended to stop functioning and his lust took the reign of his sanity.


    It was the click of the heel which jolted Persephone awake. She immediately pushed his body and tried to run for her life. But his hold on her wrist stopped her in her footsteps.


    "Stay," a single word escaped from his mouth. It was neither demand nor an order but rather an urge.


    Her heart stilled for a moment. At this moment, she realised that she had officially lost her sanity. Or why else would she naturally listen to the strange requests of her brother-in-law?


    He was a forbidden man. Her brother-in-law. Her papa''s ally. And a man, she must maintain her distance from. But look at her...so much for maintaining her distance¡­


    And not to mention, she had a baby in her womb¡­


    She too was a forbidden woman¡­


    "Percy?" Sophia''s voice was heard from a distance.


    Taking a deep breath, she pulled her wrist out of his grip. Without waiting for another moment, she held her body clinging dress and ran from him¡­


    It was stupid to say but if she stayed she wouldn''t be to go away from him ever¡­


    Her emotions were scaring her now¡­


    He was her brother-in-law. And nothing else.


    She would be a mother to a baby soon and she didn''t need this man anywhere near her at all. He was dangerous for her and harmful for her baby.


    "It looks beautiful on you," Sophia said as soon as her gaze fell on her. Without waiting for another moment, she spoke further, " Mom said we will be going to jeweller''s now. Santiago has been waiting for us there for a long time. It''s not good to make him wait for us."


    Lies¡­


    Persephone knew it all too well. But she didn''t have the courage to speak the truth. Because that one moment outside the trial room was now going to haunt her. She was thinking of her sister''s fiance in the manner no other woman should.


    In the end, she just smiled at Sophia.


    Isabelle and Carina were walking ahead of them. Sophia and Persephone were following them while their eyes were wandering here and there.


    "Soph?"


    "Hmm?"


    "Are you sure about it?" Persephone couldn''t help but ask her.


    "About the wedding thing?" Sophia raised her brow. "Even if I am not, can anyone stop the wedding? It''s happening the day after tomorrow and we all know how papa functions."


    Persephone stopped, turning to her, she looked at her with apparent pity in her eyes. It was the first time that Sophia said she wasn''t happy with the marriage since the time she had met Santiago.


    "Don''t look at me with that look," Sophia scowled at her. "Your pity is the last thing I need." She paused for a moment, before continuing, "If not anything can you promise me one thing?"


    Persephone looked disturbed with her wish but she nodded in the end.


    Sophia displayed a very sad smile before saying, "You know since we were young, Nico had been devoted to you." Her words surprised her sister but she really wanted to say out all the things because if she didn''t know, she would never be able to say it ever again. " When we joined the family after your mom''s death, Lucien was very reluctant to leave you in our presence. I used to envy you for gaining his unending brotherly love and Nico''s unwavering devotion. My love for Nico was born of my envy towards you¡­ Before I could control those strange and weird feelings, it was too late¡­ I had fallen for him badly."


    She paused for a moment as she saw Persephone looking at her in disbelief, "Can you treat him well? He only wants the good for you. Can you not always hurt him with your words every time? Can you help him in achieving the only goal he had in his life? Percy, you are the reason why he is still alive. He is as strong and lasting as a mountain as long as you are sound and safe. That''s what you mean to him. If you marry him, your baby will not need a father figure. I''m more than sure he will love the baby like his own. You just have to say yes."


    "How can you do this?" Persephone whispered with teary eyes.


    "My intention wasn''t to hurt you--" Sophia was anxious to see her on the verge of crying.


    Persephone shook her head. "How can you give him to someone when he is the reason you are breathing? Do you think I don''t know the things you do for him in darkness? I know everything, Sophia. Will you survive after marrying someone else?"


    "I can only surrender, Percy," Sophia said. "I''m tired. Too tired to wait for him. It''s more than ten years now. I''m just your little sister for him, nothing else."


    "I don''t know what loving someone feels like but if I had loved someone as much as you did to Nico, I wouldn''t accept defeat," Persephone confessed honestly. Why did she have a feeling as if she had once experienced one such love? " And I would fight for my love and tear anyone who would come in my way,"


    Persephone further said to her. "As for me being the reason why he is still alive...it''s bullshit. I''m just a responsibility to him, not the love of his life. He is not devoted to me but Lucien''s sister. He had vowed to protect her at any cost...and that''s what he is doing¡­ my baby didn''t need a father who is with us for responsibility and not for love...we are better alone than getting caged in such a relationship."


    Truly, Neither she nor her baby deserves someone who was with them out of a strange concept of duty and responsibility for someone who had long perished from the face of the earth.


    "You are not understanding me, Percy¡­"


    "No, Sophia....you don''t know what a stupid step you have taken... But don''t worry...if you are cowards enough to let the happiness of your life go away...I, as your sister, still know what''s better for you¡­"


    "Percy¡­"


    "Let''s do this ring shit¡­"


    ...


    GOAL :


    20 GOLDEN TICKETS (month) = 2 extra Chap.


    200 Power stones = 2 extra. chap.


    (weekly)

 Chapter 133 - Two Parts Of Heart

    When everyone was helping Sophia choose the wedding ring for Santiago, Persephone''s eyes were elsewhere. From the place where she was seated, she found a family of three checking out an adorable but exquisite bracelet for their toddler.


    "I don''t like this one. Furthermore, it''s too small for our girl," The lady said to the shop attendant. "How about you show us something else?"


    "Sure, ma''am," the shop attendant politely smiled at her.


    In the end, the family settled on something else and left the store soon after.


    Persephone''s gaze settled on Sophia and then at her ''brother-in-law'' who was busy looking at the rings presented to him. Technically, he was buying a ring for his wife and so he had no time for anyone else in the world.


    ''What a bastard!''


    Persephone scooted over to the seat where the couple were seated before. The shop attendant had yet to pack the jewellery that she had initially shown to the couple. And so, she even found the bracelet that she has previously seen. She didn''t know why this simple yet gorgeous piece of jewellery touched her heart but she knew that it did.


    Unconsciously, she touched the bracelet with a hesitant finger.


    "Are you thinking of buying this one-piece, ma''am?" It was another shop attendant from before. She first looked at her and then at Sophia who was selecting the ring. And so, she thought that she was thinking of gifting the pearl bracelet to the bride.


    "I''m," Persephone said in a whisper. She looked up to see the shop attendant looking at her with a hesitant gaze. "Any problem?"


    The shop attendant paused before saying, "Pearls symbolise tears. It''s not a very ideal gift for¡­"


    Before she could say anything, the shop attendant was called by someone and so she excused herself before leaving with a polite smile and bow.


    Actually, Persephone wasn''t a very superstitious woman. But now that she was about to become a mother, she was afraid of all the little things. That suicide fiasco had left a deep trauma on her mind. She didn''t want any negative thoughts, much less a negative thing near her and her baby.


    Call her crazy but that''s what she was!


    "Did you see something you like to buy?" Carina asked her.


    Persephone wanted to nod but she shook her head in the end. That shop attendant had left a seed in he mind and even if she wanted to, she just couldn''t seem to get it out of her mind.


    "We have chosen the rings and if you want, you can look at other pieces," Carina said to her as her eyes paused on the same object that was causing trouble to her daughter.


    "No, there is still a lot of time," Persephone smiled."Has she selected the ring?"


    Carina nodded. "She did. And Santiago did too. Would you like to see?"


    "Nah, I''ll pass," Persephone waved her hand.


    ¡­


    Currently, Persephone was lying on the bed in her room. After a long day, she was emotionally and physically exhausted. Her condition was so bad that she couldn''t even close her eyes. Whenever she would close her eyes, Santiago''s face would come before her eyes. It was confusing as it was frustrating.


    Since she was bound to suffer from restlessness why not just talk to her baby?


    So, Persephone spent half an hour telling her baby how mad she was right now for no particular reason.


    "Baby, tell mama what should I do?"


    "I can''t let your stupid aunt destroy her life for momentary anger?"


    "She is just mad at Nico for not loving her. Sigh, why can''t she see what I can from my eyes? How many times have I watched Nico looking in her direction when that idiot thinks no one is looking at him! Both of them are too dumb!"


    "No, they are not dumb but gone case!"


    "And did I mention that fiance of your aunt is a crazy man too! He makes your mama too uncomfortable! He makes my heart tickle. He makes my palm so itch that I want to break his insanely gorgeous face!"


    "And why on earth does he thinks that cold expression of his looks regal and sexy?! It doesn''t! Instead, it makes him look like an ice cube that I want to gulp with my coke!"


    "Aish¡­.why am I even talking about that gosh-darned son of biscuit?!"


    She held her tummy as if she was closing the eyes of her baby from hearing her nonsense. "Baby, you must filter all the and words. You are not allowed to hear these words."


    Her monologue ended when she heard a knock on the door.


    "Sigh, our session ends here baby. Seems like someone is here to eat your mama''s ear again. Pray for mama."


    "Please, come in," She shouted before settling against the bed wall.


    "Are you awake, Percy?" Carina asked with a smile. When she entered the room, Persephone''s gaze immediately settled on the familiar brown box in her mother''s hand.


    [Where had she seen it?]


    "I''m wide awake, Mama, "Persephone brightly smiled back. "What brings you here?"


    "This, "Carina replied. She sat on the bed beside her and shoved the box in Persephone''s hand.


    Persephone first looked at her mom who had brought the very familiar box for her and then at the box itself before asking," What is this?"


    "Open it and see for yourself," Carina said with a smile.


    Persephone smiled and put the pillow that was placed on her lap, on the bed before placing the box on her lap and then she slowly opened it.


    "This¡­"


    "This is your mom''s jewellery. I had kept it with me because I thought it was meant to be passed down to Emma when she was engaged to¡­ Never mind, it belongs to you. I think that''s what your mom would have wanted to."


    "Are you sure?" Persephone asked her.


    Carina nodded. "You don''t want it?"


    Persephone shook her head. "I would love to keep it. I have nothing that will remind me of mama." She paused before saying, "Thank you."


    Carina patted her head before leaving the room.


    ¡­


    Persephone was studying each piece of jewellery that was once worn by her mom. It was so precious to her that she couldn''t express it in words.


    Although the jewellery left by her mom might cost several millions of dollars if one were to buy it today, she was sure that Carina had never worn it.


    When she was trying on several pieces, one after another, her gaze fell on a particular locket. She held it in her hand and felt its weight. It had a round gold plated locket as well.


    As she was about to place it back in the box, its chain stuck in her finger and the locket fell from her hand and touched the floor. It fell with such an intensity that the gold plated locket broke into two pieces. It was weird, wasn''t it? Gold didn''t break just by falling on the floor.


    As she bent down to pick it up, something else touches her finger¡­


    A chip fitted inside the locket¡­


    From the looks of the chip, it looked old.


    Persephone wasn''t stupid to believe that it was just a coincidence. If it was found in her mom''s jewellery box, it certainly meant something.


    Lord knew where the ideas came from but she needed to find the information hidden inside this chip. Of course, if the chip was hidden, it must have carried some confidential information.


    But where would she find the device that would read the information inside it?


    She scanned the chip and the result on Google gave her hope. These kinds of chips were old and a certain device is not to read it. And surprisingly, she had the device needed for it. It was placed somewhere in the storeroom. When the technology gets updated older ones were either placed in the storerooms or sold.


    Half an hour later, she had the particular old piece of technology and when she inserted the chip in the old USB, it worked¡­


    Persephone vomited her guts out after seeing the information captured inside this little chip.


    "I can''t believe it," She whispered while rinsing her mouth. "Mama had so much evidence against Papa¡­ He had an affair¡­ with her brother? Lorenzo? I can''t believe it¡­ "


    "It wasn''t Papa who killed mama but Uncle Enzo."


    "That monster¡­ killed my mom. He was jealous of her¡­ He killed his own sister. "


    She closed her eyes in pain. Suddenly, she was reminded of how at the end of the information, she found that it was only half the information. Her mother had mentioned that there is another necklace that another part of her heart owns¡­


    Two parts of the heart = two necklaces.


    Which meant there is another necklace that carries another set of information.


    She also mentioned that two parts of the heart were owned by her two pieces of heart¡­


    Carina said the box was meant for Emmaline¡­


    Which also meant that she could be a piece of heart¡­ oh no, Lucien¡­ her one piece of heart¡­.another is?


    "Fuck, it''s me," She yelled before running out of the bathroom. She pulled out the USB and hid the chip where no human would ever be find it.


    "I just have to know who this necklace belongs¡­ me or Lucien?"


    ¡­.


    .

 Chapter 134 - Selfish

    GOAL :


    20 GOLDEN TICKETS (month) = 2 extra Chap.


    200 Power stones = 2 extra. chap.


    (weekly)


    ...


    It was around midnight when Persephone quietly and sneakily left her room. In the darkness of the Marino mansion, she descended the stairs, skillfully evading the cameras. As her figure faded into the abandoned wing where Lucien used to reside, she let out a sigh.


    No one was aware except for the family members that no CCTV cameras were installed in Lucien''s wing. It was weird and almost suspicious to hear why a part of the residence such as Marino Mansion would be left without installing CCTV cameras when almost every corner of the mansion was covered.


    But it was what it was! And only Don Marino knew the reason behind it.


    Persephone was not a very intelligent woman to begin with. Sure, she was smart enough to save her ass if she landed in trouble but she wasn''t as intelligent as Isabelle, who was trained as an agent to transfer information from one place to another.


    She knew a fair share of schemes and manipulation techniques and it was the reason why she had survived in Marino mansion. Otherwise, why would Alessandro Marino let her live when her mama and brother were already dead? It was just her smartest that guided her to pretend to be mute dumb cow.


    From the moment she had seen that information which had most probably gotten her mother killed in the first place, she had been racking her brain to think where the other chip could be hidden? And for a second, if she believed that the necklace that she had gotten from Carina was meant for her in the first place, then the other one would be with Lucien?


    Since Lucien was dead and the necklace or perhaps whatever carried the chip was nowhere to be found, the right step would be to find traces or any kind of evidence that would lead her to the chip would be found in Lucien''s place?


    Just as she believed, the wing was empty and abandoned. It needs renovation but unfortunately, Don Marino wasn''t pleased with spending any of his hard earned cent on this place. It reminded him of the son that he had killed with his own hands. It probably reminded him of the truth that he got his wife killed for another man, who he was more than ashamed to acknowledge. How sad!


    "Ouch," Persephone winced when the scratched rim of the wooden door brushed her feet. It might be bleeding but she didn''t ponder on the pain. The small torch in her hand fell on the door and she silently opened it ajar.


    As she had just entered Lucien''s old bedroom, she heard the sound of someone opening and closing the drawers. She opened her mouth to shriek but a palm covered her mouth and the torch in her hand fell on the ground.


    In the darkness, her eyes widened in fear. She was shivering badly. Why did she take such an impulsive step? If not for anyone, she must have thought about her baby, shouldn''t she?


    She tried to bite the hand but to no avail. She moved her leg to kick her in the groin but as if understanding the inventions, he closed her legs with his.


    "Don''t even think about this,"A familiar raspy voice rang in her ear. It was only then she realised that the smells and the arms she was enveloped with were very familiar.


    "Why is it you?"Persephone whispered as soon as his palm loosened on her mouth. What on earth was this man doing here in the first place. It was Lucien''s place, not a place where anyone can come anytime!


    "Shh!" His finger was placed on her finger as he looked behind to see out the window if someone was following them or not! "Keep quiet or your daddy dearest''s men will come running for our lives!"


    "You were planning on screwing over Alesaandro Marino?" Realisation hit her hard. Now she understood why she found him creepy and suspicious. Everytime, he would be at their house, he would be studying everything and everyone. Initially, she thought he was just curious about the vintage Italian decor but no¡­


    He was studying everyone and everything from the very beginning. This whole situation was fucked up. Her papa truly considered Santiago as a very trusted ally. Suddenly, the thought that he was cheating her father was acting as an ice cube on her burned heart.


    "What does this have to do with you?" Santiago said, narrowing his eyes at her.


    Persephone scoffed at him. "You are at Lucien''s wing. One shriek and the body guards will come running here. No matter how unfavourable I might be to Don Marino, he would still choose to believe my words than yours. And both of us know what kind of treatment his betrayers receive."


    Don Marino was a naturally untrusting man. He was the kind of man who shot his son dead just because he had doubts that he might betray him in the future. If he could do this to his son, then who was Santiago? Persephone just needed to sow a seed of mistrust against Santiago in his mind and he would take care of this cold and regal son-in-law of his!


    But the thought of Santiago getting hurt by anyone and anything was unsettling to her.


    "But I know you won''t shout," The charming bastard said with a confident smile. How on earth could this simple smile of his affect her so much? Ugh, she must be crazy to think that his cancer-curing, Himalayas'' melting and debt-settling smile was simple!


    Wait, this wasn''t the right place to describe his smile!


    And why on this green green earth was she blinking her eyes? Someone stop it!


    "How cocky, Santiago about-to-screw-over-Don-Marino Vitello!" Persephone glared at him!


    "How creative." Persephone about-to-become-Vitello. He even pinched her chin after the unsaid name.


    "What were you doing here?" Persephone narrowed her eyes at him. Her green orbs were angry at him and he seemed to be loving this moment. Why was it that the girl could affect his every mood?


    "I can ask the same question, can''t I?" Santiago questioned back. "But did I ask such a boring question?"


    Persephone gaped at him. She could get him killed anytime but look at his audacity! Instead of begging for his life, he was arguing with her. How insolent!


    "Go back to your room," Santiago sighed out. "This place is not safe for you."


    "Really?" Persephone said sarcastically. "You are thinking of hurting my family for some reasons that I have no interest in hearing and expect me to go back to my room quietly? What do you think of me? Do you think I will let you go now?"


    "I''m gonna kill your father, right before your eyes. What are you gonna do?" Persephone''s intention was to glare at him but when she saw the look of certainty and seriousness in his eyes, she paused. Would it be wrong of her to say that she could feel her eyes tearing up after reading the pain in his eyes? And why was her heart ready to believe him? He could be a faux.


    "What did he do to you?" Persephone whispered, her fingers tenderly running on her face.


    He closed his eyes and caught her hand. He kissed her wrist and murmured when he opened his icy blue eyes to meet her warm greens. "The same thing he did to you. He killed my family." It was Don Marino who got his parents killed, not the so-called accident, not by accident. He did it on the words of Lorenzo.


    "You are lying," said Persephone with a hard tone. "My family is alive." She wouldn''t admit the truth before an outsider.


    "Come on, Red," Santiago scoffed. "I have enough proof to prove that Alessandro Marino got Penelope Marino and Lucien Marino killed. If you don''t believe me, I can always show you the evidence but your eyes tell me that you are testing me. You know the truth but won''t want to admit it."


    "You know nothing about me," Persephone said, getting out of his hold.


    "I don''t think anyone knows you or can know you better than me," Santiago whispered. In a loud voice, he added,"You know the truth and it''s up to you if you want to admit it or not! We can be allies and you can avenge your family."


    Persephone turned her head to look at him in hatred. "Can''t you see that I don''t want to avenge anyone?! I just want to survive! I never wanted anything to do with this family but I am still stuck here! The dead can''t come back even if I avenge them at the cost of my life!"


    "Aren''t you selfish? Still you only know how to survive!" Santiago mocked her.


    If getting herself away from the power struggle and the game of revenge meant that she and her baby would be safe, she was happier to take this selfish step.

 Chapter 135 - Words Of A Traitor

    If getting herself away from the power struggle and the game of revenge meant that she and her baby would be safe, she was gladder to take this selfish step.


    It wasn''t like Alessandro Marino''s death would affect her in any way. He was the biggest threat to her unborn child and if Santiago could kill him as he expressed his kind words in a very unkind manner, she would be more than thrilled.


    She couldn''t kill him with her hands as she knew it wasn''t possible. If she killed him, she would never be able to leave the nightmare behind. Even after his death, he would haunt her. So, it was better to kill him with a borrowed knife.


    Or it was better to lend the knife called evidence that she was looking for to someone capable of fucking over her daddy dearest!


    It didn''t matter to her who that person was as long as he/she could complete the task.


    As for this man, she couldn''t read him like other people. He was as deeper as any abyss to read him out.


    "If your animosity is with Alessandro Marino, then why are you involving my innocent sister?" Persephone asked him. "If Alessandro Marino is a sinner for getting your family killed, then aren''t you the same? Aren''t you involving my innocent sister in this fucked up game that you are playing? Aren''t you the same as Alessandro Marino, Mr Vittelo? You are as much a villain as him." The last sentence was spoken with sheer disgust and loathing.


    Santiago grasped her arm and she winced in pain. With a hated look, he said, "I never claimed to be a saint. I''m a villain thorough and thorough but I''m not your father. I can never be him, the sick motherfucker!"


    "You are hurting me, Santiago," Persephone flinched once again and his hold on her loosened.


    "I didn''t mean to hurt you," He murmured.


    "Well, you are," Persephone said with bare satire. "You have done nothing but hurt me since the day my eyes landed on you. Previously, it was mental torture but now you started hurting me physically too."


    "I''m sorry," Santiago apologised. He truly didn''t mean to hurt her. It was just that he couldn''t bear her to see him in the light she saw her father.


    Persephone wanted to make a comeback but the sincerity in his eyes stopped her.


    What the hell was wrong with her?!


    "You are hurting me by hurting my sister," Persephone whispered. "She didn''t want to marry you but she was forced to. You probably won''t keep Don Marino''s daughter as your wife for long. You will get rid of her sooner or later. Only the outcome matters to you, not how many people get hurt in the process."


    "Who said I will get rid of my wife just because of the fact that she is Alessandro''s daughter? I can spend a lifetime with her if she wishes," Santiago said in a tone that she found weird and uncomfortable.


    "You love Sophia?" She gasped.


    Santiago flicked her forehead and said, "How dramatic! Doesn''t your brain work too fast?! And stop making assumptions!"


    "Then, make yourself clear! And you can''t marry her now! I will never let my sister marry an asshole like you!" Persephone glared at him.


    "Really?" Santiago sneered. "What will you do? Sacrifice yourself in her place?"


    "Stop talking nonsense," Persephone blurted out. "I will never do something so presumptuous!"


    She would call herself dog before marrying him. He was not marriage material! She repeat, he wasn''t marriage material at all!


    Man of his kind deserves to die alone and unmarried! Why torment a poor soul by getting her married to him?!


    Santiago folded his arms on his chest, his back leaned against the wall in the darkness of the room, a very arrogant and cold expression playing on his face. "I don''t care who I marry as long as she is Don Marino''s daughter. You are right, I will get rid of her sooner or later. You want to escape Nico Scuderi and I need someone who will keep me close to the Marino family. Aren''t we a perfect match?"


    Why did Santiago want to marry Persephone now?


    Was there some hidden motive?


    Or does his sinister planning involve her too?


    Persephone held him by his t-shirt and pulled him closer, "How tragic that I am not falling for any of your shitty words! I will rather chew on shit that believes the word of a traitor!"


    "Do remember to inform me later how it tastes to chew on shit," Santiago said with a very kind smile and removed her hands from his body. "Again, I''m the only safe option that you have right now. You can choose to marry me, play the heroine by saving your fragile and airhead sister from a big mean villain like me, and also escape that douchebag who says something and preaches something else!"


    "I would rather die than marry you," Persephone sneered. She would never put her baby in danger by marrying him. She had an intuition that he was more dangerous than her father.


    "Aren''t you the type of girl who would choose to survive at any cost? What happened to you now? It''s such an amazing idea but you don''t want to listen to me! People don''t value good people anymore," He dramatically sighed out.


    The audacity of the bastard! He put on such a good drama with a straight face!


    And he has the nerve to call him a good man?


    Well, it seemed like he had yet to see a mirror.


    "Doesn''t your conscience hurt calling yourself a good person?" Persephone asked him. "Oh, look at me! How forgetful! How can I forget that the big bad mafiso like you have sold their conscience to satan! How disrespectful of you, boss!"


    "Don''t cross your boundary, Persephone," Santiago warned her. "Or..."


    "Or what? " She fired back. "If you think I''m afraid of you..."


    "Wait, why are you coming towards me..."


    ...


    ...GOAL :


    20 GOLDEN TICKETS (month) = 2 extra Chap.


    200 Power stones = 2 extra. chap.


    (weekly)

 Chapter 136 - One More Dead

    When Santiago and Persephone were lost in their world, there was someone else whose world had just shaken or was about to be shaken.


    Richard Costas!


    He was sitting on the balcony, a lit cigarette held in his hand as his eyes were glancing all over his estate. He was a wealthy man but what was the benefit of all the wealth when it couldn''t get him the status he wanted in his society? Just as he was about to be uplifted, his daughter threw him right back on the muddy and dirty ground.


    He turned his head when he felt someone standing behind him but as he was about to shout, a palm closed his mouth and dragged him back to the room, shutting the door in the process.


    "Richard Costas! It''s how you will welcome me now?" A hearty voice rang accompanied by a peal of evil laughter.


    "W-who are you?" Richard Costas managed to let out the word.


    "How boring," The masked man seemed to be offended with his choice of question. "I thought since we were meeting after so long, you would at least express some shock, flow some tears and convey some emotions? But look at you, pretending to be all unfamiliar to me! You break my heart!"


    Richard had seen all kinds of crazy bastards that this world had to offer, but he had to say that the one before him was one of a kind!


    "Why are you so silent?" The man in the mask asked with a pout. "I thought that you would welcome me in an escatic manner but I guess I was asking for too much from you! You are the same sorry man I remember from decades ago! You are still the scum who should have been long killed but don''t you worry, I have got you! I will kill you now and free my mother earth from the burden of a scum like you!"


    Richard Costas took out a blade and pointed it at the man before him, "Come ahead and see how I kill you!"


    The masked man shook his head, in the dimly lit room, he was standing there, dressed in all black clothes, his tall and built frame was appearing as if a grim reaper was standing there, waiting to collect his life.


    "I''m a ghost," The man whispered. "No matter how many times you kill me, I will rise from the ashes all over again."


    Richard was looking at him in shock as the flickering light fell on the man dressed in black''s face¡­ although, his face wasn''t clear, his eyes were completely visible to him.


    He had an inkling as to who this man was¡­


    "I didn''t kill you," Richard mumbled. "I have no hand in your death. I never wanted you dead."


    Richard didn''t even know what he was speaking. He wasn''t a weak man. If the man in black even tried to fight him, Richard had enough power to fight him or shout to call for help. But it was his guilty conscience that wasn''t letting him speak or beg for help¡­ His first step was to put the blame on his comrades. It was not a lie that he didn''t wish him dead, he wasn''t a party in the former''s death but he knew something that was making him an asset to Don Marino. Or else why would Don Marino still keep him by his side?


    "You sure didn''t want me dead but how can you forget that you were the reason why the whole Palmero family was wiped out?" The man in black said. "You were planning on betraying Alessandro too, then why did you betray your alliance in the end? Why throw all the blame on him?"


    Richard scoffed. "If I didn''t push the blame on me, he would have fucked over me. He wanted me dead too. So, what if Palmero was killed in the end? The motherfucker was just as twisted as Lorenzo!"


    "You are untrusting, to begin with," The man shook his head with utter derision. "You never know who played you¡­ you and Palmero were thinking of deceiving Don Marino, but in the end, you got played by him."


    "What do you mean?" Richard asked, his eyes wide open.


    "Something that your dead brain cells won''t be able to decode," The men in black said. He got something from his pocket and threw it before him and continued, "Sign the papers."


    "What is this?" Richard asked. He was asking all kinds of stupid questions.


    "You think I will tell you?" He raised his brow. "You are dying either way. However, the sign on the paper will tell if you will have the painful death or the painless."


    "I will never sign any kind of paper," Richard replied. "And I won''t die¡­"


    The man in black sighed and sat on the couch with another shake of the head. "It''s good to have a great imagination but it''s not very good to have it all the time¡­"


    "You don''t want to cross me, " Richard threatened him. "You can''t afford to offend me."


    "How can I offend you?" The man said. "I have no intention of offending you. The only intention I have tonight is simply to kill you." He opened the pages of the document, and continued, "Come on, sign here." When Richard didn''t budge, he sighed and took out his gun to point at the bastard''s neck. "Enough of the drama, quickly sign here. I don''t have time. The sun will be coming out soon and this ghost has to go back."


    Richard gulped. He thought of fighting but seeing the gun and his own blade in the man''s hand, he sighed on the document with shaky hands.


    In the same manner, the man had laid the document before him, he put them back in his pocket once again. Looking at Richard, he sighed out," You have spent all your life making money and more money. Now after your death, your daughter won''t have to worry about it. The only thing she ever asked you wasn''t given to her but after your death, she won''t at least have to worry about money."


    He pulled out another packet and laid its content open before Richard once again, "Your daughter got married, did you know?"


    Seeing the way his eyes bulged, it was clear that he had no idea or he had no impression of where his daughter was. It was impossible, right? Even his immeasurable wealth and connections couldn''t locate his daughter.


    "It''s good that you don''t know," He continued. He put out one particular picture before saying," She looks happy here, happier than she had ever been."


    The man in black then pulled out a small black bottle and a syringe. "Your two other best friends left the world in the same manner. They were injected with this favourite medicine of mine. Plain death; no pain, no bloodshed, nothing just death once you fall asleep."


    He sighed in despair, "You don''t know the infamous Scuderi couple died under my scheme? How sad! Nobody remembers me. They don''t even remember my deeds either. You should have remembered what kind of poisons I was capable of concocting."


    Obviously, Richard struggled but the tall man overpowered him. "Goodbye," he left with a whisper. "Don''t fall asleep or you will never be able to wake up ever again."


    ¡­


    When he left the room and sat in the passenger seat of his car. Peeling the mask off his face, he threw it on the dashboard. He heaved out a sigh before rubbing his face with his hands but only after discarding the gloves.


    "He will be dead soon," He then said to his right-hand man and also the man driving the car. "Keep an eye on him. He will surely try to contact someone now that he knows he will be dead."


    Even if Richard tried to contact a doctor to save him, it wouldn''t make any difference as at this time, he would have been having a hard time opening his eyes. His drug only worked better when the victim was asleep. It worked fine on the Scuderi couple though.


    "You intentionally disclosed that you were the one behind the death of the Scuderi couple," His right-hand man said. "I wonder why it''s so. As much as I know Richard, he must have called Marino saying how his long-dead son is alive."


    The man in black scoffed, "But is he really alive? I''m just a vengeful ghost, not his son."


    "But I still don''t understand why you took the blame of someone else''s deed on you?"His right hand asked once again. " Is it for her?"


    "For Isabelle Moore?" He raised his brow. "Perhaps." He didn''t try to deny it. "She has her whole life left ahead of her. Her revenge is over. She should try to leave everything behind to start fresh."


    His friend scoffed,"Then, what about the marriage she is trapped in?"


    He smiled,"You both know why she was trapped. Her curiosity got the worst of her. She shouldn''t have poked her nose where it didn''t belong¡­"


    His friend burst out laughing. "In the end, it''s still for Alicia. Has there been something till now you did which is not for her?" He paused all of a sudden before narrowing his eyes. "But my dear friend, when the time comes, would she try to understand why you did what you did?"


    ...


    This novel is a contracted work with W e b n o v e l. c o m (remove spaces). If you''re not reading ''The Villain '' on W e b n o v e l, it has been stolen. It''s very heartbreaking to see pirates profiting from my hard work. Please support the original author,(tanu_sam).


    This novel is a contracted work with W e b n o v e l. c o m (remove spaces). If you''re not reading ''The Villain '' on W e b n o v e l, it has been stolen.. It''s very heartbreaking to see pirates profiting from my hard work. Please support the original author,(tanu_sam

 Chapter 137 - First Gift For Baby

    "Wh--" The words haven''t even left her mouth when she was assaulted by a spicy fragrance and she closed her eyes as if she was in euphoria.


    Santiago placed his head on the wall behind her, she was now enveloped in his scent.


    "What are you thinking?" His voice vibrated against his chest and she opened her eyes to glare at him.


    "None of your business," She answered him. At such a wrong time, she found the cure for her killing-morning-sickness. Whenever she would be assaulted by a bout of morning sickness, she would always crave a certain smell but was never able to point it out, until recently.


    Clearing her throat, she asked him, "What kind of cologne do you use?"


    "I don''t use Cologne," Santiago looked at her weirdly and answered.


    "No one can smell this good," Persephone retorted.


    "You are one weird woman," Santiago sighed out and pulled out a small box from his pocket before stuffing it in her hand. "Here, this is for you."


    "What''s this?" She asked him with furrowed brows.


    "Open it once you are in your room," Santiago murmured, his eyes settled on her dry lips.


    Persephone eyed him but didn''t say anything in the end. She bent down to pick the torch and left the room, silently and sneakingly in the same way she came.


    Santiago just sighed when he saw her leaving him once again, without turning back.


    Well, he brought it on himself¡­


    ¡­.


    When Persephone reached her room, she switched on her bedroom light before sighing. But that sigh changed into a gasp when she opened the box that Santiago had initially stuffed into her hand.


    It was the pearl bracelet for her baby that she saw in the mall later.


    When she returned home after the mall, she wanted to slap herself. How could she believe those stupid superstitious words of the shop attendant and not buy the gift for her baby?


    Even her baby liked the bracelet. Don''t ask how she knew it, but she just did.


    She didn''t know why Santiago purchased the jewellery for her. She was sure that he had no idea about her pregnancy.


    And the question was that...if she should accept the gift from Santiago or not¡­


    ¡­


    Santiago was studying Persephone as usual in the shopping mall. When he was selecting the wedding ring for his to-be wife, he saw his Red eyeing something so longingly. He saw her putting on the bracelet-like thing on her fingers and then leaving it with a sad sigh¡­


    He couldn''t understand why she didn''t take it when she liked--no--loved it in the first place.


    And why did she leave it on the box after eying her sister?


    When he dropped the woman home, he drove his car at double speed and ran back to the jewellery store.


    "Excuse me?" He said while gasping for a breath.


    "How can I help you?" The shop attendant who was attending them previously asked.


    "There was jewellery placed here in a blue-coloured box...bracelet kind of thing¡­" Santiago said, calming down his sprinting heart.


    "The one that the woman with red hair was checking out?" It was another woman who asked him.


    Santiago smiled at her. "The same. Can you pack it for me?"


    "The pearl bracelet is a part of our luxury collection--" The shop attendant began speaking with a wide smile but she heard a faint voice cutting him off.


    "Would you pack it now or not?" He once again asked him.


    "Sure sir," her polite smile didn''t falter as she left to bring out the pearl bracelet.


    A couple of moments later, the same lady came with a bag and he handed his card to her. He dropped the bag there and shoved the box in his pocket without checking it out.


    She had never asked him for anything. He didn''t know why it affected him that she wanted something but didn''t get it for her when she had all means to attain it¡­


    A smile spread on his cold and stoic face as he remembered how the Sapphire necklace that he gave her as a souvenir is still dangling on her neck.


    Touching the box in his pocket, he smiled. ''Another present for my girl.''


    Imagine Santiago''s surprise when he would know that the bracelet was for someone else... Someone still his..but not who he was thinking¡­


    ...


    The NEXT DAY!


    "You are looking extremely happy, Mr V, what is the occasion? Who is going to die?" Emmanuel''s gruff voice was heard as soon as Santiago exited his bedroom.


    Santiago squinted his eyes and turned to look at the grumpy shirtless young man, who was stirring something inside the pot. Since he was in a good mood, he let the young boy, a tone slide. He took a step ahead to head to the gym, but since he remembered something, he stepped back to glance at Emmanuel only to say," I have a question, Emmanuel."


    Emmanuel paused in his movement and turned his head to look at Santiago who was seemingly asking him a very serious question. Even Romeo who was quietly sitting at the table, enjoying the fruits and reading the newspaper veered around to look at Santiago.


    "Umm, Yes, Mr V?" Emmanuel was racking his brains as to what kind of difficult question his boss was going to ask.


    "What would you do if the hot contents of the pot ended up splashing on your very naked chest?"Santiago asked him with a very kind smile.


    As if on cue, Emmanuel stirred the soup a bit hard and its splashes ended up falling on his chest.


    He shouted like a madman. Well, it hurts like an S.O.B.


    Romeo ran inside their bedroom and came at the same speed with a first aid box in his hand. With gentle fingertips, he applied for medicine on his boyfriend''s smooth and lickable chest.


    "No, naked running from tomorrow onwards, "Santiago ordered them. Pointing his finger at Romeo, he continued, "Especially you. Make sure you are decently dressed and make your relationship clear to everyone. Again, no flirting with the opposite gender."


    Romeo just nodded his head at him.


    Wait a moment, why Mr Vitello was scolding him when it was not his fault, to begin with.


    "Mr V, can you not be harsh with my boyfriend? He doesn''t understand you as I do," Emmanuel begged him. He couldn''t see his baby hurt at all.


    "And you, stay away from me. I don''t want my wife to misunderstand me," Santiago narrowed his eyes at him.


    Emmanuel pointed at himself before crying in pain. He saw Santiago leaving the living room while whistling.


    At times like this, Emmanuel was boiling with rage. Again, his boss was thinking of that woman. He happily came all the way from the Masean Empire only to find that he was lied to. Santiago wasn''t getting married to Persephone, the sweet and beautiful woman he met two months ago, but some other witch named Sophia Marino. He even heard from Romeo yesterday that Mr Vitello was getting married tomorrow and he even selected the ring for that woman.


    He was not going to accept any woman as his lady boss! She had to be his kind and sweet Percy!


    "I know what you are thinking but you know and understand Mr V better than me," Romeo said, patting his shoulder. "Even if you express your dissatisfaction with his decision, it will not change anything. Just learn to accept that sometimes some things aren''t meant to be what they should be. Perhaps, Mr V and Juliet weren''t meant to be together."


    "Call her Persephone," Emmanuel said. "If Mr Vitello heard you calling her Juliet, he will be real mad once again."


    "Who cares about him?" Romeo scoffed before pulling his boyfriend for an intense kiss.


    ...


    "Mr Marino?" The doctor came with a distressed look. "How long should we wait before discussing the case before Mrs Costas?


    Don Marino was standing outside the ICU. He was still standing tall and proud. No one could guess that he was the same man who had almost killed his wife in a rage. This cool, handsome and mysterious middle-aged man was troubled more than anyone could guess.


    Although the doctor was afraid to ask questions to Don Marino, he still had to ask the necessary ones, even at the cost of his life. They couldn''t pretend to treat the person who died last night because of a stroke any longer. However, who was brave enough to say this to him?


    No one¡­ apparently¡­


    "My daughter is getting married tomorrow, " Don Marino spoke. He paused for a minute before throwing him a warning look. "I don''t want to hear about his death until she is married¡­ As for what to tell his wife¡­ it is completely up to you¡­ I just know that Richard Costas will die the day after tomorrow."


    ....


    Please add my novel to your library if you haven''t!

 Chapter 138 - Baby Mama

    Don Marino left the hospital soon after. While sitting inside his car, he rubbed his forehead. Closing his eyes, he asked," How is the negotiation with the head of other families going?"


    His new consigliere paused before sighing out, "As always, Edward is acting like a son of a bitch. He said he didn''t trust the new boy just like you."


    The new boy referred to Santiago. Inside their circle, seniority by age and rank was given very importance. When it comes to old and powerful Mafia families, they hated outsiders poking their noses in their own business. It was not hidden to anyone how Marinos were encircled by the problems caused by Bratva, Irish family head and not to forget the Mexican cartels too. They were causing unnecessary problems as Marinos made the error of doubting them for the kidnapping of Persephone Marino. Apparently, the men who lead these illegal organizations had egos the size of the globe. The consequences of the vanity of these men were mostly borne by their families, especially women and children.


    Never in the history of the New York Mafia until Persephone Marino, a bride, was ever abducted by the rivals from the church. So, they had been subjected to various kinds of injustices not just outside, but in their families too, but kidnapping a bride?


    It was a sin. But someone was wicked enough to commit this sin too. But what about the consequences?


    It wasn''t only the Marino family who was bearing the consequences alone, but Persephone Marino too. She was the one burdened the with the responsibility to provide for a baby that she along with everyone believed was born out of the rape.


    Truth be told, if Santiago didn''t get to know until the very end that he had impregnated his ex-captive, the consequences would be borne by that innocent child too. He would always be dubbed as the child born of sin. A child of a wicked man and a heathen.


    Everyone knew how to destroy but construct a life? It was too tough, even for the almighty Don Marino. He only knew how to destruct not to construct. He destroyed his family and is still destroying it.


    "It''s unquestionable that Kingsley will try to stop Vitello at every cost, "Don Marino said, opening his eyes. "But I want to see how Vitello will convince him."


    Don Marino wanted to know to what extent Santiago was willing to go for their cooperation. If he could get something in return for one of his useless daughters, then the bargain wasn''t very cheap.


    "You seem to trust him a lot," The other man responded. He didn''t sound very happy with his verdict. He found Santiago quite mysterious and expensive. For cooperation, Don Marino had to give the hand of his daughter to him. He didn''t think that the cooperation was worth the bargain that they made. Sophia Marink was Don Marino''s Ace.


    "Trust?" Alessandro Marino scoffed. "I trust his ability, connections and the power that he is hiding."


    "You were right about one thing. He indeed is close to the Monarch of Maisea," the other man said as he showed him the picture on his iPad. "He had been seen with him many times. Seems like he held a pretty powerful position back there. Are you sure he could be trusted, after all, he is an enemy?"


    Who doesn''t know about the young Monarch of the island Nation called the Maisean Empire? He was a capable king who rose from ashes a decade ago and in his reign, he tripled the economy of his country. How could he not be applauded?


    However, Don Marino wasn''t one of his praisers!


    "Enemy?" Alessandro turned his head to look at him. "Marinos weren''t alone who wanted to capture that small island, there were three big families of Italy too. It was a pity that they were defeated badly by a bunch of unarmed people in the end. As for the question, whether he is an enemy or ally¡­ I was the least interested in that island...whether it was decades ago or now¡­"


    "I advise you to be careful of him," His consigliere said. "He is an ambitious man. If he can bite the hands of the man who is feeding him (king), then like a snake he can bite you too."


    "How can the king of that small island be compared to me?" Alessandro looked at him as if he had heard a joke. "My wealth is twice the economy of his whole country."


    His consigliere found himself speechless before this retort. Santiago knew that Alessandro Marino could offer him more than the King which might be the reason why he came to his side.


    And he was so sure that Santiago wouldn''t dare to play with him. After all, he was the master of the games these kids can ever think about.


    ¡­


    Santiago was working out in the gym when he received the most anticipated call.


    "Boss, the trap is laid," The voice said in his ear.


    "Then, wait for the big bad wolf and the little innocent lamb to fall into it," Santiago said with a wide smile. He got up and wiped the sweat off his body with the towel before exiting the gym room. He was about to take a step forward when he saw a very angry Emmanuel coming his way.


    Santiago could literally see smoke coming from his ear. And he was walking like a mad bull towards him.


    "Mr V, how can you do this to my Percy? She has always been good to you. How can you cheat on her? Did she deserve that?" Emmanuel fired accusation after accusation. "I always respected you but¡­"


    Santiago punched his shoulder a bit lighter but Emmanuel still grimaced in pain. "What did you say? Your Percy? Is she your woman? Do you own her? How dare you call her your¡­"


    "I-i¡­" Santiago''s furious look was scaring Emmanuel.


    Fortunately, Romeo came on the spot at the right time. He circled an arm around his boyfriend''s shoulder before saying," Mr V, there is someone at the door waiting for you."


    "Not just someone but Mr V''s baby mama and his illegitimate son," Emmanuel glared.


    "What did you say?" Santiago asked him once again.


    "You have guests waiting for you in the living room," Romeo informed before dragging his boyfriend to their room. If Emmanuel didn''t control his anger, it wouldn''t be long before Mr V beat him up.


    "I can''t believe he did this to my Percy," Santiago heard Emmanuel''s faint crying voice.


    Hearing him calling his Red, his Percy, Santiago lost it and threw his slippers at Emmauel''s ass.


    A couple of minutes later, when Santiago emerged from his room and arrived at the living room, he found Romeo coming out of the kitchen with a tray of snacks and three kinds of drinks.


    Just what was happening?


    And who were the guests?


    He heard a very familiar voice and so he turned his head only to find Cameron, Valencia and little Santiago sitting on the couch. These three? What were they doing at his house?


    Valencia glanced up as a weird feeling entered her gut. She couldn''t stop herself from feeling it. What was happening to her? As she heard the steps, she turned her face to see a tall man with dark hair and blue eyes which were somewhere between icy blue and ocean blue. His gait was regal just like his stature. She couldn''t help but look at him one more time. Why was she so fascinated by him? Have they met before?


    "That''s Mr V," Cameron murmured, his head hung low.


    Romeo placed the tray before them on the table and urged them to have it.


    Little Santiago didn''t bother asking his mom as he picked a drink along with the snack, and went back to studying this big fascinating man. How cool would it be if he was one of the marvel heroes?


    "Cameron?" Santiago called out his name in his usual cold voice but today there was a hint of warmth in it that Romeo or any other person wasn''t able to read.


    Cameron, whose face was still black and blue, stood up and smiled. "I''m sorry for visiting without a proper reason but my sister wanted to express her gratitude for saving my life."


    ''Saving his life?'' Santiago looked at Cameron as to what he meant by that.


    "Oh, how forgetful of me," Cameron said, palming his forehead. "This is my sister Valencia Reynolds and her son Santiago Reynolds."


    Emmanuel, who was peeking from his room, opened his eyes wide when he heard another carbon copy of his boss speaking. His eyes then fell on another mini carbon copy of the two men and narrowed his eyes on the mother-son pair. If he saw correctly, the little boy didn''t resemble his boss much except for his eyes and jaw and perhaps...forehead too¡­ His nose, lips and other facial features were different even from his mother¡­ Detective Emmanuel was studying all the necessary things when Santiago was stuck in a dilemma.


    ¡­

 Chapter 139 - "Your Red Sounds Like My Red"

    Detective Emmanuel was studying all the necessary things when Santiago was stuck in a dilemma. He smiled at the mother-son pair before introducing himself.


    "I''m really thankful to you for saving my brother. He told me how he unnecessarily got stuck in a mob fight and you helped him out," Valencia said with a smile filled with gratitude. "Thank you for taking him to the doctor that day. I can''t even imagine what would have happened if you hadn''t saved my brother like a Messiah."


    Santiago had to blink his eyes twice to digest the compliment. He went from Villain straight to be called Messiah. Just what in hell was happening?


    ''Mob fight?'' Santiago scoffed with a very gentlemanly smile while staring at Cameron who had his head hung low.


    ''This little liar!''


    However, Santiago smiled at Valencia before saying, "It was not a big deal. You don''t have to thank me." Seeing the hesitant look on Valencia''s face, he continued, "Have some snacks or these not up to your liking?"


    "No, No, it''s alright," Valencia said quickly. She was just awkward. And she just couldn''t stop looking at the man. He was very familiar to her but she just couldn''t understand how!


    When she went to visit Cameron at his dorms today, she found him beaten black and blue. No one could imagine what she felt at that moment. But when Cameron informed her how he got stuck in a mob fight and how a hero emerged from nowhere and saved him, she felt as if that man just came into their life as a messiah. Cameron and her son were all she was left with. And she didn''t wish to lose them at any cost.


    Santiago saw how the little boy was looking at him with narrowed eyes. "Is something the matter, Mr Reynolds?"


    He found his nephew quite fascinating.


    Little Santiago rolled his eyes before saying, "I really wish we don''t meet again."


    Valencia choked on her drink when she heard her son, Cameron quickly shifted his eye to his little nephew and Santiago just helplessly looked at him as if even he didn''t know what wrong he had committed.


    "Santiago, how can you talk to Mr V like this?" Valencia asked her son, softly. Her son was not disrespectful at all but she wondered what triggered his dislike for the unknown man.


    "Mom, I have a feeling that he will be very fatal to me," Little Santiago said with a sigh. Seeing the looks of confusion on everyone''s faces, he explained, "He looks like a grown-up version of me. What if he met my Red and she decided to fall for him since he is bigger and more powerful than me?"


    Valencia didn''t know whether to cry or laugh. Why was her son so immersed in Persephone?


    Little Santiago started calling Persephone Red after he got to know that she was a huge Disney fan just like him. When Persephone told him what her name meant, he started his search for a more Disney friendly name for her. But when he didn''t find any, he just took the shortcut and began calling her Red.


    In the future, when little Santiago would be calling his uncle''s wife by the name of Red, he would surely get his bottoms spanked.


    "Your Red? Is it your pet''s name?" Santiago asked his nephew. He didn''t know his nephew was an intriguing kid. He had learned in the report that the kid was smart as a whip and knew how to keep teachers in the palm of his hand but since it was his first time meeting him, he was going to observe him a bit.


    Now it was little Santiago''s turn to glare at him. "How can you call my all grown up girlfriend pet? This is insulting to her as an extremely beautiful woman."


    "Ah, my apologies," Santiago said, looking all apologetic. "I didn''t wish to hurt Mr Reynold''s feelings. I hope you can be magnanimous and forgive my first mistake."


    Little Santiago pretended to be an adult and nodded, "Since it was your first mistake, I forgive you. But I''m serious about not meeting again."


    "Santiago," Valencia groaned.


    Cameron just prayed in his heart for him and his nephew. Although he didn''t know Mr V much, he could tell that he wasn''t a very patient man.


    "If meeting me can cause you a loss of girlfriend then I will take your words seriously," Santiago nodded like he understood him. "However, I''m confused, why would you be with a fickle girl? If she can throw you aside for someone else, then she ain''t worth it."


    "She is very good. No, she is the best. But my Red said she is after all human just like us. And like everyone, she too has her weakness and vulnerabilities. It''s not her fault that she found herself vulnerable to blue-eyed beautiful men," Little Santiago ended his speech with a painful sigh.


    "Your Red sounds like my Red," Santiago murmured while shaking his head. Looking at Valencia, he said, "You have a very interested son."


    "Thank you," Valencia said. She then stood up and taking the cue, little Santiago and Cameron too stood up. "We should leave now. Once again thank you for helping Cameron."


    Santiago nodded."I hope Cameron will keep himself away from the unnecessary mob fights."


    What could Cameron say at this time?


    In the end, he just nodded weakly.


    "Mom, I want to use the washroom, "Junior Santiago said with an uncomfortable look. As a diabetic patient, he needed to visit the washroom more frequently than normal children.


    "Please show them the way to the washroom," Santiago said to Romeo who nodded and took them to the washroom.


    Cameron was quite uncomfortable with Santiago staring intensely at him.


    "You are quite skilled in lying, kid, "Santiago said after a couple of moments.


    "I''m not a kid and I have told you many times not to call me that either, "Cameron scowled. "As for the lie, you could have just exposed me."


    "I should have, "Santiago murmured. ''But why didn''t I ?'' Keeping aside his feelings, he asked, "Now tell me Cameron who informed you where Simon would be?"


    "None of your business," Cameron growled.


    "Your sister is still here. If you don''t want me to expose your little lie then just answer my questions," Santiago didn''t hesitate to threaten him. He didn''t want Cameron near Mafia men at all including him. He had made a lot of sacrifices for them and he wasn''t going to let them end in vain because of Cameron''s mistakes. "You don''t want to upset your sisters, do you? I heard she is your guardian too. A woman only in her twenties is burdened with the responsibility of an eight years old kid and a rebellious teenager. I don''t think she deserves it."


    "Stop making judgements," Cameron looked at him in anger. "You don''t know about her at all."


    "Of course, I don''t but you do," Santiago said with a scoff. "When you hit Simon, you attracted the wrath of his brothers too. So, tell me who informed you about his whereabouts if you don''t want your sister and nephew implicated."


    Cameron was put in a difficult situation. He still asked, "Why would you help me?"


    "You give yourself too much credit," Santiago said with a straight face. "I''m just helping myself. I hit him too."


    "Why did you hit him?" Cameron inquired.


    "He might have offended me too," Santiago answered.


    Cameron heaved out a sigh before replying, "There is a man. I met him a few days back. He is my sister''s pursuer. I was there to warn him to back off and not irritate my sister with those flowers and stuff. But when I was warning him, he informed me about the incident."


    Santiago knew what incident he was talking about. When he asked his men to do an investigation about the day when Valencia was almost assaulted by that obsessive stalker, he found out that James Simon and another man were arrested. However, there was no information on the other man.


    "Do you think for a minute before trusting that unknown man that he could be trying to hurt you too by sending you behind James Simon, "Santiago questioned him like he was scolding a child.


    "I know I was impulsive but I am very protective of my elder sister," Cameron murmured.


    Santiago sighed and patted his shoulder before saying, "What does he look like?"


    Cameron knew what does he meant by ''he''.


    "He is tall like you with a built body like the men I saw with you that day. He has an Italian accent too," Cameron said remembering how Nash looked." And he is weird¡­ he said is a tycoon or something like that...but trust me, he doesn''t like like one. At most, I can call him a goon."


    ...


    GOAL :


    20 GOLDEN TICKETS (month) = 2 extra Chap.


    200 Power stones = 2 extra. chap.


    (weekly)

 Chapter 140 - Beloved

    Persephone had been staring at the baby bracelet since last night and still, she wasn''t able to draw Santiago''s intention from that act. What was he aiming at?


    ''Don''t be softhearted, Percy. He wants you confused and impressed. Don''t give him the desired result.''


    ''Yes, I will not think about him at all. After all, he will be my brother-in-law officially from tomorrow onwards.''


    ''But I don''t want him to marry Sophia.''


    ''Now don''t ask why?''


    ''Isn''t it clear because he is a bad man? And her sister must not marry a bad man.''


    ''How great it will be if Sophia ends up marrying Nico!''


    Persephone was so engaged in her monologue that she spent half of the noon cooped inside her room. When she left her room to look for Sophia, she didn''t find Sophia inside her room or anywhere else in the house.


    Hadn''t their father informed Sophia today not to leave the house?


    Sighing, she headed to the kitchen and found her mother busy as usual. Entering the kitchen door, she asked with furrowed brows, "Mom, where is Sophia?"


    Carina''s face lost all of its colours when she heard Persephone''s question. She looked at her before gesturing to follow her and Persephone did what she was supposed to.


    "Where is Sophia?" Persephone asked in a whisper.


    Carina sighed out," She went out with her friends."


    Persephone''s eyes widened in shock. Her sister must have gone crazy! She then asked, "Why? And does papa know?"


    Carina shook her head. "She has been crying about how she doesn''t feel like she is a real bride. Her friends are not attending the wedding but she wanted to throw a party for them. I tried making her understand that her father won''t like her going out. But I couldn''t bear to see her sad¡­ that''s why I sent her with her guard¡­" She paused and then checked the time on her wristwatch," She will be back within an hour."


    Persephone nodded. She understood what Sophia was feeling. No girl would want to get married in such a rush. If not for the fact that they were Catholic, her papa wouldn''t even have allowed the church wedding and straightly went for paperwork.


    Poor Sophia didn''t know whether to cry or laugh that she at least got to wear the wedding dress!


    However, right now she just prayed for Sophia to come back sooner and so she could talk to her about Santiago. She tried talking to Salvatore but he was so anxious in the morning that he didn''t have time to hear her. She even called Nico but her call wasn''t connected. If not for the strict orders that she and Sophia weren''t to exit the estate today at all the cost, she would have gone straight to Nico.


    She didn''t want Santiago to land in trouble but it didn''t mean, she would just see from the sidelines, that monster destroying her sister''s life.


    Half an hour passed with Persephone lost in her thoughts, she didn''t even notice that Carina had served her lunch and she had eaten double the amount she usually did.


    Since she had over-eaten, it was natural that she would feel bloated. Looking outside the window, she found the weather quite mesmerising.


    She saw Carina coming her way. "Mom, I will be back after a walk. I don''t feel good."


    "What happened?" Carina placed the thing in her hand on the table and rubbed her back as she was standing while holding her waist.


    "Nothing much," Persephone replied with a tight smile. "Just feeling bloated."


    Carina let out a helpless sigh. "Silly girl. Go take a walk and you will be alright."


    Persephone nodded and left through the main door. While walking towards the garden, she felt a bit relaxed. It had been a long time since she came to this side of the estate. Marino Residence was sprawled across several acres of the property. Apart from the gigantic Mediterranean style Mansion in the middle, there were three Villas on the estate too. Not only that, there were a few huge outhouses too.


    Penelope Marino was an artist and she used to have one of the outhouses as her studio. Persephone remembered that when she used to be a little girl, she would follow her mother to her studio. When her mother used to be engaged in her art, she would sneak out to check out the abandoned villa that was no longer considered part of the Marino estate.


    Persephone didn''t understand why her feet walked on their own. She was so lost in another world that she didn''t notice when she stood outside the studio-outhouse that her mother used to utilize.


    A rush of memories ran from her nape down the length of her spine. She jolted when another rush was accompanied by a sudden hit of headache.


    What was happening?


    Persephone felt dizzy.


    She wanted to throw up?


    No, she wanted to cry.


    She had this dire urge to cry but why did she want to cry?


    Even though she stared at the closed door holding back her tears, she had no idea what was happening because something inside her gut was urging her to walk to the back of the outhouse. The key related to her strange condition would be found there. Her instincts were telling her that.


    Holding her head in her hands, she sat on the step outside the door of the outhouse and cried her heart out. She didn''t know why she was doing what she was doing but she had to cry. Her hand was now clutching the sapphire necklace and something frightening was happening to her head.


    When she felt that she could breathe without crying, she ran to the back of the outhouse. Her eyes fell on a narrow route that led to another abandoned broken outhouse. It didn''t look like an outhouse. It was more like an abandoned and haunted Villa.


    Persephone should be afraid to enter this haunted structure, shouldn''t she? But she didn''t even feel a speck of fear when she entered. It was like she was so familiar with this place that she didn''t find it complicated to enter or locate the rooms.


    When she looked back, she saw out of the broken window that a dirty pond was glistening under bright sunlight.


    The sun had not come out all day? Now, where did it come out?


    On instinct, she opened the door of the first room across the hall and was stunned by the scene unfolding before her eyes, dirty floor, broken furniture and a bizarre staircase. When the normal stairs went up, it slid downwards¡­ While taking those blizzard creaky stairs, she reached a dimly lit room.


    A basement¡­ she later found the word to give it a name.


    As she was about to descend the last step of the stairs, she found a tall silhouette staring at a particular place in the corner of the vast basement. Since his back was facing her, she couldn''t make out his face. But she was sure that his physique was that of a man.


    Her pulse drummed in her ears as her heart raced against reason inside her chest in a way that could only be called entering the threshold of insanity. A rush of unwanted anticipation brought fear inside her. She held up her hand to touch his back and utter the words on the tip of her tongue, the words that even her brain couldn''t seem to recognise and understand...all she knew was that she wanted to call him out by a name¡­


    A name that heart knows but her brain refuses to utter it¡­


    Santiago was haunted by a series of memories when Valencia and Cameron left earlier. It wasn''t wrong when people said that the more you seem to run away from your past, the more it will catch up to you. His heart was feeling weird for some reason for a long time¡­


    Since he would be starting a chapter of his new life tomorrow, then why not end the old one, for once for all?


    He was going to take vows with a woman he didn''t love. If one were to ask Santiago if he had ever been in love or if he even understands the meaning of the word¡­ He might not understand the word love but he knew what Persephone meant...His little and sweet beloved¡­ His Persephone was the embodiment of selfless care and love.


    Ever since he met his Red, he had stopped remembering his Percy, his sweet beloved, the girl who lit up his world when he was held hostage by the darkness...also the girl he had once loved more than the life itself.


    Today, he didn''t know where she was...but he wanted to meet her...tell her that he was going to marry someone else¡­


    Although he loved his beloved, he still knew that he wouldn''t wish to drag her to his dark world. She belonged to light, not to darkness¡­


    Moreover, his love for her was pure, it was so pure that he couldn''t bear to have indecent thoughts about her at all. It could be said that he loved her but never imagined about marrying her.


    The love he had for her couldn''t be described in words¡­

 Chapter 141 - "Its Me....Santiago"

    Before he could understand his feelings, he found himself standing in the same basement where he had spent his early teenage years.


    His eyes were closed when he heard the creak of the stair... his eyes were still closed when the creak suddenly stopped...his eyes were closed too when he heard that one familiar whisper¡­


    "Who are you?" He clearly heard the whisper.


    The dark basement was lit by a flickering light bulb to erase a bit of the darkness if not wholly just like time had only erased a bit of his pain, not completely¡­ Just like him, his scars and pain were stubborn too...refused to go away...refused to be erased¡­ refused to be healed¡­


    He heard another creak when she finally stepped down the last step of the stairs and took another step in his direction. She hadn''t taken more than two steps until she had stopped once again and clutched her pendant in her left hand as if she was holding a rosary to shoo away the fear from her seeping inside her heart.


    "Who are you?" She asked once again. This time her voice was accompanied by a heart-piercing sob. Sheer desperation hidden inside her voice wasn''t hidden from him.


    Slowly and slowly as if time had almost paused, he turned¡­


    A gasp left his mouth when he saw a tear-stained redhead standing there. And just like it, he clearly saw an eight years old redhead inside her. Lord knows why he didn''t notice before¡­ Persephone Marino and his beloved were looking the same to him right now¡­


    "Who are you?" She ran towards him and caught him by his shirt. "Who are you?"


    She was sobbing and yelling at him, hysterically. Even she could not understand why she was crying¡­


    She didn''t know what this was all about¡­ but she did know that the unsaid words and the uncertain past were taking the best of her¡­ Wasn''t why she found herself enthralled by him even when all she wanted was to stay away from him¡­ Just like a moth following the flame, she would end up with him, one way or the other¡­


    Just who was he?


    And why would he be where she least expected him?


    And did she share this bizarre painful connection with him?


    Just tell her who she was to him?


    Why was she so enthralled by him?


    "Who are you?" She asked him once again. But this time with a bit of intensity as she hit his chest with her fist.


    "It''s me," Santiago said in a cracked voice. "Santiago¡­"


    "Who are you to me?" Persephone asked him. She knew who he was now...but she couldn''t understand what the relationship was between them.


    When he heard her question, she noticed the word hesitation written on all over his face. She noticed how he opened his mouth to utter something but when no words came out, he shut it again. He did the same a couple of times before sighing in defeat. For a second, she believed that he was going to turn and leave without a word just because he found their situation confounded. But he didn''t leave. Instead, he stared at her hard, still trying to form the words.


    The man seemed to know something that she believed if she got to learn was going to change her world.


    "How did you know the way here?" After so many attempts, this was what he asked in the end.


    However, Persephone found herself innately replying to him, "I don''t know." She looked at him as if she herself was bewildered. "I just came to see my mom''s studio...and the next thing I knew was that I found myself in this haunted yet very familiar place."


    Hearing Persephone reply, Santiago''s heart stilled. No, it wasn''t true. Whatever his heart was thinking was just his wishful thinking.


    "How did you find the stairs?" His voice was hardened.


    "I told you that I don''t know¡­"She was looking at him in utter confusion.


    "Your mom...does she paint?" Santiago asked her almost in a whisper.


    Persephone''s eyes widened but she still nodded her head at him. "How do you know?"


    This time Santiago could only laugh at his own fate. His doubt could only be now cleared by seeing the picture from the time when she was young. If she was indeed who he doubted she was¡­.then a lot was going to be changed¡­.


    When she recognized that Santiago had no intention of replying to her, she grasped his shirt again and asked him, "Why are you not answering me? Are we related? Do you know me?"


    Santiago was so occupied with the battle with himself that he didn''t notice that something was certainly not right with Persephone. She was breathing too fast, more like gasping for air, her forehead was sweating¡­ her voice was too desperate¡­


    "I''m asking you something. Answer me!"


    He opened his mouth to answer her but before a word could leave her mouth, he found her falling on him. Thankfully, he caught her on time or else she would have been hurt if she got her head hit by the hard concrete.


    "Percy?!" Santiago shouted.


    No one noticed how the Villain who would rather call her by the nickname he gave her than call her by her name, actually called her Percy this time.


    It might be because his heart already knew the result that his brain was seeming to deny.


    "Percy?! Wake up?" He patted her cheek. "Wake up!"


    The anxiety and the fear of losing her were clear in his voice and eyes. Even if he wasn''t clear what kind of feelings he seemed to be carrying for his ex-captive, it didn''t mean it was hidden from anyone else. Anyone could see that he was mad for her.


    When she didn''t wake up after his trying so hard, he collected her in his arms and ran towards the way that led to the Marino estate. He was just halfway, when Kale, Persephone''s bodyguard appeared. Even the bodyguard was worried sick after losing her.


    "Mr Vitello?" Kale said in a hard voice. When he saw Persephone unconscious in Santiago''s arms, he acted quickly.


    Before Santiago could do anything or say anything, Santiago had already taken her in his arms. He was running towards the main mansion and Santiago, who was left behind, smiled bitterly and disappeared. He knew his limits.


    When Carina saw Kale bringing an unconscious Persephone, she stopped in her movement and looked at them with wide eyes. Her heart had stilled at this moment and no word came out of her mouth for a long time. Only when she came back to her senses, she ran after Kale who was taking Persephone to her bedroom.


    "What happened to her?" asked Carina in a very worried tone. "She was fine before, wasn''t she? And didn''t I specifically inform you not to leave her alone even for a moment? Did you not follow her when she was strolling in the garden?"


    There was a heavy look on Kale''s face. He just went to the bathroom when he saw that she was still inside the main garden...but who would have thought that he would have to search for her in the entire estate once he came back. But of course, he can''t tell the truth to Carina. She might appear gentle and kind-hearted but when things involve her children, she was worse than Don Marino.


    "I''m asking you questions, Kale." Carina''s voice could be said to be a warning. She was enraged but he could tell that she was suppressing her anger. "Why is she unconscious?"


    "When I saw her...she was already unconscious --"


    Although she asked Kale the question, she didn''t wait to hear his answer. She immediately looked for Persephone''s phone and dialled Valencia''s number.


    Valencia arrived twenty minutes after Carina called her. She was so shocked when she received the call that Persephone was unconscious and the reasons were still unknown.


    "How is she now?" Carina asked her once Valencia was done checking her up.


    "Mrs Marino, I think I have cleared several times that her emotional condition need not be spiked," Valencia said in a scolding tone. "She is emotionally unstable and any episode can lead to panic attack...which can easily cause miscarriage."


    Carina was taken aback when she heard Valencia''s words.


    "Her emotions were stimulated?" She further asked.


    Valencia nodded. "She is currently sleeping to stabilise her raging emotions. I hope you will be careful in the future¡­"


    "But she was fine before," Carina whispered.


    "Mrs. Marino, I was informed of her selective amnesia. The episode today could be related to that. She might have tried very hard to remember something which resulted in her falling unconscious¡­"


    ....


    This novel is a contracted work with W e b n o v e l. c o m (remove spaces). If you''re not reading ''The Villain '' on W e b n o v e l, it has been stolen.. It''s very heartbreaking to see pirates profiting from my hard work. Please support the original author,(tanu_sam

 Chapter 142 - But A Bride

    Carina was sitting on the couch in the living room when she saw Sophia returning home. She recognised in a single glance that she was not being herself.


    "Sophia! Wait!"


    Sophia turned her head to find Carina sitting on the couch with a magazine in her hand.


    "Mom! Not now!" Sophia said in a weak voice. "If you have any questions, ask Randy."


    Carina opened her mouth to say something but when she saw that Sophia didn''t leave to wait for him to complete her sentence, she sighed before slapping the magazine on the table.


    It was only now that she saw Randy, Sophia''s bodyguard coming with his head down.


    "What happened, Randy?" questioned Carina with her eyes narrowed.


    Randy paused for a minute before uttering the truth without leaving anything behind.


    Carina simply nodded in the end. "Don''t tell anything to Mr Marino if he doesn''t ask you. As for Nico¡­ I will talk to him myself."


    ¡­


    The Wedding Day


    Santiago was standing before the mirror, dressed in his black tuxedo, looking not less like the groom that he was. He turned only when he felt someone patting his back.


    "Olev," Santiago called out the older man''s name in a monotone voice.


    "Lad, you are going to marry. Yet I can''t see a smile on your face," Oleg said in a thick Russian accent. Seeing Santiago''s indifferent face, he burst out laughing. A look of approval clearly visible on his face. "Good. Good. You must not look like you are desperate to marry that bastard''s girl. Still, I can''t see what''s so good about his daughter?"


    Old Man Oleg was the father of the current leader of the Russian Mafia. He had known Santiago for a few years now. Since they were all in the same business, they knew each other more than others or that''s what Old Man Oleg thought.


    It wasn''t hidden from Santiago too that Oleg wanted him to marry one of his granddaughter and when he said he was going to marry Marino girl, he was enraged but when he got to know that he was doing what he was doing, for easing the cooperation between Bratva and Italian families, he reluctantly agreed.


    Although Oleg came to show his sincerity in cooperation, he still wasn''t going to attend the marriage as the wedding ceremony was extremely private. No one else from the intimate family will be attending the ceremony.


    "Whether there is anything good about his daughters or not, it doesn''t have anything to do with the wedding," Santiago replied sincerely. He pired drinks for both of them and raised the glass.


    Oleg smiled widely before clinking the glass with his. "Good good. As long as you know what you are doing." After a sip, he paused in his movement and hesitated before asking the next question. "I''m still in a dilemma as to how you convinced Edward Kingsley. He and Marino had been at loggerhead for so long, making others struggle with them"


    "I might have leaked the information that he seemed to have been looking for some time," Santiago replied mysteriously.


    "You know your methods the best,"Oleg said. " Did you talk to your King? Last time, he promised us that he would find us to find our lost contraband."


    "About that¡­"Santiago paused with a smile. He was not going to tell the old man that he and his men were the same people who stole them in the first place on the Maisean sea route months ago. He continued with a very kind smile. It was so kind that any person who knew him in actuality would find it fake. But it was a pity only a few people knew the true face of him and Oleg surely wasn''t one of them." His Majesty has always been kind and rational with his friends. Since you chose to assist him, he will certainly return your kindness with kindness. He sent the words that there are words that someone he is close with has most probably stolen the contraband and he is still in the middle of the negotiation."


    Oleg smiled and nodded.


    After another drink with Santiago, he returned home.


    ¡­


    "You don''t look too good, Percy," Sophia whispered as she once again looked at her pale and robotic sister.


    Her sister had been behaving oddly since this morning. Thinking that it had something to do with this cursed church and the memories associated with it, Sophia didn''t insist on telling her the reason.


    "I''m okay," Persephone whispered for the nth time this morning. She was feeling nauseous not due to morning sickness but due to anxiety. She had thrown up too many times this morning that she found herself lethargic. She didn''t even have the energy to stand beside her sister as the maid of honor.


    Right now, she was wearing that maroon dress that she tried on the day she met Santiago in the mall. Again, that wicked man! Why can''t she get him out of her mind?


    "I hate him so much,"She whispered and in the mirror, Sophia found her teary-eyed whispering to herself.


    "Are you sure that you are okay?"Sophia, who was standing in a beautiful wedding gown, asked her in utter concern.


    Persephone nodded. She was okay, but she wasn''t fine at all.


    Something wasn''t right with her.


    A moment later, Carina and Alessandro came inside the bridal room to take Sophia out.


    ¡­


    "What is it?" Santiago asked Sophia with a heavy look.


    Whoever said that this church was jinxed was truly right. It wasn''t true who was more jinxed, church or the Marino kids who were about to wed.


    Sophia looked at him in utter embarrassment. Tears were flowing down her beautiful delicate face. She found herself lost at words. What could she say at this time?


    "I''m sorry," She uttered in the end.


    Don Marino, who was still standing beside Sophia, took the lead from Santiago''s hand. As his gaze fell on the pictures showing at the screen, his jaw hardened, his eyes turned ferocious. His proud posture stiffened. There were ripples in his eyes while meeting Santiago''s.


    "What''s happening?" Carina questioned. She still couldn''t understand why the wedding stopped all of a sudden. It was fine a moment ago, when Sophia was walking down the aisle with her father...but what changed on reaching the aisle?


    She was confused, bewildered and most of all worried.


    "If you didn''t wish to marry me, you could have just said it to me," Santiago said while performing his million dollars script. "I''m not a traditional man who can''t accept the truth. I would have said no if I knew that you were always in love with someone." He heaved out a long such before saying, "I can accept anything...but cheating¡­ How can I accept the woman as my wife who cheated on me just one day before the wedding. I''m sorry. I can''t do this."


    His last words were directed at Don Marino.


    It was only now that Persephone spoke when she saw Nico, Sophia, Carina and Alessandro looking horrified. Salvatore and Isabelle were still in big confusion.


    "What do you mean by your words?" Persephone seemed to have grown extra energy inside her when she heard that Santiago refused to marry Sophia.


    "You should see this too, Miss Marino," Santiago said as his gaze passed on Nico and Sophia, a sneer present on his face. "See why your fiance has been too busy for you these days that he didn''t have time to accompany you."


    Persephone glanced at Nico and Sophia with furrowed brows. She walked ahead slowly and took the iPad from Santiago'' hand. As her gaze fell on Sophia and Nico''s indecent picture, the iPad fell from her hand in shock.


    No, she wasn''t sad, just shocked by the events.


    She looked at Nico and Sophia asking for an explanation, both closed their eyes and hung their heads down. Nico just stood there with his head low and Sophia, she burst into tears.


    "You must be too shocked to accept the truth," Santiago said in a voice filled with grievance. "However, it''s the truth. We have been deceived by our respective partners."


    Persephone looked up to meet his gaze to see what he was playing at. No, she didn''t think that these pictures had been sent to him. It was a planned conspiracy and no one else but this man was the conspirator.


    "Don Marino, don''t you think I have been taken advantage of by you people," Santiago met his gaze.


    Alessandro Marino knew better than anyone else what his words meant. Their cooperation would end with the wedding. He would never let his offspring cause him so much loss. Never.


    "You can ask me for anything, Mr. Vitello," Alessandro spoke. He never sounded so desperate.


    "I didn''t lack anything but a bride¡­"He scoffed. " But look at you...can''t even give one thing that you promised¡­."


    "However, there is something you still can do to keep the cooperation going¡­."


    "And that is?"


    "The hand of your other daughter¡­."

 Chapter 143 - "You Dont Know What You Have Done"

    Five hours later


    Santiago was driving the car in the direction of his house. In the whole thirty-minute journey, his new wife had not spoken a word to him. She had been staring outside the car window in the darkness for a long time.


    He tried several times initiating the conversation with Persephone but the latter didn''t seem to give a face to him at all. Husband or not, she wasn''t going to speak if she didn''t wish to. Although he had an ego as big and deep as the Pacific Ocean, he still didn''t dare to show it in front of his wife, the woman who had to walk beside him for the whole lifetime


    People were right when they said that the wife shouldn''t be offended but look at him, just a few hours since they were married and his wife wasn''t even willing to look at him. Can there be someone more unfortunate and pitiful than him?


    When he pulled the car brakes in the driveway outside his house, Persephone immediately acted by unlocking the car door and getting out before he could act.


    Santiago sighed when he saw the expected reaction. His wife had a temper that he was very familiar with! Whether it was the eight years old naive girl, or the twenty-five years old manipulative woman, both had similar tempers!


    When he saw that Persephone was throwing glares at the locked door, he let out a smile and got out of the car only to clasp her wrist and make her face him. He gripped her chin with his thumb and index finger and forced her to meet his eyes.


    Only when their eyes met, he realized that their green orbs were glossy as if they had cried silently. This scene caused a sting in his heart but he didn''t express it on his face.


    "What''s the matter?" He softly asked her.


    Persephone laughed in a mocking manner and then sneered at him. She didn''t remove his warm finger and thumb from her chin. "Don''t you know what''s the matter with me,'' husband''?"


    The last word was spoken with utter disgust.


    Even Santiago didn''t react when she openly mocked him at his face because he knew his method of marrying her was wrong. As hard and tough she might appear, she still was romantic at heart. If she didn''t care about the man who adored her for the past many years just because he was forced on her by her father, how would she react favourably to his method and him?


    Today she might hate him for forcing her to marry him, but there would come a day when she would thank heaven for sending him to save her from that hellhole. Of course, he didn''t want her to show any kind of gratitude.


    "No, I don''t know what the matter is, wife," Santiago replied softly as he glanced at the woman in front of him. "However, I would love to hear you share your troubles with me. Who knows I might be able to help you out."


    Persephone laughed this time. She didn''t laugh at him or even herself but fate. Under the lightbulb outside the door, the fresh tears in her eyes glistened as she stared at him. There was no hate or love in that stare, only certainty.


    "You don''t realize what you have done this time," Persephone whispered as she removed his hand from her chin with hers. Without his notice, her other hand caressed her belly. "You have no idea what a calamity you have invited for me and¡­"


    She didn''t complete the last word and he had no interest in knowing it either. His hand clasped her wrist and prevented her from leaving first.


    "Do you disgust me so much?" He sincerely asked her. He needed an answer to this question or she wouldn''t be able to sleep in peace. He wanted to know why she was so opposed to this marriage.


    Could it be that after forgetting about him she developed her feelings for that Nico bastard?


    Or that man from her past...the same man whose ring she had been wearing on his finger alongside her previous engagement ring?


    He needed to get these thoughts out of his mind. She was his lawfully wedded wife now. No other man except for himself had any place in his life. It might sound very old school but could he do it¡­


    Persephone shook her head. How could she be disgusted at him when she was no better than him? For years, she had been pretending to be someone she was not. The sweet Marino Princess was her armour as well as the shell that was hiding the real her. She didn''t start manipulation just now, but from the time she had only been just a little girl. After visiting her mother''s studio yesterday, many suppressed memories came back to her.


    The current her was the most real that she had ever been. The uncertainty about her future, the fear about her child, and the emptiness in her eyes was the real her.


    "Santiago, you don''t know what you have done," Persephone whispered once again.


    Santiago still didn''t understand what she meant by her words. He looked at her with a puzzled expression.


    Her next words put him in more confusion than he could allow.


    "However, you''re not the one to be blamed. Thank you, for pushing Nico. If not for you, he and Sophia wouldn''t have been married."


    Without wasting another second, she said, "Should we go inside?"


    Santiago didn''t like this version of his Red. He wanted the fiery Red back who would kill him with her words before accepting this forced marriage. He didn''t want to see her like this. He couldn''t bear to see this fake serenity on her face. He knew better than anyone that she was hiding a storm behind her serene eyes.


    To be honest, she was not faking this serenity. This expression that he was calling serenity was in actuality hopelessness. It was as if she had lost the fight even before participating in it.


    Without saying anything else, he unlocked the door and brought her straight to their bedroom. Since he had ordered both Emmanuel and Romeo not to spend the night at the hotel for a day or two, there was no one to disturb them.


    ¡­.


    In the awkward silence, Santiago was standing under the finely lit ceiling, his gaze had been stuck on the closed bathroom door for a long time now.


    Inside the bathroom, Persephone had been curled up in the overflowing bathtub. Her head was buried in her naked knees and the flowing water was preventing her whimpers from leaving the bathroom.


    She knew that it was not good for her or the baby''s health but she really needed a good cry. Only after crying her heart out, she could plan for her uncertain future.


    She would never be able to forget that dead look that her father had given her when he handed her hand into Santiago''s hand. As much as she was grateful for Santiago for acting as the catalyst that forced Nico to accept his real feelings for Sophia, and later made Nico accept Sophia as his wife in front of everyone, she still couldn''t forget the fact that her papa had most certainly announced the decree.


    By hook or by crook, Don Marino wanted her life. She would be dead within this week and she was sure of it.


    Santiago would never forgive the Marino family for cheating him. He didn''t know that the woman he had brought home as his wife was in reality was impregnated with another man''s seed. No proud man would ever accept being cuckolded even before marriage.


    For the sake of benefits that Santiago had promised to Don Marino, the latter easily gave her hand in marriage to someone who he had never even in his wildest dreams had thought was an enemy in disguise of an ally.


    A sob escaped her throat as the scene where she had been possessed by a mad ghost entered her mind. That day, she would have easily ended her life with her little one''s but today, she was even tired of thinking about something like taking her life¡­


    Even if she was tired of this life...she couldn''t take her little angel''s right to life away. She had promised her angel that she would always keep her/him safe and she would never break it.


    She stopped crying and wiped her tears as she stood up before eying her face in the mirror. Her hand once again caressed her slightly protruding belly. Although it was protruded, it still looked like fat accumulated more than a baby bump. She was skinny, to begin with and her slighted health was making her even more thin than before.


    Once again, she wiped her face with her palm and vowed to never cry again.


    ''Even if I have to play Santiago Vitello for the sake of my Angel, I will.. Let the battle begin.''

 Chapter 144 - Enemies Or Brothers

    Santiago was staring at the sleeping woman beside him for an hour now. He lifted his fingers to trace her features but stopped himself when he remembered how unwilling she had been when she heard that they would be sharing the room. She immediately objected and demanded that she should be shifted to another room.


    Perhaps, he would have agreed if not for the fact that he had noticed her red rim of the eyes. She had clearly cried in the bathroom in the disguise of a hot bath. However, he knew better than to speak it out loud.


    It was better if she would tell or fight or even show an attitude for getting forced into this marriage than spending days alone in a cold room, crying.


    It was almost Eight o''clock in the morning and she hadn''t woken up. He wanted to wake her up but when he thought how difficult it would have been for her to fall asleep last night in this foreign room, he dropped his initial plan of staring at her further and with a sigh, he left the room.


    She wouldn''t probably want to see his face first thing in the morning.


    On the way out, he called Emmanuel and asked him to return as soon as possible.


    Persephone woke up around eleven in the morning. The last day had taken a toll on her mental and physical condition. If she hadn''t had the long sleep, it would have been difficult for her to adapt to this difficult time that she might be facing ahead. In short, her body decided to shut down to prevent itself from overworking.


    After freshening up, she was put in a dilemma. Last night, it was easier to wear Santiago''s huge clothes to go to sleep. But what about now? Was she just going to rot inside this room without any proper clothes?


    As if on cue someone knocked on the door. She looked at herself, only checking that she was presentable did she open the door.


    Santiago wouldn''t want his wife to appear in front of anyone in this condition, would he?


    As long as he didn''t treat her like Alessandro Marino treated Carina, she would be fine for some time. If Carina thought that no one knew that she was treated worse than animals in her own house by her husband, then she was very wrong.


    As for the person standing at the door¡­


    Persephone blinked her eyes twice to gaze at the person standing at the door. He was a young body similar to Cameron, probably a few years older than him. However, this one had a sliver of innocence intact on his face that wasn''t seen on Cameron''s. In simple words, the person in front of her was capable of letting anyone let their guards down.


    Emmanuel cleared his throat before saying," Mrs Vitello, your mom sent your stuff. Where would you like us to place it?"


    Hearing him calling her as Mrs Vitello already did strange things to her. All indescribable.


    She showed him the spot and he placed her luggage there.


    "There is more?"Persephone''s voice was faint when she raised the question. She sounded as if she had suffered grave grievances.


    Before Emmanuel could say anything, Romeo appeared with two more bags.


    Now it was Persephone''s turn to be surprised. What on earth was Santiago thinking by leaving her alone with two boys? Did he send them to lighten her mood? Did he know what it signifies?


    Thankfully, Emmanuel and Romeo couldn''t understand the weird thoughts going on in her head.


    Whatever! She decided to stay away from these two pretty boys! Santiago might be open-minded but she wasn''t!


    Wait, was he testing her by letting these two boys around her? Did he wanna know if she was a woman of loose character?


    She didn''t say anything and tried her best to stay away from both of the boys.


    Quietly, she opened the luggage and took out the clothes that she needed to wear and of course her daily medicines.


    Sometime later, Emmanuel appeared and asked if she would like to have her breakfast on the dining table or inside the room. Thinking it was better to stay inside, she had her breakfast inside the room.


    ¡­


    "What happened?" Romeo couldn''t help but ask when he noticed that his body friend had signed for the nth time in just an hour. "You seem pretty troubled."


    "Did you notice that Miss Persephone didn''t recognise me?"Emmanuel could only share his predicament with his boyfriend. "Or is she acting quite well?"


    "How could it be that Miss Persephone didn''t recognise you?" Romeo asked in return. "You guys, as you said, were pretty close. You passed the danger together. How could she forget you? Give her time. I''m sure her weird behaviour has something to do with Mr V. It''s not easy being his wife."


    "Mr V is not a bad man. He is just different," Emmanuel retorted. "I know you are not used to his temper and circle of people. But trust me, I had seen people worse than him. He could have left me in the wilderness to fend for myself but he didn''t. If you do something kind for you, he will return your kindness tenfold. As for Miss Persephone¡­ She loved him a lot. You saw yourself too, didn''t you?"


    Romeo ruffled his hair lovingly and said, "You are so gullible. Yesterday, you were pretty angry at him. But when you saw that his wife was Juliet, he became Messiah in your eyes once again. And don''t forget that they were just pretending to be a couple that time. Now, it is different."


    Whether they were pretending or not, it was the talk of another time. The main question that was troubling both of them was why Persephone was behaving the way that she was. There were many scenarios going in their head but none of them was ready to share them.


    ¡­.


    Inside, Persephone did some meditation and yoga as recommended by Valencia, her doctor before searching for a book to pass the day.


    Thankfully, her mom had packed her phone along with her kindle. Everything was fine for now¡­.


    When Persephone was trying to make her mind believe that she was in peace, Santiago''s whole plan was shattered like it was fragile like glass and someone had thrown it straight on the floor.


    Someone was messing with him. That too badly.


    There was someone in the shadows who didn''t want the Mafia families of Newyork to negotiate or one could say that they didn''t want him to be the middleman. Heads of the family were suspecting him now but since they had no proof to prove that he had ulterior motives aside from the one they weren''t aware of, they couldn''t do anything to discard him. But it wouldn''t be late before they find the evidence.


    He was alone to deal with the mess that he was stuck in. If any of his other brothers (Darkhorses) was here, it wouldn''t be so difficult for him. However, it was just wishful thinking on his part to see all of them together again. Their paths were different and so were their destinies.


    As Nash has said in utter anguish that he wholeheartedly wished to not come across any of them once again. He dared not say that Nash''s words were still haunting him.


    Closing his eyes, he rubbed his face and heard what his subordinates had to report.


    "When?" Santiago''s face darkened when he heard the last point.


    "Two days ago, Richard was found dead in his house by Don Marino," His subordinate said. "He threatened the doctors to not let the information leak that Richard was dead before they reached."


    "So, Alessandro didn''t want Richard''s death to ruin her daughter''s wedding?" Santiago scoffed.


    The subordinate shook his head. "It couldn''t be only that. I assume that it was because the cause of his death was suspicious. His call records show that he last talked to Don Marino before his death. The hospital reports show that he died of cardiac arrest, very similar to how the Scuderi couple died."


    "Scuderi couple?"Santiago repeated the words. He seemed to have remembered something. "Stop looking for who killed him. Rather focus on what we wanted from him. Whoever killed Richard knew that he was about to betray Don Marino once again. That bastard couldn''t die before giving me the information that he promised."


    "We are working on it, Boss," His subordinate said before leaving the room.


    "I hope it''s not you, Killian," Santiago murmured. Wasn''t Killian''s little spy who killed the Scuderi couple? Why would he kill Richard? What did he want from Richard? As much as he knew, Alicia''s disappearance has nothing to do with him.


    "I hope I won''t become enemies with any of you, my brothers. What calamity would it be if I had to stand against any of you one day?"

 Chapter 145 - Tall And Dark Italiano God

    It was the third day of Persephone''s married life and she had yet to see her husband after their wedding night. Previously, she was praying to God to not let her face her unwanted husband but now that Santiago hadn''t returned home for more than two days, she was getting anxious. And even she didn''t know the reason behind her behaviour.


    Why must she be worried about him?


    Hadn''t he made it clear to her many times that he wasn''t interested in her before?


    He only wanted to be related to Marinos by marrying either of Alessandro''s daughters and he did it. Did it matter to him who he married, Sophia or Persephone? Weren''t both the same to him?


    Of all the things, what she wasn''t able to understand until now was: why the hell the thought of him not caring for her was hurting her? The idea of him not caring for her at all was like a gash on her heart.


    Well, let''s just blame it on her pregnancy hormones!


    "Miss Persephone?" Emmanuel''s head appeared on her door. She was still cooped inside this room for the last three days. She dared not leave the room in fear of encountering any of the three men in the house. He asked, "Would you like some dessert?"


    Emmanuel and Romeo were going crazy now. Persephone was acting as if she didn''t recognize them at all. Not only this, she was staying inside the room. Not even for a second had she exited this room. Both of them tried several tricks to make her come out but nothing worked in the end.


    Santiago hadn''t returned for days now. He would call several times a day. Every time he would ask about how she was doing. If she had her meals on time and all. Now even he was getting worried about her getting cooped up inside that room.


    "Dessert?" Persephone blinked her eyes at him several times. The boy''s beauty was too blinding for her dried eyes. "What kind of dessert?"


    Did they order something from Ellison''s cafe? Just the thought that they had ordered something from Ellison''s cafe was enough to make her famished.


    "Romeo made some of his local desserts. Mr V said that you will like it," Emmanuel replied. He and Romeo came up with the idea of cooking something to get her out of the room.


    Local dessert?


    Is it that dish that her mom had gotten cooked the time Santiago came to Marino residence for the first time?


    Unconsciously, she licked her lips, quite hungrily.


    "Sure," Persephone beamed at him.


    "Perfect," Emmanuel clapped in excitement, showing his perfect white teeth. "Romeo had arranged brunch outside."


    Persephone''s immediate reaction was saying no but before she could say it out, he cut him off. "Please try to understand if I served you here, the room will get smelly and Mr V will not be very pleased with me."


    Understanding Villain''s nature quite well, she ended up nodding her head. If it was stenchy, meaning it was that thing for sure.


    Moments later, Persephone was served a plate full by Romeo and seeing her eating with such a jolly expression, both Emmanuel and Romeo couldn''t help but click the pictures sneakily for sending them to Santiago later on.


    "You are genius," She said to Romeo who smiled at her in return.


    "I''m glad you liked it," Emmanuel was like a kid who was praised by his mama for a good deed. He was very happy. "Take more if you want."


    Romeo cleared his throat and in a very concerning manner, he asked, "Is Mr V not treating you well?"


    Persephone blinked her eyes at him. "Why did you say so?"


    "Because you have been cooped up inside the same room," Emmanuel answered instead. "We were quite worried about you. If you are upset with us, please tell us, we will do everything in our power to accommodate you well."


    Persephone shook her head. "It''s not like that. We got married in a bizarre manner. I don''t even know him well. And you guys, I have never met you. It''s just that...I don''t know how to behave¡­"


    Emmanuel and Romeo looked at each other, dumbfounded. Their assumption was right. Persephone didn''t remember them at all.


    Did it mean she didn''t remember Santiago too?


    Just what on earth was happening?


    Persephone had yet to finish the foot on her plate when the incoming sound of heavy footsteps was heard. She turned her head to find Santiago sliding the door to the patio. His gaze first rested on her and then on the food on her plate, after he let out a sigh while shaking his head as if she was a lost case and he had no hope left for her.


    "We have to leave," He calmly told her.


    Persephone blinked her eyes at him before softly saying, "Are we going to Marino house? If we are, can you postpone the plan?"


    Santiago didn''t know why she was so reluctant to go to Marino house. But fortunately, they weren''t headed there. He let out another sigh and said,"We are not going to your Papa''s house. We are going to Costas residence. Mr Costas died a few days back. It''s his funeral today."


    To say Persephone was shocked would be an understatement. Wasn''t he fine at Salvatore''s wedding?


    "Why did you not tell me?" Persephone accused him of hiding the truth from her.


    "I.." Before he could reply, he saw Persephone waving her head at him.


    "Ah, why would you?" She scoffed. "Aren''t we a plastic couple? I tend to forget that soon." She paused for a moment before throwing a glare in Romeo and Emmanuel''s direction. "And what do you mean by letting these two young boys stay at home with me? Are you testing me if I will cheat on you or not?"


    Not only Villain was dumbfounded, Emmanuel and Romeo were equally too.


    With a thunderstruck expression, he lightly hit her head. "What stories do you weave in your head? And what the hell do you mean by plastic couple? Percy, just what on earth were you thinking? And test you for what? Romeo and Emmanuel are a couple. They stay with us because you are a disaster in the kitchen. I''m afraid that you will die of starvation if I let you alone at home."


    Persephone narrowed her eyes at Romeo and Emmanuel who nodded their head at him. Hell, Emmanuel even kissed Romeo''s lips to make her believe that Villain was not lying.


    Still, Persephone was not very convinced.


    Villain touched her head and said, "You have a memory of goldfish. I asked you to get ready and come with me to Richard''s funeral."


    What could Persephone do here? She just nodded her head.


    Persephone was now sitting beside Villain in the act, dressed in a modest knee-length black dress. It was appropriate attire for a funeral. Even going to a funeral, they must dress up as if they were going to a wedding.


    Santiago parked the car while she waited for him. She didn''t know what pregnant women were supposed to do at a funeral but thank God she had goggle for it. Until Santiago came, she googled stuff that she was supposed to.


    Ever since she had gotten pregnant she had gotten too superstitious. Perhaps, being a mom changes everything.


    "Are you ready?" Santiago asked her when he returned. He could say that she was reluctant to come with him.


    Persephone nodded. She stepped ahead but since she was wearing low heels and it was getting dug into the ground, she instinctively held his hand.


    "I''m sorry, " She murmured when she realised what she did.


    Santiago, whose gaze was on her hand on his arm, smiled and replied, "No problem."


    They had done things dirtier than just accidentally holding hands but all he could say was that...none of her actions had ever made his heart race so fast before.


    "I don''t want to see him," Persephone murmured as they were walking.


    "See who?" Santiago asked his gaze on the front.


    "Richard¡­ Can you not take me close to him?" She asked him in a weak voice.


    What man could refuse a weak and seductive woman?


    Well, it wasn''t Santiago for sure.


    In the end, Persephone just sat on the chair behind while Santiago went to pay his respect to the Costas family.


    Who would have thought that out of all the places Santiago would meet Killian standing beside Mrs Costas and Emma Costas?


    When he went to Mrs Costas to express his grief, he shook hands with Killian too¡­


    Even after coming back when he had occupied the seat beside Persephone, he was still in a daze.


    "Emma got married?" Persephone asked in shock when she heard Sophia who was sitting next to her head. She and Nico had also come to Ricahrd''s funeral.


    Sophia nodded her head. "You see the tall and dark Italiano God standing next to her?"

 Chapter 146 - Emma And Persephone

    "Emma got married?" Persephone asked in shock when she heard Sophia who was sitting next to her. She and Nico had also come to Richard''s funeral.


    Sophia nodded her head. "You see the tall and dark Italiano God standing next to her?"


    Persephone turned her head to look at the man standing next to Emma. He truly was an Italian God. She had never seen a man so gorgeous before. Well, Emma at least got a man who could defeat anyone in the looks department by dumping Salvatore.


    Sophia was still bitter that Emma dumped her brother on the altar. But she didn''t understand that it was way better than the marriage filled with bitterness. Momentary bitterness was better than eternal one.


    "I heard he is a scholar or some white-collared man," Sophia then added. Her tone was condescending but Persephone didn''t say anything.


    Weren''t white-collared employees leading a respectable life? What''s with her condescending such people? But what could she say? Her sister was used to the luxurious life that being the daughter of Alessandro Marino and later the wife of Nicolas Scuderi could afford.


    "White-collared?" Santiago raised his brow, quite amused. His gaze lingered on the familiar man dressed in a fine black suit. If these ladies knew the offer he received from the King just to have Killian join the research team, would they still call him a mere white-collar worker? Not that he was looking down upon white-collar employees. It was just that Sophia Marino''s attitude was laughable.


    "He is a professor at a university in Las Vegas," Salvatore replied this time, surprising many people. Another speculation. To be honest, it was not speculation but the result of his report.


    ''Professor now?''Santiago inwardly shook his head. Well, he functioned as a professor for a few months back in Maisean empire. But it was for a short time as Killian, the lover of silence, was annoyed by those rebellious university students.


    ¡­


    "Percy, are you okay?" Emma asked with a smile. Once they were done with the ceremony, she found Persephone standing alone, looking all pale and nervous.


    Persephone nodded with a smile. She just came from the washroom, puking all the food that she had confused. The smell of alcohol in the air was making her dizzy. Thankfully, no one was here to ask her questions.


    "Quite alright, " Persephone then said. She hugged the other woman and started making small talks. "I heard you got married."


    Emma seemed to have a sad expression on her face. She then asked in a whisper, "Do you hate me now?"


    Emma had been tormenting her mental health by thinking how much she hurt her family by taking that step even if she didn''t regret her. Her mom.called her the reason for her father''s death. But she knew the truth. Her mom was not blaming her for the death of Richard Costas but the fact that he announced her as his heir, leaving her mother with nothing but the house and several million dollars for her old age expenses.


    Emily Costas even called her husband a fraud who was married to her just for money. She wondered if she should tell her mother that it wasn''t Killian but her husband who trapped him in this marriage.


    She didn''t mind a middle-class life as long as she had money. Not everyone needs to be rich to become happy.


    Persephone sighed out, "Why would I? Of all people, I can understand your dilemma the best. What was the point in getting stuck in a marriage that is going to give you nothing but shackles and lifelong pain? You not only saved yourself but Salvatore too."


    Truth be told, Salvatore and Emma were never a good match. Poor Emma transferred from being Lucien''s fiance to Salvatore''s. It was true that she fell for Salvatore first but people fell out of love the same way they fell in it.


    If Emma and Salvatore had really gone married as Don Marino hoped. Not only two but many lives would have been shattered.


    In all honesty, Salvatore and Emma were never meant to be together.


    "Come sit. You don''t look very fine to me right now," Emma told Persephone who nodded and then occupied the nearby seat along with her.


    Persephone found her head heavy. This morning sickness was sucking the life out of her. Valencia had advised her to be in a good mood all the time or she would suffer these symptoms more often.


    And you know what hurts the most?


    Even after almost dying with these symptoms...her tummy was flat as ever. Aside from a tiny bulge, there was no meat on her stomach.


    Now sitting on the chair, she realised a bit. She would ask Valencia why she was as skinny as ever the next time she met her.


    "Does your husband treat you well? If not tell me, I will ask Sal to kick his ass. This is the least he could do for hurting you all these years," Persephone said as she found Emma deep in thought. Alright, she wasn''t a big fan of Emma. But these women were still closer than anyone. So, they understand each other well.


    Emma smiled at her suggestion and shook her head. Persephone still hadn''t changed a bit. It was good that she looked better than the last time she saw her. Well, it hadn''t been many days. A month at most¡­


    "He is surprisingly good to me. In fact, he is very good. He is very observant and takes care of me even when I forgot to, "Emma told her with a fond smile. She paused for a moment before sighing¡­"I won''t say I am happy...but I am not sad either ¡­ All I can say is ...my life is better than before. At Least, I have something to look forward to. I''m finally free of this cage."


    The last part was added with a bitter smile.


    "These men will never understand how much we women hate this life, "Persephone said to her. "They stain their hands with blood. And when you ask them to stop doing it. They preach how they are doing it for their families. When in reality, they are doing nothing but bringing pain to their family."


    What kind of woman would ask her husband to give her diamonds by painting their hand in someone''s blood? What kind of son would ask his father to give him money by selling the white poison that is destroying the lives of all the other children?


    She let out a mocking laugh," When will they understand that all we want is some familial love¡­ we don''t want war. We don''t want to be the party of these wars ...and neither do we wish to bear the aftermath for them¡­But I think this is what marrying them means-- to bear the aftermath of their deeds."


    No one could better understand it other than Persephone. If not for her father, she wouldn''t have found her pregnant with a child whose father was unknown even to her. If he hadn''t taken the lives of innocents, Santiago wouldn''t have trapped her in this unwanted marriage either. If he had been confident enough to accept his true feelings for Lorenzo, that crazy man wouldn''t have killed Penelope and Lucien in jealousy. If he was not such a cower and had stopped proving his masculinity to himself, he would not have treated Carina like animals. Carina was nothing but a means to convince himself that he was a man enough.


    Everyone was facing the consequence of their actions but them.


    "I wonder if my mom feels the same," said Emma while a tear fell from the corner of her eye."Dad worked too much. He had expectations from me. But I couldn''t make them true. I wonder if he hated me for taking that step. However, I swear that I always loved them. It was just that I couldn''t bear to stay here anymore. I was tired of everything."


    Persephone patted her back. "You shouldn''t feel bad for the things you have done. I know you will bear the consequences of your actions proudly and happily. So please eliminate this thought out of your head. It ain''t worth your tears. And they don''t deserve your tears, Emma. Trust me."


    Richard and Emily had never cared for anything except their face all their life.


    "You are right," Emma said but more tears fell from her eyes. "I can''t just stop crying¡­"


    Persephone was helpless. She didn''t know how to console a crying adult. Emma''s beautiful face was a mess. The mascara that she might have applied was leaking from the corner of her eyes, smearing all over her cheeks.


    Before Persephone could do or say anything, a tall figure appeared. Throwing a glare in her direction, he hugged Emma and wiped her face with the utmost tenderness.


    His action made Persephone loss for words.


    Why was he looking at her as if she was his greatest enemy?

 Chapter 147 - Responsible For Every Calamity

    "You shouldn''t have made her cry, "The man who Sophia had initially called Italiano God was throwing false accusations at her. However, for Emma''s sake, she didn''t retort.


    "It wasn''t her fault," Emma murmured while laying against his warm chest."I just get too emotional." Looking up at him with her glossy eyes, she added, "I swear, she wasn''t making me cry. My stupid emotions got the worst of me."


    Killian helplessly sighed. Looking at shell shocked Persephone, he murmured a very insincere apology. He also wondered if she recognized him. But how would she recognize him when she hadn''t seen him and Callum? She only knew how Santiago and Nash looked.


    Speaking of Santiago, he wondered what his ex-brother was doing here, getting all chummy with the Marino family, especially this ex-captive of his.


    Whatever! He didn''t care what Santiago did! He and the rest of the three men had no relationship with each other at all.


    What could Persephone say at this time? This husband of Emma was too ¡­ What word could she use to describe him? Unfriendly? No, she could see hate for her in his eyes for. She even wondered if she had somehow offended this Italiano God. But as far as she could trust her very unreliable memory, she hadn''t seen this man. If she had, she wouldn''t have forgotten this man with godly looks. Not at all.


    Emma wiped her tears and with a smile, she said, "Percy, meet my husband, Killian Palmero."


    Persephone faked a smile and said, "Nice to meet you, Mr Palemero. I''m Persephone Marino--"


    Before she could say anything, a voice cut her off by saying, "Vitello. Persephone Vitello."


    Persephone turned her head to find the owner of the smoky voice, coming towards her in all his glory. With a very insincere smile, Villain said, "My wife Persephone Vitello."


    His announcing her as his wife was throwing bombs on both Emma and Killian.


    Nobody had expected her to marry someone else but Nico.


    "What did you say?"Emma asked with wide eyes. Well, it wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that she was stupefied. Who didn''t know that Persephone was always supposed to marry Nico? Hell, even before they got engaged everyone knew that these two were gonna marry in the future.


    What the hell happened after she ran away from home?


    Without waiting for an answer, she threw another question," What about Nico? Is he dead? Oh, no. I think I saw him with Ginevra and Belle."


    Persephone cleared her throat but didn''t gather the words to say out loud. So, she glanced at Santiago to urge him to answer to Emma but he was too busy with eye to eye competition with Emma''s husband that he didn''t notice her.


    These mafiosos and their egos!


    In the end, Persephone was left to answer. "Sophia and Nico got married."


    "Well¡­" Emma found herself speechless too.


    "And Belle and Sal too...on the day you¡­"


    Emma had to hold her husband''s arm tightly to overcome the shock that she received after hearing her words.


    "Many things happened here after I was gone¡­" Emma found her words finally. "Good things...nonetheless."


    Persephone smiled at her.


    At this time, someone came to call Santiago that Don Marino was asking for him. So, he left Persephone''s side but only after ordering the bodyguard chosen by him for her.


    ¡­.


    After coming out of the room where Santiago and Don Marino had a long talk, he headed to his wife. He asked Persephone to wait for him as they would be directly heading home. But as he was about to take a step in her direction, he found a man standing in his way, leaning against the wall, humming to none else.


    Santiago pretended as if he didn''t notice anyone blocking his way. He just sloppily walked ahead.


    "Aren''t you even going to greet, Fratello?" Killian said with a grin. The grin on his face was so disturbing that Santiago had an urge to wipe it with a punch.


    [Fratello: Brother in Italian]


    "And why should I?" Santiago retorted, folding his arms on his chest. He and Killian were engaged in another eye-to-eye match.


    "Aye, you hurt my heart," Killam snickered. Sarcasm dripped from every word. "Who would have thought that the almighty Villain would end up becoming Don Marino''s son in law!"


    It was clearly evident from his tone that Killian was not very pleased to know this piece of information.


    "Back at you, Kill," Santiago growled. "Of all the people...you chose her...Richard Costas''s daughter? Damn you, if you wanted him killed..you could have killed him several years ago. Why? Why did you shove your leg where it didn''t belong? Are you avenging that bastard father of yours now?"


    Well, Santiago understood Killian and Costas family''s equation too well. He knew too well that Richard Costas had a hand in the demise of Palmeros but Killian never wanted to avenge his father''s death because felt there was no point in starting a war for someone for who he had no feelings. His only goal was to find Alicia, his younger sister.


    "Fuck you," Killian growled back and held him by his collar. "Avenge that fucker? After my death!!! And who did I get killed? Did you forget that killing is Villain''s and that crazy Nash''s forte, not mine and Cal''s!"


    Killian took deep breaths to calm his anger before leaving his grip on Santiago''s collar. "You know what? I never thought that one day...we will end just like the way we met! Like enemies! But it is what it is! If you want to make an enemy out of me? Then, you are fucking welcome because I am staying right here, beside you. Even if I didn''t shove a leg in your business until now, I''m going to now! Let''s see how you gonna stop this storm called Killian Palmero!"


    Santiago shook his head mirthlessly. "I never asked for anything...just one thing, Killian. And you¡­ Nevermind, if being the enemy is what you want us to be. You should be aware of the consequence."


    Without waiting for another comeback, Santiago walked ahead.


    "Is it because of her?"He heard Killian''s soft voice.


    "Isn''t it all because of her? She is a killer just like her father. He kills people for fun and she kills friendships and relationships. All the best, dear enemy for your happily married life. But you know what? I will wish for her to leave you. Because she will end up killing you, Villain. She is a curse just like that bastard father of hers."


    Santiago turned around and punched Killian''s jaw. Before waiting for any moment, he left the area to find his Red.


    Looking at Santiago''s retiring back, Killian murmured while wiping blood from the corner of his lips. "Seems like this bastard is serious this time! Women! Oh women, why must you be responsible for every calamity!"


    After a few minutes, Emma was passing through the area where Killian and Santiago had a tiff and she found her husband rubbing his sore jaw.


    "Who did this?" Emma asked in anger. "Were they mom''s people? Dammit, I will kill all of them."


    Emma walked in anger to ask her mother about what kind of crime had her husband done to get this behaviour from her guards! However, before she could take another step ahead, Killian grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his lap. His chin was rested on her shoulder and he murmured in her ears softly, "Don''t move."


    While Emma''s heart was racing against her ribcage, she let him hold her waist. She never told him but she loved back hugs too much. Though they were only husband and wife on paper, she still found herself quite attracted to him. Oftentimes, she wanted to throw the self-control out of the window and beg him to be hers...but when reality would come rushing to her...she would just sigh and look at him as if she was losing the world''s biggest treasure.


    Killian Palmero was no less than a treasure. With his godly looks, noble temperament and otherworldly intelligence, he could get any woman on the planet. She was just a plain woman with even plain blond hair and facial features as if she was the inspiration behind the creation of dolls that young girls love to play with.


    She never felt so inferior before. However, the man embracing her was the most superior breed of man. Normal women like her couldn''t match up to him.


    "I can''t let anyone treat you like this," Emma said with exasperation clearly visible in her warm eyes. "If they are angry at me, they should vent it on me too. Why must they involve you? You are an innocent party in all this mess."


    "You think I''m innocent?" Killian questioned her. He was quite amused by her behaviour. On a normal day, Emmaline Palermo would never talk so violently. She was a fragile woman with a heart of gold. She could never speak bad about anyone.. But hearing him announcing how she was going to kill those who hurt him brought indefinable warmness to his heart.

 Chapter 148 - Salvatore And Isabelles Truth

    "You think I''m innocent?" Killian questioned her. He was quite amused by her behaviour. On a normal day, Emma line Palermo would never talk so violently. She was a fragile woman with a heart of gold. She could never speak badly about anyone. But hearing him announcing how she was going to kill those who hurt him brought indefinable warmth to his heart.


    In simple words, he hadn''t met a woman so warm like her in his entire life.


    "Are you not?" Emma asked, furrowing her brows in question. "You are too innocent in comparison with what my circle of people do for a living. Trust me, Killian, you are the most innocent man I have ever met who thinks by his indifferent demeanour could pretend that he doesn''t care. But I know better."


    Killian tightened his hold on her. "You are right. You know better."


    Only if Emma knew what kind of monster he was underneath the skin he was showing everyone.


    If Santiago was a villain, then he was no worse than him.


    In all honesty, he was not even close to the man Emma was thinking of.


    However, he chose to keep her in darkness.


    ¡­


    On the other side, a man was watching the interaction between these two people through the lens of his dark shades. He came when Killian pulled Emma into his embrace. He wanted to leave first but after seeing them expressing their adoration so naturally, he couldn''t leave. His feet stilled on their own and his eyes refused to move from them.


    Even he wanted to know that the scene he was watching was natural or faux.


    From his expressions, it wasn''t clear what he was thinking.


    "Why do I have a feeling that you are quite jealous of the scene unfolding before your eyes?" A feminine voice was heard. Sarcasm and a hint of curiosity were present in her voice.


    "What the hell do you want, Isabelle?" Salvatore turned his head to look at her in annoyance. Why must this girl appear where she shouldn''t?


    Isabelle had a habit of appearing at all the places where she was not welcomed. For instance, Salvatore Marino''s life.


    Isabelle snorted at his response. "Why cry on spilt milk now? You had several years to treat her well but what did you do? Not only did you not give her the loyalty she deserved but pushed her to hate you. Are you happy now, my dear husband?!"


    The last sentence was obviously spoken to get on his nerves as she knew too well that it would.


    "Don''t call me that," Salvatore threatened her.


    He couldn''t bear to see her claiming him as his husband when he certainly was not.


    "Call you what?" Isabelle questioned him in a mocking time. "Husband?" She scoffed at him. "Did you forget that you fucking threatened me to marry you? Not like I ever wanted to! I hate your existence and you know it too well. So, bear with it when I call you husband!"


    Salvatore looked at her. This time, he looked at her as he was looking at her for the first time. Truly, Salvatore never gives his attention to anyone. He was always in another world or in a hurry to reach somewhere else, far away from the world he physically was. It was as if he didn''t have anything to do with these so-called his own people. People called him names behind his back and he didn''t seem to care about it at all. He had no care of anything in this world except for himself.


    Thus, when Isabelle found him staring at her. She felt weird. No, it was not an attraction. It was fear of discovering something that she was not ready to. The feeling was as if he was suppressing his blood lusty aura. Suddenly, Isabelle had an inkling that he was a very dangerous man. Perhaps even more dangerous than Don Marino. But she had no evidence to support this argument of hers. And for some reason, she would keep their truce as it was.


    Today, she realized that Salvatore Marino was a man that she had never been able to decipher.


    "If I say you do not call me your husband, then I expect you to act on it," Salvatore said. His green eyes were glowing with suppressed rage."Taking insincere vows in front of a threatened priest doesn''t make you my wife. Have you ever noticed why our marriage is yet to be legally licensed?"


    Isabelle''s eyes widened. She didn''t know that they hadn''t signed marriage certificates until now.


    Suddenly, she had a very bad premonition.


    "No, right?" Salvatore asked with a sneer."You are not the smart one only, Isabelle. Everyone present here is smarter than you think. It''s just that their roots are so hidden that no one could decipher the real them. No, I will not tell you the reason why I threatened you to marry me then. You are nothing but my temporary armour and I am yours."


    Isabelle opened her mouth but Salvatore cut her off by saying, "Imagine what will happen when Nico will know how and why you killed his parents."


    With this said, Salvatore was gone from her vision and so were Emma and Killian.


    ....


    Author Note: I wonder if Villain would be happy to know that his ex-brother is trying to pursue his sister. I wish you all the best Nash.


    I have been writing these current chapters and thinking...how can someone like Santiago! He is nothing but a bad man. I mean if he was a man I know in real life...I would never have liked him.


    Hihihi! Yes, these are the views of a woman who actually wrote the whole book.


    Oh, I wanted to tell you guys that I have been working on Callum''s book. But I will slowly write it...It can take a few months as I chose to work on a completely different book.


    Last but not the least, the book will have less than a hundred more chapters. My target is to end it by February.


    Lots of Love


    -Tanusam

 Chapter 149 - Nashs Darling

    On the other side.


    "Why are you here?" Valencia asked with apparent frustration. She slapped the magazine that she was reading on the table and asked the cocky and shameless man who was occupying the seat beside her.


    "I''m trying to read, Mia Cara," Nash replied with a cocky grin. It was not a big deal for him to know her schedule. When he got to know that she was hanging out in the library section of this cafe she was very fond of, he came without wasting any time to give company to his darling.


    [Mia Cara-- My darling/dear]


    Nope, he wasn''t stalkerish at all.


    He didn''t pay someone to find her schedule daily at all.


    "With the upside-down book?" Valencia raised her indifferent brow.


    Nash lightly hissed before rightly picking the book. "Can you stop being so unromantic, darling? I''m just trying to give you company. This love that I have for you is not letting me leave you alone even for a moment."


    "Good for you," Valencia said and turned her head to immerse herself in the magazine again. She was wearing glasses and looking all beautiful and sexy to the man sitting before her.


    Nash was holding his chin on his palm and staring at her with a fond smile on his face. His darling was just too beautiful and lovely. How he wished to hide her from the world! But his ruthless darling didn''t even glance at him!


    "Val?" Nash said her name.


    "Val," he called out her name once again.


    "Val!" Even this time she didn''t call her name.


    "Valencia?!"


    "Exactly," Valencia said with a smile. "That''s my name."


    "How can you be so ruthless to me, doc?" Nash asked her dramatically.


    "I''m not ruthless to anyone. I''m just trying to ignore you and trust me, you are making it so hard with your silly antics to not ignore you," Valencia replied, indifferently.


    "Then, I will keep doing this," Nash grinned.


    Valencia placed the magazine on the table and looked at him. "Can you stop doing that? It hurts me every time saying the exact same thing to you. Nash, I''m not looking for a man. Even if I am, he can''t be you! I have a son and a teenage brother to look after. I can''t afford another kid in life. You should understand that you still behave like a kid."


    "Valencia, you clearly like me. I can see in your eyes," Nash said. He was not being narcissist at all. He just knew that she liked him but for the aforementioned reasons, she was not vocal about it. "If you disliked me as much as you say and show, you wouldn''t have come to save me from the police. You should have ignored me. I know you more than you think. You never jump into trouble unnecessarily. I can''t understand why you are ignoring what we have !"


    Valencia pursed her lips, refrained from making any comment. He was true to some extent.


    Nash sighed out. "How about you let me pursue you? Thirty days! If I still can''t convince you that I am serious about you...I won''t cling to you. I will stop there. Okay?"


    Valencia was about to say no but seeing him so stubborn. She said yeah in the end.


    Finally, she met him somewhere. Even if it was halfway. It was enough for him.


    "Ah, who do we have here?" An amused voice was heard.


    Valencia and Nash saw a very gorgeous woman coming their way. Her one hand was wrapped in a bandage. Behind her, another young woman was following her with a toddler in tow.


    "Eli?" Valencia''s eyes twinkled seeing her dear friend after so long. "How are you? And how is your hand? Percy told me how you got injured."


    Ellison''s lips wobbled as it seemed like she was about to cry. "How could I be? I can''t pick my favourite baby in my arms. I can''t cuddle with her. I can''t even feed her. Tell me how I would be good?"


    Valencia stood up to caress her back. She knew that Ellison was literally a kid stuck in an adult body. It was impossible for her to sit still. "You need not to cry," She told Ellison who was bawling her eyes out. She was really a baby sometimes. Even more than Emy. "You have to take care of yourself. Only then, you can take care of Emy." Looking at Emy, she sighed, "I am wondering how she is behaving today." Seeing Ellison glaring at her, she immediately corrected," I''m not saying Emy is not a good kid. But she always clings to you. It looked like she knew that she shouldn''t cling to you now."


    Ellison agreed. "You are right. Ever since I got injured, Emy has stopped being fussy. She didn''t cry for me to feed her. She and her nanny sleep together. These days...it''s as if my little Emy is taking care of me. My daughter doesn''t listen to me although she loves me a lot. However, she is more attached to my soon to be ex-husband."


    She didn''t add the part that she had a suspicion that the man who dropped Emy and her nanny home that day had a hand in this whole fiasco. She had too many things to clear with Persephone. But unluckily, she was not here to answer all her questions. And that''s why she came to Valencia to ask for Percy''s number.


    "Soon to be ex-husband? Is it a new word?" Nash chuckled. He had been listening to these two mamas chatting without a care in the world.


    "And this is?" Ellison raised her brow at him.


    Before Valencia could say anything, Nash put forward his hand and said, "This beautiful lady''s potential boyfriend."


    Valencia''s jaw dropped hearing his reply.


    "Really?" Ellison asked him with an enthusiastic smile. "It seems we can be friends. I''m Ellison Salvatore."


    She was about to shake her uninjured hand but as her hand could touch his, Ace ( her bodyguard) shook his hand for her.


    Ellison threw glares at him but he kept looking at him with an icy expression. His usual reply, "I''m sorry, Mrs Salvatore but boss won''t be happy."


    "Screw you and your boss!" Ellison harrumphed.


    "Mama!" Emu wailed, sensing her mama cursing her dada again. "Dawda no bad!"


    "Here comes Daddy''s girl," Ellison snorted. "Baby Emy, have you ever taken your mommy''s side? Look at your beautiful mommy, she didn''t need that man back."


    "Ace?" Valencia murmured.


    "Yes, Ma''am?" Ace answered politely.


    "You have it bad buddy," Valencia sighed.


    Ace just nodded at her. Only he knew how bad both the boss and lady boss were. If not for the angel Emy to keep him sane, he would have left this job a long time ago.


    "Your friend is a lost case," Nash muttered and earned a punch in his stomach."Easy doc, I didn''t know you were protective of her."


    "I''m very protective and possessive of my people," Valencia told him.


    "Me too, doc. Me too," Nash whispered, meeting her forehead with his. "Can I take you out for dinner? Please."


    A smile bloomed on his gorgeous face when she nodded.


    "Ah, I''m the happiest man in the world."

 Chapter 150 - Set Her Free

    "Why is it so noisy today?" Persephone asked Emmanuel with a look of annoyance visible in her eyes. She had been trying to read the book in her hands but every time she would read a line, the noise of moving would disturb her once again.


    For someone like Persephone who was already annoyed at life and people, was finding it even more annoying.


    "Someone is moving into the house next to ours," Emmanuel replied to her with a sigh.


    Hearing him, Persephone had a thoughtful expression on her face before she nodded. "Why do I have a feeling that you are not very happy about it?"


    She didn''t know why she asked but Emmanuel had been sitting just a few feet away from her as if it was his duty to keep an eye on her all the time. I


    He was clearly as troubled with the noise as her but still, he was insistent on following her.


    Though she didn''t say anything about his behaviour as she believed he must be ordered by his boss and her dear lost husband.


    "It''s not me who is not happy about it," Emmanuel muttered under his breath. "It''s Mr V."


    "Your Mr V?" Persephone snickered as she heard his barely audible voice. "Does he even have any idea what happens behind him at his house?" Ridiculing herself, "Of course, he knows. It''s his house after all."


    Emmanuel pursed his lips, refraining from making any statement. He didn''t tell Persephone that Santiago came home every night. However, it''s a pity that Persephone had no idea about it as she was always asleep during that time. And Santiago had advised them not to tell her anything about him as long as she didn''t ask about him firsthand.


    Poor Emmanuel couldn''t understand why these two people had more misunderstandings and problems than necessary.


    Shouldn''t newlyweds be inseparable like they were pretending to be in that Ranch where they took shelter for a few days?


    "Miss Persephone, Mr V is really very busy these days," Emmanuel told her. "He comes late every night."


    Hearing his answer, Persephone snorted and brought her attention back to the book in her hand. She didn''t care about that man at all. No, she didn''t feel awful when he dropped her here that day after Richard''s funeral and never appeared at all.


    She was too unfazed by his presence or absence.


    It was true that Santiago was very occupied with the number of problems lurking over his head. But it was not wrong to say that no problem was that substantial enough to compel him to stay away from her.


    In other words, his guilt was jabbing him like a double-edged sword whenever he would come near to her. It would remind him of what he had done to her. All those torments that he had inflicted on her. All the hell he put her through. And everything that she didn''t deserve.


    Aren''t humans quite hypocrites? One is allowed to inflict pain on anyone as long as they don''t belong to them.


    In Santiago''s story, everything was fine as long as she was just Alessandro Marino''s daughter. But the revelation that she was that girl from his childhood changed every single thing that he had planned. It was like he was back to square one.


    Remembering that Persephone Marino was his beloved, the same girl he had been hiding from for years as he didn''t feel confident enough to show her the man he had become.


    Instead of a hero that she used to worship, he was the Villain who she loathed the most.


    He still was not able to get it out of his mind that he pushed the girl in the world of blood and chaos who once pulled him out of the darkness.


    It was not how kindness was repaid but he chose to do it this way. And Lord knew how much he regretted it every night he closed his eyes.


    It was not an excuse now to say that he didn''t know she was her when his gut was screaming at him not to hurt her. However, in the end, he hurt her in the worst way possible.


    By pulling her into the hell that he had created for himself to burn.


    He never meant to erase himself out of her mind and neither did he had any desire to. However, he chose the way because it was the only way to protect her. He had done many worse things in his life and never regretted any of them in the least but stealing this woman was the most sinful act he had ever committed.


    He hadn''t acknowledged this fact just now that he got to learn who she was in actuality, but long before when he decided to send her back.


    And that''s why he wanted her to return to her real-life happily and so he erased himself from her memories...just because if she dared to remember him, her father would make her life a living hell.


    She would have to face many things for the choices she made here in her captivity. And it was the easiest way to help her¡­.if she wouldn''t remember anything...no one would blame her. Besides, they would blame themselves for letting her hurt.


    He knew because he knew how the world of privileged bastards worked. If the women wouldn''t take the blame for their incompetence on themselves, they had to take it. And this was what was happening now. Since Persephone had no memories of her captivity, everyone else except for herself was blaming themselves for the hell she went through...also the hell that she never experienced.


    ¡­.


    "Why are you here?" Santiago groaned as he saw the person coming his way.


    Killian occupied the seat next to Santiago and ordered a drink for himself. He was looking at the people across the bar as if waiting for someone else. While looking for that person, he completely ignored his ex-friend''s existence.


    "Thank you," Killian murmured at the waitress who winked in return.


    From his peripheral vision, he saw an empty bottle of scotch placed next to a half-empty one.


    As if the waitress could comprehend Killian''s thought, she nodded with a sigh.


    It was to tell him that the bottles were indeed emptied by Santiago.


    "Didn''t know you were too eager to ask for death," Killian murmured as he sipped on his drink.


    "None of your business," Santiago growled as he poured another glass for himself.


    "Of course," Killian smirked. "Would I need to call your wife to pick your drunken ass?"


    He was taunting him that his wife would have to come to this dirty place to pick him up if he continued drinking alcohol.


    "My wife?" Santiago smiled to himself. "She won''t come. She shouldn''t come. She must not come."


    "You are drunk," Killian said with a sigh. "Look I don''t know you...if you forget to pay your bill...I ain''t paying it for you. And don''t lose your fucking senses."


    Seeing Santiago sprawled on the counter, he muttered a curse. He looked at the waitress who was glancing at him with the look that says-you-gonna-pay-for-him.


    "I don''t know this guy," Killian muttered while slapping some dollar bills on the counter and grabbing the drunk bastard. "Things you do for your enemies!"


    "Don''t call my wife. My Percy. Don''t call her," Santiago was murmuring while Killian was dragging him out of the bar. "I don''t wanna hurt her more. My Percy."


    "Dammit, what should I do now?" Killian said to himself as he saw Santiago in a condition he had never seen before. It was clear to him that the bastard was hurting badly but he couldn''t bring himself to console him.


    "He deserved it," He then muttered.


    "No," Santiago grabbed his hand. "I don''t deserve her. She is an angel. I''m a monster. Villain. No hero. I''m gonna stay away from her."


    "Then, why the hell you married her if you were gonna stay away from your wife?" Killian growled at him. He didn''t know how to console a crying drunk man who also happened to be a big bad ass villain.


    As for the nonsense, this Villain was sputtering...he had an urge to punch his face to sober him up.


    Having no clue what to do with him, Killian brought him to the hotel where he and his wife were staying and booked the room next to him for Santiago.


    "I am gonna set my Red free. I don''t deserve her."


    "She is too good for me. For this world."


    From all the way to the hotel, Santiago was muttering the same sentence again and again.


    ...


    Author Note:


    Do you guys think Persephone was forced by Santiago? Whatever choices Persephone made back then were influenced by him? Or Persephone was sane enough to take responsibility for the choices she made?


    And what do you think of Santiago as a man?


    Please share your precious views in the comment section.

 Chapter 151 - His Red

    "Don Marino?"


    The man looked at his boss in disbelief. He couldn''t believe what he just heard. No, it must be his auditory hallucination. Right? Of course, it would be. He would never believe the words that just left Don Marino''s mouth.


    "You didn''t hear me wrong," Alessandro Marino said as he placed his index finger below his chin. He appeared as if he was deep in thought.


    "W...why?" Yes, why would Don Marino want his own daughter dead? The same daughter he spent a lot of resources to find. Also, the daughter who was now married to the only man capable of pulling them out of the mess.


    Don Marino shook his head as if mocking himself. What was Persephone now to him except for a ticking bomb ready to burst anytime soon?


    He didn''t stop Santiago from marrying his other daughter when Sophia betrayed all of them. It was only because his family was at fault. If he had controlled and taught Sophia well, the situation would not have arisen.


    Still, he could have prevented Santiago from marrying Persephone but he didn''t. It was simply because of his own greed. He didn''t mind finishing off Santiago Vitello once he had served his purpose but it was a pity that Santiago had yet to serve his purpose and fulfil the part of his bargain. And if for that, he had to get rid of his waste of a daughter. He wouldn''t hesitate to do so.


    Instead of this monologue playing in Don Marino''s mind, he didn''t let a word slip his mouth. His new consiligure already knew more than he should. In order to prevent himself from killing this one too, he just smiled at him wickedly, "Why not? If I can be the reason for her existence, I can so well be the reason for her demise?"


    Well, what could the poor consigliere say in front of the higher authority?


    He had always heard that Alessandro Marino was a demon who wouldn''t mind sacrificing his own blood and flesh to achieve his goal. However, it was his first time experiencing it firsthand. Even the biggest criminals like them work according to some set of rules and principles but Don Marino pays heed to nothing.


    "I will make preparations, Don Marino," The consigliere said with a nod.


    Don Marino hummed in reply, still deep in thought.


    When the other man was at the door, he heard him say, "But do note to find a scapegoat first. I don''t want people talking about how I, Alessandro Marino, got my daughter killed for getting impregnated with a bastard. After all, I have a reputation to maintain. And my son-in-law has no idea what kind of shameless woman has been warming his bed."


    What Don Marino at this time didn''t know was that his daughter had long discerned that marriage to Santiago meant her death at the hands of her own father! She had always known that instead of letting Santiago find the truth, his father would quietly and skillfully get rid of her. She and her unborn child would be murdered mercilessly in the cold blood.


    Even the thought was enough for one to shudder in fear¡­ But Persephone? She had been living with this fear ever since she entered Santiago''s house. If her heart was telling her to ask Santiago for help for whatever mysterious reasons, then her mind was imploring her to run away from the place where she would be killed if she stayed any longer.


    But where could she go?


    Where could she leave all her horrors behind?


    Where would she be free?


    Most of all, where would she be safe?


    ¡­


    "I can''t believe this¡­." Killian muttered when he saw that the man who put him through shit all night was back in the hotel bar and gulping down alcohol like freshwater.


    "What the hell is wrong with you man?" Killian asked Santiago. "Even Nash is more disciplined when it comes to drinking."


    Santiago grunted but didn''t reply and drank the glass that he was holding in his hand.


    It was the middle of the night and he was sleeping beside his bed when he received the call from the hotel reception that the drunken man he booked the room beside his, was causing a commotion in the hotel bar. And when Killian reached there, he found that Santiago had beaten two boys who were probably in their early twenties.


    Fortunately, he handled the situation and the police were not called. But it didn''t mean that he was handing the drunk Santiago quite well.


    So, in a fit of anger, he scrolled through Santiago''s phone and his finger paused on the contact saved as ''My Red'' and he snorted.


    On the other side, Persephone woke up with a shriek. She threw the duvet off her body as she found her nightgown wet with sweating. She was paying badly as if she had run a marathon. Well, she was¡­ in her nightmare.


    She vividly saw someone running after her with a knife in his hand. What scared her the most was not the man running after her for her life but the infant she was holding in her arms!


    In her dream, someone was after the life of her newly born infant and she was running with her baby to protect from all the dangers.


    Resting her head against the headboard, she caressed her belly. "Don''t worry baby! Mama won''t let you hurt ever. I promise."


    As she was talking to her baby in soft whispers, her phone that was placed on the nightstand started vibrating before it rang.


    She checked the time as it was indeed late and she questioned in her heart as to who could call her at so late. She didn''t know what persuaded her to pick up the call in the middle of the night and that too from an unknown number.


    "Hello?" She said first.


    "Is it Persephone?" The familiar yet unfamiliar masculine voice said from the other side of the phone.


    "Yeah, you are?" She softly asked.


    "Well, I''m talking from Hotel Maple and your husband is quite drunk. I found your number in his phone and so I called you to inform you to pick him up," The man said and the line disconnected.


    Killian didn''t Persephone a second before hanging up on her.


    Persephone just looked at her phone in bewilderment.


    "Santiago is drunk?" She asked herself. "What does it has to do with me?"


    ''He is your husband,''her heart argued. ''You can''t let him to spend a night at the hotel. How uncomfortable it might be for her?''


    ''A badass man like him can be uncomfortable ever?''her mind scoffed. ''A husband who twice after getting married doesn''t deserve to be bothered over."


    Persephone let her heart and mind argue all they wanted and left her room to knock on Emmanuel and Romeo''s door. She couldn''t leave the house alone. It was Santiago''s direct orders.


    "Miss Persephone?" A sleepy and half naked Romeo opened the door.


    Persephone was expecting a similar scene when she knocked on their door and so her back was facing his face. "Santiago is drunk in a hotel bar. Can you please pick him up?"


    "Sure, but I don''t have an international license," Romeo said, quite embarrassed while scratching the back of his head.


    "Well, I can drive," Persephone offered. To be honest, she was a very bad driver. And so she usually didn''t drive but since Romeo didn''t have a license, she offered to drive.


    ¡­


    "Umm, someone called me saying that my husband is here in the bar," Persephone said to the receptionist as soon as she reached the hotel. Romeo, who was accompanying her, was standing behind her.


    "What is your husband''s name?"The receptionist asked her with a polite smile.


    "Santiago,"Persephone said. "Santiago Vitello."


    Call it her imagination or whatever, but she noticed that a look passed through the receptionist''s name at the mention of Santiago''s name.


    "Just a minute ma''am," The receptionist was still smiling at her with that professional smile. Moments later a young woman came to take her to the bar where she informed them how Santiago had gotten into a fight with two other drunk boys.


    Persephone saw Santiago sprawled on the counter, several empty glasses and a bottle lining up. Even a blind could see how drunk he was. No wonder, he started a fight with those boys.


    What surprised her the most was not that he got into a fight but the fact that even the badass Santiago Vitello had days when he couldn''t handle his shit and had to drown his pain and suffering in the bottle of liquor. At this moment, she started seeing him as a fellow human being who experiences all the emotions that sometimes her not the mafioso who only know how to kill and loot.. Perhaps he had always known that behind his tough exterior, lied a vulnerable man who he was afraid of showing.

 Chapter 152 - Lets Go Home

    "Miss Persephone, Mr V won''t be very pleased if I try to touch him," Romeo said with apparent helplessness in his voice. He wasn''t very close with Santiago, to begin with. When Persephone asked him to pick up Santiago, he wanted to send Emmanuel in his place as it didn''t matter to her who followed her as long as they did. However, his sloth of the boyfriend refused to stir in his sleep. And in the end, he was stuck with taking his drunk boss home.


    Sigh, what a trouble!


    "You are saying as if my touch would make him happy," Persephone retorted, sarcasm dripping from his voice.


    Perhaps, Persephone didn''t know how right she was at this moment.


    However, she still walked ahead and stopped near the stool he was sitting on.


    Taking a deep breath, she lightly touched his shoulder and softly called out his name," Santiago?"


    As if even in his intoxicated state, he could hear her. His head that was lying on his folded arms on the counter moved and he looked up to find a very concerned Persephone peering at her with those warm green eyes of hers.


    "My Red?" Santiago murmured with a silly smile. "You came¡­"


    A rush of jealousy ran through her bloodstream all the way from the shiver down her spine. He was calling her by the name of another woman. A woman who was capable of making his lips arc into this beautiful smile.


    It was at this moment she understood that the man she married, she didn''t know anything about him at all. She didn''t even know if he had someone inside his heart already.


    What about her?


    Yes, what about her?


    No, what about her.


    It didn''t matter to her. She didn''t even want to stay with him. Why was the thought of another woman with him piercing the high fortress that she had created around her heart? Anything related to him shouldn''t affect him at all. Yes, it shouldn''t not. But what the hell was it affecting her so much? And why did her eyes start tearing up at this thought? She felt as if she couldn''t breathe at this moment.


    As if even heaven started mocking her, a song started playing in the bar in the voice of Harry Styles¡­


    ????I''m selfish, I know


    But I don''t ever want to see you with him


    I''m selfish, I know


    I told you, but I know you never listen????


    "Red? You came for me?" Santiago asked once again. He could see a blurry figure resembling his Red staring at him.


    "Let''s go home," Persephone said in a cracked voice. One of her hands caught him and with another, she wiped the stupid tear that was making his way down her cheek.


    No, she had absolutely no idea why she was behaving the way she was.


    "No," Santiago said in a loud voice and yanked her hand from hers. By the intensity of the pull, Persephone would have fallen on the floor but fortunately, Romeo quickly appeared and prevented her from falling.


    Thanks to Romeo''s help or else she didn''t know what the consequences might be.


    "Miss Persephone, are you fine?" Romeo asked with naked concern.


    Persephone nodded, still deep in shock.


    Santiago turned his head at this time to find Persephone embraced in Romeo''s arms or this was what Santiago saw in his drunken state. He pointed his finger at Romeo and spoke, "You. Stop touching my Red."


    Hearing his command, Romeo took several steps back. Even in his drunken state, he knew that he was no match for Santiago. So, it was better to back off now.


    It was only when he carefully glanced at Persephone, he found tears in her beautiful eyes. He tried to stand up but failed and was about to fall down but she immediately caught him by his waist.


    "You have tears in your beautiful eyes," Santiago murmured while staring at her eyes in sheer regret. He was reeking of alcohol but at this moment, Persephone who even found the fragrance of her favourite perfume nauseous didn''t find his scent mingled with the foul smell of alcohol nauseous at all, if not comforting.


    "Did I make you cry again?" He asked her with furrowed brows. He was looking so small and ashamed now that Persephone found her heart squeezing. Her brain was warning her to not let him get under her skin. But she knew that he had gotten under her skin a long time ago. Perhaps, the first time she met him. Or maybe, the collision at the mall.


    "You didn''t," Persephone answered, shaking her head. "And I''m not crying."


    "You are," Santiago said with the same shattered look. He wiped the tear that leaked from the corner of his eye with the pad of his thumb softly.


    Persephone closed her eyes as his thumb touched her skin and broke into a fit of sobs. Heartbreaking sobs.


    "Hush," Santiago consoled her while wrapping his arms around her thin and tiny frame. He was rubbing her back softly but instead of stopping, she was now crying endlessly. She didn''t know why her heart was crying and what for? But her soul wanted to weep today in his embrace. What her mind doesn''t remember, her heart remembers everything all too well.


    "I''m sorry," Santiago was murmuring again and again. "I caused you all the hurt. I''m the reason for all your tears. I brought you to this mess. I promise you baby that I will set you free. I''d never force you for something you don''t want anymore. I know I am selfish but trust me, I never wanted to hurt you."


    Persephone wanted him to stop saying all those things as she wasn''t the woman he was thinking of her. But she didn''t have the heart to. She wanted to hear all these words. She wouldn''t refuse that he had not hurt her. Yes, he has hurt her. He forced her into this marriage. But something inside of her was telling that she needed it too. She couldn''t breathe at the Marino residence. She never thought of that place like home but a week at his house made her feel at home. She didn''t know why but she felt at home and at peace there.


    And all the words that he was saying, she needed to hear them even if they weren''t meant for him. She wanted him to apologise to her once and then forgive him. She didn''t know why once again but she just felt like it. It was the cry of her heart and it seemed to know things that her mind didn''t.


    "You shouldn''t forgive me, Red," Santiago whispered as if he was aching. Maybe, he was. His conscience was hurting and so was the heart that never beat before except for reminding him that he still was breathing.


    Maybe, Persephone didn''t even know what kind of shape he was in but it was clear to her that he was hurting too.


    "Santiago, let''s go home," Persephone spoke, this time holding his hand. "You are not in your senses. You don''t know what you are talking about. Let''s go home."


    Santiago shook his head. "I know I am drunk. I also know that I''m not in my senses. So, Red let me speak all the words that I can while I''m still intoxicated. I''m afraid that once I come to my senses, reality will sink in and all these voices inside my head won''t ever let me confess."


    He doesn''t know what his words were doing to her. These words of his were her undoing. She was all ready to believe those words for her. She so badly wanted to believe him.


    As if what he said was not enough, he held her delicate face in his big rough hands and caressed it softly, with all the pouring love and affection.


    "You need to know how sorry I am for all those things I have done," He added. "But love, I am not sorry for meeting you, finding you and making you mine. I can never be sorry for this. However, I still wish that we wouldn''t have met the way we did once again."


    He let out a peal of self-deprecating laughter and added, "One day, one of us has to stop meeting in all the wrong places. But you see, I don''t mind it now that I think that I met the most right person at the most wrong place. Not just once or twice but several times. And every time, it''s you."


    "Santiago, Let''s go home, "Persephone once again said in an unsteady voice. She couldn''t bear to hear him anymore.


    They say, fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.


    She had let the people she loved fool her so many times that even if she wanted she could not let him play with her emotions. She knew her condition too well to create love castles in her head.


    And so, she said," I''m not Red, Santiago. And we are going home."

 Chapter 153 - Die Out Of Curiosity

    From the second floor of the same hotel bar, another man was watching the scene unfolding below with a glass of whiskey in his hand. There was a hint of shock and amazement present in his eyes. Never ever even in his wildest dreams had he ever fathomed that one day he would see Villian stuck in this kind of situation.


    No, he had never thought even someone like Villain had days when he couldn''t handle his shit. Santiago looked as if he had everything under his control. But it seemed like it was nothing but a farce to show people how controlled Santiago was when in reality he was losing his mind.


    And in all honesty, he could say that seeing Santiago rotting in the fiery pits of the hell he had created for himself, was bringing joy to his charring heart. The kind of joy he would never be able to describe in mere words.


    Nash had been pursuing his woman these days and ever since he had beaten James Simon, he was staying in this hotel. Because it was the restaurant of the previous hotel where the matter had taken place. And so, he couldn''t stay there.


    He and Valencia had gone on a date today. Well, it wasn''t a date to be exact but since she was not here, he could call their dinner together, a date. Right?


    Sigh, he couldn''t even tell that woman he too was losing his mind over her just like Santiago. And suddenly, he didn''t feel so happy seeing Santiago hurting like this.


    Earlier, he was having trouble sleeping and so he decided to come downstairs to have a drink in the bar. But who would have thought that he would come across Persephone Marino here of all Seven billion and more people in the world?


    The earth sure was round, wasn''t it? If it was not, how could he have come across two people he had thought that he would never see again?


    Santiago Vitello and Persephone Marino!


    Not even for a second, he forgot the last words that he had exchanged with Santiago fucking Vitello.


    What shocked Nash the most was that he met those two unexpected people here but the fact that Santiago was looking all intimate to Persephone Marino. For a minute, he had accepted the situation if he had only seen Persephone as she lived here in New York. But Santiago?


    Hugging this woman in the middle of a bar?


    It was so fucking unacceptable!


    Was this damned man asking for death?


    Does Persephone still remember him?


    Had Alessandro Fucking Marino any idea who this Villian was?


    So many questions and no one to answer.


    Nash was never the one to hold back his curiosity. Even if he didn''t want to, for the peace of his precious heart he had to know what on this damn earth was happening with this ex-best friend of his?


    And why was he meeting and hugging Persephone Marino as if she was the ghost from Santiago''s childhood who he was obsessed with?


    Nash felt like he would die out of curiosity if he didn''t get answers soon. His curiosity and hunger for gossips always got the worst of him. And this time was no better either.


    Surely, he couldn''t let this stupid curiosity kill him. He was already thinking of all the ways by which he could get answers to his unanswered questions.


    Perhaps, Nash didn''t know how his curiosity was going to save the life of someone very precious to Santiago!


    However, it was still the talk of another time...


    ...


    Later, Santiago was brought home by Persephone and Romeo with great difficulty. He was muttering nonsense under his breath as Romeo dragged the drunk Santiago home.


    Persephone swore in her heart that one day she would punish this stupid man for all the inconvenience that he had caused on her in his drunk state.


    More than physical exhaustion, he had emotionally drained her tonight.


    It seemed that this night was going to be a long one for her.


    "Miss Persephone, where should I take him?" Romeo asked hesitatingly. He knew that the relationship between both of them was not very cordial and so he inquired where he should put Santiago.


    Although he knew that the room where Persephone was staying belonged to Santiago, he still didn''t have the courage and heart to put Santiago there without her permission.


    Obviously, Persephone had greater value in their heart than Villain.


    "In his room obviously," replied Persephone. She couldn''t just take over his room and expect him to sleep in the guest room, right?


    She wasn''t so heartless enough to do it. Perhaps, she was...


    Romeo without wasting a second put Santiago in his room which he was sharing with his wife. He also removed his shoes and laid his body on the bed and then covered him with the duvet.


    All the things, his wife must have done but were done by Romeo.


    To Romeo, Persephone was still the same goddess he met a few months ago. He could still find the shadow of the woman that he knew by the name Juliet in her. But it was a pity that this woman had walls as high as a fortress around her heart.


    After making sure that Santiago was comfortable, he left the room to give space to both of them.


    Persephone sighed while looking at a particular drunk sleeping man.


    She changed back into her nightgown and sat next to him. Unknowingly, she occupied the spot on the bed next to him without feeling any awkwardness. This action of hers was so natural that if she was noticing it, she would have found herself quite startled.


    "You are one troublesome man, Santiago Vitello," Persephone murmured before she extended her hand to caress the frown on his forehead. She wiped the hair falling on his forehead with her soft palm.


    "I wish we hadn''t met the way we did," These were the words that Persephone said before leaving the room.


    ....


    The next morning Santiago woke up with a splitting headache as if someone had run a train over his head. Well, maybe someone had. Or it would not have been hurting like this!


    Holding his aching head in his hands, he opened his eyes to find himself lying in his room. Well, the same room where he didn''t sleep for weeks.


    Wait...


    What was he doing here?


    Immediately, he turned his eyes to find someone else lying next to him.


    A pang of heartache ran through his system as he touched the cold sheets beside him. It was obvious that nobody had slept here.


    Maybe, it was for the better.


    He didn''t trust himself with her. And he and Persephone had a habit of rolling in sheets when drunk.


    Now, he wondered how he had reached this room last night all by himself, especially when he had no information about it in his head.


    Did someone bring him home?


    What did he do last night?


    Did he and Red?


    No...No¡­


    He threw the sheets off his body and ran to the bathroom to freshen up.


    Santiago was still in a dilemma and daze when he reached the living room. He halted in his footsteps when he heard the sound of laughter coming from the other side. Following the sound of feminine laughter, he found Persephone laughing so candidly and beautifully that without his notice a smile tugged on his lips too.


    "You can''t expect me to be fully awake, Percy," Emmanuel, who was looking haggard and dishevelled, pouted his lips in the complaint. He pointed his finger towards Romeo who was coming with two plates of hot food their way in an accusing manner. "This man kept me awake all night. I demand justice."


    Persephone burst into another bout of unbridled laughter. She knew that Emmanuel was doing this to get the charge next time. She had heard Emmanuel flirting with a serious-looking Romeo many times when both of these lovebirds thought no one was paying attention to them.


    Sometimes, these two boys were just too cute to ignore.


    "Stop the drama already," Romeo said and shoved a plate of hot food in his boyfriend''s direction. "Eat quietly."


    Emmanuel pursed his lips and started eating his breakfast but not before muttering, "Rogue."


    It was at this moment Santiago cleared his throat and found three faces turning in his direction.


    As they noticed Santiago coming their way, they stopped breathing for a moment and the hall went so silent that even the sound of a falling needle could be heard.


    "Good morning," Santiago murmured, trying to ease the tension in the atmosphere. He occupied a chair next to Persephone who was blinking continuously looking at him.


    All three of them replied to him robotically.


    "Would you like orange juice, Miss Persephone?" Romeo asked, cutting the tension.


    "She prefers coffee in the morning," Santiago found himself replying.


    Persephone forgot blinking for a few seconds as she heard him.

 Chapter 154 - Tell The Truth

    "What?" Santiago asked Romeo who was looking at him weirdly. His eyes flicked to Emmanuel''s, a hundred questions glittering there.


    "Umm¡­" Romeo couldn''t form the words to tell Santiago that Persephone didn''t drink coffee anymore. She liked juices and other healthy drinks more now.


    Even he, as the previous chef, who used to serve Persephone a lot of snacks and unhealthy food back in his hometown, was shocked to find that she had changed her eating habits.


    But you see, he shouldn''t be surprised anymore by what she does now. It was like the Persephone of now was a completely different person from the one he met before.


    Yes, it was strange. But what could he say?


    Sometimes he didn''t know if the woman he met before and the woman of now were the same people.


    They seemed a while different people now.


    "I don''t drink coffee anymore, " Persephone replied, saving Romeo from the situation. She couldn''t just say out aloud that caffeine was bad for her baby. Well, she wouldn''t be able to tell them a lot of things for now. But she hoped to clear misunderstandings with all of them...soon.


    "Ah, I''m sorry," Santiago replied with a small smile. Even if he found many of her new habits weird, he didn''t say anything.


    People change with time and so she had. He had no right to say anything when he was the one who tampered with her memories.


    She didn''t remember all those things that were making her unhappy.


    Perhaps, it was for the better that she didn''t have to remember all that stuff that made her unhappy. Most of all, him. The reason for her nightmares.


    Still, he hoped that she would tell him the reason why she would turn her eyes away from him as if she was doing something behind him or betraying him.


    He didn''t think that there was anything in this world that could persuade him to be mad at his girl.


    "It''s okay," Persephone murmured and went back to finish her breakfast. She veered her eyes from his face and looked down on her hands, trying not to look at him again.


    Everyone silently had their breakfast. No one talked about anything to anyone on the dining table. The atmosphere there couldn''t be said to be peaceful and homey but it wasn''t tense either.


    After breakfast, Santiago went back to his room to get ready as he had received a very important call at breakfast and even if he didn''t want to, he had to leave right away.


    When he came out of his room, he found Persephone pacing around outside the room, deep in thought. It could be discerned from her posture that she was nervous.


    He wondered what made her so nervous and uncomfortable in the morning, entirely forgetting that his aura had a tendency of making anyone nervous.


    Persephone looked up when she heard the sound of his footsteps. He was dressed in a navy blue suit and was looking every bit of a handsome man that he was. Their eyes met as he was fixing his tie.


    He blinked those gorgeous blue hues as his face fell on her and stopped in his footsteps.


    "Do you have a minute?" She asked him with hesitation. She didn''t let him speak in fear of getting dismissed.


    Apparently, the girl still didn''t know that Santiago Vitello could dismiss the world but not her, his Red.


    "Do you want to talk about something?" Santiago asked her.


    He had noticed that she was stealing glances at her during breakfast when she thought he wasn''t looking her way.


    Of course, he wasn''t looking in her direction. It was just even in the room full of people all he could see was her much less than a room comprising only four people.


    "Umm, yeah," Persephone said while nodding her head. She showed him the way to their room back and he quietly followed her inside.


    Even he was intrigued to know what was going on in her little pretty head.


    Santiago was now sitting on the edge of the bed while Persephone was fiddling with her hand, looking quite nervous and uneasy.


    If it was his flustered Red, he would have teased her to see her face turning scarlet. But nervous Persephone was, in turn, making him nervous.


    "Persephone?" Santiago called out her name softly.


    Persephone mustered up the courage and spoke in a single breath, "Canyoucomehomedaily?"


    "What did you say?" Santiago asked her.


    "You didn''t understand?" Persephone questioned him.


    Her heart was racing in her chest and her palms were growing slick with sweat. She was going to have ''that'' conversation with Santiago Vitello.


    Apparently, her husband was keeping more than a handful of secrets between them. And someone had told her that secrets are the end of the marriage. Even if they were not real couples like real real couples, she still wanted to know where she stood in his life.


    Because only when she could understand him, she would be able to tell him about her ultimate truth.


    Previously, she had thought of cheating on him but not anymore. She wasn''t Alessandro Marino who cheats people. She wanted to be Persephone, the woman who just wanted to survive and keep her child safe.


    However, everything changed last night. When she went to the guestroom to spend the night there, she had caught understanding of many things that she wasn''t able to previously.


    She had a feeling that Santiago was hiding something from her. And if she got to know what, she was going to have a complete understanding of this man. And she wanted that very badly.


    "I did," Santiago asked with wide eyes. He was just not able to react to her question for a long time. "I just want to confirm that I am not dreaming."


    Yes, he wanted to know if he was indeed dreaming. To say that this dream was more beautiful than any reality wouldn''t be wrong. Without his knowing, his lips slightly arched to form a very gorgeous smile on his lips.


    Santiago Vitello didn''t smile too often. But when he does¡­ He makes everyone stop breathing by the force of his otherworldly smile.


    "Why would you think so?" asked Persephone with crinkled up brows.


    Why did she have a feeling that he''s not coming home was somehow related to her?


    To be honest, it wasn''t just a feeling and her heart knew it too but it was just denying for the sake of her mental health.


    "Because you don''t like me anywhere near you," The words slipped out before he could stop them.


    Her eyes went wide when he realized what he just said. No, he didn''t want to make her feel guilty now. He didn''t mean to humiliate her or put her in a bad spot.


    "Is that why you stay away from me?" Persephone asked him. Her heart sneered at the choice of her words. It was saying that it had known about it for a long time but never told her as she was not ready to hear it.


    Santiago sighed before nodding. Why not just accept the truth now that his slippery tongue and overflowing emotions had already blabbered!


    "I don''t want to make you uncomfortable. I have many places to go but you only have this. This is your home. So, I don''t want to make you awkward."


    She found no malice in his oh-so wicked blue eyes, just desperation.


    What was he so desperate for?


    And why would he care about what she wanted?


    She was no one to him other than a pawn in the big game that he was playing with her day dearest.


    "Why would you do that?" She whispered, meeting his eyes. She had so many questions but no one to answer. As much as she understood him, she knew that he would never answer her questions. However, she wouldn''t be Persephone Marino until she got answers for all the questions that were haunting her existence now.


    "I don''t know," Santiago sadly smiled at him. He was not lying at this time. Even he didn''t know why he did the things he did?


    Maybe, he did. But just like her, he wasn''t ready to acknowledge them either.


    It was safer this way, playing to be oblivious.


    "Why did you marry me, Santiago?"Persephone asked him. She was not masking the confusion and pain visible in her eyes.


    She didn''t want to be that girl anymore who didn''t know anything about her at all when everyone else had a complete report on her life.


    "Can I not answer the question?" Santiago directly questioned. He had some secrets to protect. He would answer her surely. But not today. It wasn''t the right time yet.


    "Why?" Persephone asked him. The sheer look of despair on her face was torturing him too. But what options was he left with?


    "Because I don''t want to lie to you," He answered so naturally.


    "Then tell the truth, "Persephone told him.


    "I can''t, Percy," He said, swallowing the lump in his throat.

 Chapter 155 - Have We Met Before?

    An intuition played in the back of her mind, sending a wave of uncertainty through her. The inkling stung her heart, demanding to be clarified but she knew better than anyone to anticipate more from him when she already knew the answer to the question that she was about to ask.


    "But why?" She still questioned Santiago.


    Santiago didn''t disappoint her but he sure hurt her heart again. His answer was, "Because telling you the truth means involving you in the chaos I am stuck in. And I don''t want it for you. You don''t leave one hell to get into another."


    A grimace flared in his eyes as she looked at him in utter devastation.


    Since he had long assumed that one day Persephone was gonna question him, he had saved all the generic answers that he would be giving him. However, when it came to telling her a fake story, he simply told him that the questions that she had for him couldn''t be answered for the time being. Truthfully, he was scared of telling her the truth, knowing too well how her hot and cold temperament was.


    "Why does it matter to you?" questioned Persephone. Why did it matter if she was left unscathed or damaged in this whole war? These people cared only about their end goals, not about the pawns sacrificed in the same.


    So, the question causing her head to ache: Why did it affect Santiago if she was happy or sad? If she was used by these privileged bastards or if she was sacrificed by all of them.


    "Because¡­" Santiago couldn''t form words for a long time and when he did, it was only a single word that didn''t help Persephone''s inquisitiveness, if not increase it.


    "Because?" murmured Persephone as she scooted over to where he was sitting now. She raised her hand and caressed his cold cheek.


    Santiago swallowed the lump in his throat as a warm and soft hand graced his cold skin. Her hypnotic and spellbinding scent owned him at this moment.


    However, it also evoked something so deep and uncertain inside him as well.


    She was sitting close to him, so close to him that he cursed his rotten luck for not being able to pull her into his arms. He wanted to feel his softness and warmth against his hard and cold body. It felt as if it had been a million years when he had her.


    She was forbidden then but he didn''t care. He had wanted her, still wanted and would always want her. But it was better before, now that she was his wholly, he couldn''t touch her, feel her or kiss her to his heart''s desires.


    "Tell me, Santiago, why?" Persephone asked once again, breaking the hypnotic energy that was binding her.


    "Because I want you to be happy," came the reply. " "More than anyone else in this world."


    Even for a moment, she decided to believe his words, it didn''t mean anything to her. And it shouldn''t. Still, why were his words affecting her so much?


    She wasn''t expecting anything from him.


    Because without expectations, there was no heartache.


    Truly, all heartache originates from expectations.


    "Is that why you marry me?" Persephone asked with a smile.


    Santiago felt as if he was looking at old Red. The wicked and sarcastic Persephone that he had met two months ago. The woman who could set the world on fire just with her words.


    She was mocking him with that beautiful smile tugging on her like.


    "No...I married you for some other purpose before¡­" He surprised himself by actually telling her the truth. Lord knew what happened at this moment, but he found it hard to lie to her. He added desperately," But it changed in the end."


    Persephone sighed, shaking her head. Nothing was going her way. The feeling was so confusing and frustrating but what could she do?


    This man had secrets as deep as an abyss. She wondered if these secrets were burdening his shoulder or he was used to this burden.


    "You are keeping me in darkness and I hate it," She confessed.


    Santiago''s gaze met hers as he spoke, "You will hate me more when you will know, trust me."


    "You won''t believe it if I tell you that even if I try I can''t seem to hate you," said Persephone with a sad smile on her face. "I''m so fucked up and the situation I''m in...is more than fucked up but I still can''t...hate you¡­I don''t know if you feel this weird energy whenever we are together. But I do notice all the time."


    This time she let out a dark chuckle looking at him and shaking her head at her absurd behaviour. She added," You made me feel things I don''t recognise. Why is it so confusing yet so filling staying with you?"


    Not a word from him, and his gaze told her there wouldn''t be one.


    Santiago Vitello could be silent like a ghost if he wished to and nothing could force him to utter the words.


    Seemed like not even her could get those answers from him.


    A sudden thought, a need to know, came to her, and it escaped her lips before she could stop it. "Tell me Santiago, do I know you from before?"


    Her heart throbbed inside her chest nodding its head in response to her question. That was the most absurd thing she had ever asked anyone, and something deep inside her soul was telling her that she was finally on the right track.


    Once again, she softly asked him, "Have we met before?"


    This time she was badly looking forward to the answer.


    Her green eyes were burning hot like lava while staring at him. "I have been thinking all night...about you...me and the situation we are in¡­" She had a sleepless night, thinking and trying to understand the dynamics of her relationship with Villain. She was getting too many mixed signals from this man and she still wasn''t able to decipher them. However, she still had a bit of understanding if not fully.

 Chapter 156 - Liar!

    Persephone held his face in her hands and made her look at her. She didn''t want him to avert his gaze from her and neither did she want him to turn his face from her. It was juvenile behaviour of her but hell if she cared.


    She has done thinking. For weeks, she has been trying to decipher this man and the gush of feelings that he brought to her confused heart.


    It was time to stop thinking and start doing.


    Santiago sighed as there was nothing he could do. This woman was becoming his weakness each passing day.


    "Just answer me if we know each other from before? Because I don''t remember your face but I recognise your scent...the feelings you brought when you''re close to me. Please tell me."


    Her tone was almost as if she was begging him.


    "We don''t feel familiar with the people we never met before," Persephone shouted this time. "I know there is an angle that I can''t see. But you know everything. I know you do."


    "You are overthinking Percy!"Santiago said, averting his eyes and removing her hands from his face.


    Persephone bitterly scoffed at his response. " Am I?"


    "Yes!" He didn''t even hesitate before uttering this damned lie.


    "Really?" She asked him once again. If he think she was going to leave this matter here, then he had another thing coming. "Meet my eyes and answer me. Dammit!!"


    "Yesss!" He said, meeting her eyes.


    "Liar!" She cried while slapping his chest.


    "You are a big fucking liar!" She slapped his chest several times.


    Santiago caught her hands and pulled her close. "Why would I lie to you? It''s your habit of building stories in your little head, not mine! If I say that I never met you, it means I never met you! Stop complicating this!"


    Persephone smiled at him while tears pooled inside her eyes. "Last night, you said you owe me a wish!"


    Santiago looked at her in horror. "I did not!"


    "Why are you getting so defensive, Mr Vitello?"Persephone questioned while mocking him.


    His jaw tightened as he realised that he didn''t know what had happened last night.


    " You said you still owe me one wish," She continued. "I can ask you for anything and you will fulfil it. Was it a lie too, Santiago? Even if it''s, don''t worry I won''t say anything because I should get used to it. Should I not? All you do is lie and lie and lie to me. So, tell me if your words from last were a lie too? "


    Santiago looked at her. "No."


    "Then, tell me how I know you, and how you owe me a wish?" Persephone kindly asked him.


    "We have never met before." His clock was still stuck in the same place.


    Good for him.


    "And I owe you a wish for forcing you in this game of power. So, ask me for anything. I will certainly fulfil it. " It was his fucking reply.


    "Oh, I will...when the time comes...and let''s see if you can fulfil it."


    With these said words, she was gone from the room.


    Apparently, this man deserves to rot in the pyre of misunderstandings.


    She takes her words back. He didn''t need to know anything at all!


    If he so wished to be married to a woman who was carrying someone else baby in her womb, then he was more than welcome!


    ¡­


    When Persephone had left Santiago in the room with more fear than doubts. He immediately took out his phone from his pocket and dialled a number that he had never hoped that he would call once again. Or even if he had, it shouldn''t have been this soon.


    "Callum?" The name slipped out of his mouth.


    He heard the man yawning through the phone. In a lazy and deep voice, he said, "Ah, if it''s not the infamous Villain! I had hoped that you would only remember me when I would be on my deathbed, asking for my buddies. Oops, ex-buddies to be exact."


    "Stop your nonsense, Callum," said Villain with apparent annoyance. "Would you?"


    "Sure, Your Highness," Callum mocked. "Say how the sun has risen from the west today?"


    "I think she remembers everything," Santiago said.


    "Who?" Callum yawned. "Mona Lisa?"


    "Red! Who else?" Santiago said in an obvious tone.


    "Red. Blue. Orange. I don''t know any of them," Callum said, behaving like an ass that he usually wasn''t. But he felt like being one today with this stubborn Villain.


    "It''s Persephone Marino, you fucking ass," Santiago growled.


    "The Fuck!" Callum, who was wrapped in sheets, immediately sat on the bed. "By Persephone Marino, you mean your sweet and gorgeous former captive?


    "The One and only," Santiago spoke.


    "How the hell does she remember you? And how do you know?" Callum asked him."Did you come across her somewhere? Fuck, Santiago. What if she opened her mouth? And did the hypnosis not work on her?"


    "The hypnosis backfired, Cal," Santiago murmured. "Like others, she was only supposed to forget my face but she forgot almost every major incident of her life. Her brain is a mess."


    Santiago heard Callum cursing under his breath. "My friend, I tried persuading you. But you were adamant at that time. I told you that she didn''t want to forget you. Hypnosis can''t be stronger than one''s will. Her will to remember you was greater than any hypnosis that we wanted to use on her. And see what happened! She forgot many things but you."


    "She didn''t remember my face," Santiago said to him. "She is familiar with me but is not certain for sure."


    "Santiago?"


    "Yeah?"


    "You are in trouble, my dear friend!" Callum said.


    "What do you mean?"


    "I have a feeling that she will remember everything anytime soon. What are you gonna do when she snitches on you to her daddy?" Callum said in a worried tone.


    "She won''t," Santiago said with a maddening amount of confidence.


    "How do you know?"


    "Because¡­"


    "Because she is my wife, Callum."


    Tut. tut. Tut.


    This was the reply Santiago receive in the end.

 Chapter 157 - A Tiny Life

    It''s been a long time since Persephone had visited Valencia. Well, after the wedding she hadn''t gone anywhere at all. There was uncertainty back in her heart and fear that raised its ugly head whenever she stepped out of this house.


    So she didn''t go to Valencia''s clinic alone. She took Romeo, the pretty and serious-looking boy with him as Emmanuel, the goofy child was busy with Santiago.


    "How are you doing?" Valencia asked her patent-slash-friend. She was surprised that she and Persephone hadn''t talked to each other for a long time. She was so busy with her own stuff that she didn''t get time to give her a call even when little Santiago was begging her to invite Persephone to their home.


    Earlier, Persephone used to call her frequently to talk to her son. Or sometimes, she would send her crazy questions asking if she should do this or not! All she could say was that the girl was obsessed with Google.


    Sometimes she wondered if googling random stuff was her attempt to escape from stressed life. People do all kinds of weird stuff as escapism. And she wouldn''t be surprised to find Persephone using google as her escapism.


    Just like every time, Valencia was asked by Salvatore to keep her schedule empty today as Persephone would be visiting her for her appointment. Last time, Persephone had fainted and she visited Marino''s house to see her.


    At this time, Persephone was lying on the stretcher inside her clinic while Romeo was waiting for her in the opposite restaurant as he was informed that she would be taking her time and he could relax until then.


    "Fine, I guess," Persephone replied in a very tired manner. She wasn''t able to sleep last night and so she was feeling drowsy right now. "I don''t feel very nauseous these days. That''s a good thing. But I experience sudden cramps sometimes. And I googled last night when I suddenly started feeling cramps once again. I found that cramps could be very dangerous. I can lose¡­"


    Valencia raised her head, asking her to stop talking. She couldn''t understand why patients would rather google than call the doctor?


    She sighed out. "How many times have I told you not to google your symptoms? You can just call me or text me. Isn''t that why you are paying me for it? And Google might say next time that you have cancer if you lose a few strands of your hair."


    It wasn''t only Persephone who would take unnecessary stress after googling their symptoms. She had seen many women doing so. It wasn''t a healthy habit at all.


    Persephone pursed her lips in a straight line. "I really thought it was bad."


    She knew that she was hopeless. But she couldn''t stop herself from worrying. Perhaps, it was what being a mom means, worrying all the time about the wellbeing of their babies. When cramps started in the middle of the night, she was really afraid. She thought she was going to lose her baby.


    She thought of calling Santiago because she was alone and scared. But remembering how he didn''t bother to come home, she stopped herself from calling him.


    "How careless of you!" Valencia softly chided. "I told you not to stress. Didn''t I? Stress is bad for you and the baby. "


    She could imagine Persephone''s reaction after googling her symptoms. She must have worried too much for no reason.


    "I know," Persephone said in a weak voice. "Next time, I will just ask you."


    "Good," Valencia said, deciding not to scold her anymore.


    Today, Persephone was going to see her baby and she was a little excited about it. Last time, it was just a tiny dot.


    "Here," Valencia pointed at the screen and an ultrasound image of her baby was seen. "Look at your baby."


    Most women would be in awe of their baby''s ultrasound pictures, but Persephone won''t be Persephone if she did something like that. Her reaction was quite different from what Valencia had imagined.


    She crinkled her nose as if she didn''t like what she was seeing. "Val, why did my baby look ugly? And are you sure this is my baby?" Persephone asked, suddenly clutching her stomach. Her doctor had to blink her eyes at her to check if she wasn''t just imagining things. She scratched her nose and added," "This is so tiny." Her tone was a bit patronizing. "No wonder my tummy is still stuck to my bones!"


    Just when Valencia thought that she was used to Persephone''s peculiarity, the latter would throw another bomb on her. No matter how much she stayed with her, she would never be able to decipher Persephone''s level of peculiarity.


    This girl was one of a kind! No one could beat her in this!


    But like a good doctor that she was, she started explaining to her peculiar patient. "Your stomach is not protruding yet because it''s your first pregnancy and you are only fourteen weeks pregnant. Some pregnancies take almost 12-16 weeks to show initial signs of baby bumps. Trust me, you are fine. You only need to have a good diet and maintain your mental and emotional health."


    Persephone could feel a slight bump but it wasn''t very obvious. Moreover, it looked as if she had just eaten a little too much rather than a baby bump.


    No one could say that she was around fourteen weeks pregnant just by looking at her. Her small and thin frame could be a reason for this.


    Persephone didn''t reply to her, she just continued looking at the ultrasound image, worrying about the baby''s look. She knew that she was behaving quite childish but she was so excited to see her baby but look what did she see in the end! She couldn''t even clearly see her baby!


    "Okay, when will I know the gender of my baby?" Persephone asked her after a while.


    "In your next ultrasound, you might be able to find your baby''s gender if he/she is willing to let you know," Valencia informed her.


    Looking at her expressions now, one could say that she was looking forward to the next ultrasound.


    ...


    "Are you not going to come to my house?" Valencia asked her. Usually, Persephone would spend the entire day lazing around at her house whenever she comes to see her. She would make demands of what she would like to eat that day.


    Cameron, being her buddy, would specially cook for her if he would be home that day.


    Persephone shook her head. "I don''t think that is a good idea."


    She was now a married woman. She didn''t want to involve Valencia and her perfect little family anymore. It was different before.


    Valencia blinked her eyes. She was not able to grasp the sudden change in Persephone''s character. She couldn''t help but ask, "Why do you look different to me?"


    "Different? Do I finally look like a pregnant woman?" Persephone asked hopefully.


    "No, you look¡­"Valencia paused, looking for the right word. " Umm...low key stressed?"


    Was it even a real word? But who cares!


    "You know that you can share your problem with me?" Valencia said to her.


    Persephone sighed out, "I got married!"


    "You got what?!!" She was kidding right? Did she not say earlier that she won''t marry Nico before the arrival of her baby?! Then, what''s with this sudden surprise now?


    "I got married," Persephone said again, clearing all her doubts.


    "Weren''t you and Nico going to wait?" Valencia asked her. She didn''t wait for an answer. She sound so impatient for answers that she fired question after question. "And why is he not with you? I mean I don''t want to be nosy but he seems like a nice guy. He is considerate and very caring towards you. I can''t imagine him not being here with you now that you need him the most."


    "Val?" Persephone called out her name softly.


    "Hmm?" Valencia said, expecting answers.


    "I''m not carrying Nico''s baby, " She received the reply. Now, she fell into an uncomfortable silence. "To be honest, I guessed so. So, tell me how did you end up marrying Nico then? I mean, wasn''t it too soon as you earlier said?"


    "I didn''t get married to him either," Persephone said, shocking the poor woman.


    "What the fuck?" It was so rare seeing Valencia curse. She was looking as if the Sahara desert had received snowfall. It was a strange and bizarre illustration but what she was feeling at this time was something just like this.


    Persephone got married to someone else other than Nico, the man who she was always supposed to get married to. It wasn''t only Valencia who found it astounding but almost everyone did too.


    .....


    This novel is a contracted work with W e b n o v e l. c o m (remove spaces). If you''re not reading ''The Villain '' on W e b n o v e l, it has been stolen.. It''s very heartbreaking to see pirates profiting from my hard work. Please support the original author,(tanu_sam

 Chapter 158 - Wont Hit Me

    Thus, Persephone told Valencia about her tragic life. She told her from the time when she lost her mother at a young age and a couple of days later, she and her elder brother who was dead now too, obtained another brother and a stepmother. And that was how, a couple of years later, Sophia came into their life.


    She also told her how Sophia had been in love with Nico from the very start. And the funny part was that everyone except for Nico was aware of it. Still, it didn''t convince Don Marino to end the so-called engagement between Persephone and Nicolas Scuderi. For some reason, he was hellbent on marrying her to Nico.


    This dream of Don Marino was achieved, almost achieved but a wicked man landed out of nowhere on their wedding day and kidnapped her right from everyone''s nose. Or that was what she was told. She didn''t know what had happened after the wedding day as she had no memory of that day. She wouldn''t have believed them if not for the fact that she found herself pregnant with a child of a man she had no memory of. She didn''t even know if she had been willingly intimate with him or it was the opposite.


    "And you know what happened after that," Persephone said after she narrated the whole story.


    "Oh, Percy," Valencia said in a hoarse voice and hugged the small woman in front of her. "I can''t imagine someone experiencing what you did at such a small age. Darling, you may not know what a strong woman you are! If it had been me, I would have shattered a long time ago."


    Although Valencia had seen the worst that life had to offer, she still couldn''t imagine herself living in confusion and uncertainty. At least, she had memories of her past but Persephone? She had to think several times before deciding to trust someone.


    Persephone sadly smiled at her and said, "I''m no special. If I had been as strong as you make it sound, I wouldn''t have taken that stupid step."


    She said talking about her suicide episode. She was emotionally and mentally weak back then with more doubts and fears than one could handle. However, she wasn''t the same woman that she was a few months ago. Her strength came from her baby. He/she was her emotional pillar even without her realizing it.


    "You were not in the right state of mind back then," Valencia said. "And you shouldn''t blame yourself for something you have no control over. You can''t change your past but you can embrace it for an uncomplicated and stress-free future."


    "I wish it was as simple as you make it seem," Persephone sighed out.


    Valencia nodded. "So, your husband is Sophia''s ex-fiance? Aka the man you used to talk about a lot?"


    Persephone suddenly became alert. With wide eyes, she asked, "When did I talk about him?"


    No, she didn''t talk about Santiago at all. That man was infuriating. How could she talk about him? Nope, Valencia had to be talking shit.


    "Check your messages," Valencia rolled her eyes at her. "And see, how you used to complain about him all the time."


    Valencia was not lying at all. Persephone indeed used to talk about Santiago a lot. But in a very negative sense. And she knew that it was because that the man had gotten under Persephone''s skin. She hadn''t seen this girl disliking someone with this much passion.


    "I did?" Persephone blinked her eyes at her.


    Valencia nodded, quite amused.


    "I didn''t realise," Persephone said with a long, suffering sigh.


    She didn''t believe that she talked about that damned man with Valencia. How could she do this? That man has the magical power of affecting her like this! Could it be that he was a sorcerer or something like that? Or what could explain this bizarre effect that he had on her?


    "Does he treat you well?" Valencia asked after a while.


    "Surprisingly, he is very nice to me," answered Persephone after thinking for a long time. She sighed and added, "Too nice sometimes. Sometimes, I don''t even know if I should hate him or feel guilty about cheating him."


    Persephone didn''t like deceiving him. And neither did she like the role of the pitiful woman that she was playing. But what could she do right now? She never has control of her life in her hands. It was always one or the other man making decisions about her life.


    For once in her life, she wanted things to go her way. She wanted to make decisions about the matter of her life without depending on or getting influenced by these powerful people who were controlling the life of people like her. Sometimes, she felt as if she was a puppet dancing on someone''s strings.


    This wasn''t the life she wanted for her child.


    "Why do you feel guilty?" Valencia suddenly asked her. Anger, frustration or even sadness, she could understand Persephone feeling all these emotions but why would she be guilty of something?


    "He didn''t know I my pregnant, Val." Only Persephone knew what she was feeling right now. She felt as if she was cheating on her husband with some other man.


    Valencia gasped in disbelief. "Persephone, do you know that majority of problems in your life arise from you? How can you hide such a thing from him? He has every right to know about it."


    Imagine finding out a couple of months later that your wife was being impregnated with someone else''s kid.


    "I know," replied Persephone as she shut her eyes in bitterness. "But I didn''t know that he would be good to me at that time. I didn''t want to put my baby''s life in danger. Tell me, what should I do now?"


    "Don''t complicate the matter, Percy," advised Valencia. " Tell him the truth as soon as you can and only after disclosing the truth, you can come to an understanding...It will be up to you both if you want to stay together or get separated. Don''t complicate your life more than you have already done."


    Earlier Persephone was stuck in a dilemma, having no idea what she should and what she shouldn''t do. But now after talking to Valencia, she had a little understanding of this matter, if not whole.


    Right now, she had two options: Either get separated or stay with him.


    She could convince Santiago to divorce him or...


    In all honesty, there was nothing that could convince Santiago to make him stay with him, not as she wanted him to but still no man would accept his wife being impregnated with someone else''s baby!


    She was stuck in such a bizarre yet ridiculous situation.


    Yet, there was a small voice inside her heart that was asking her-- what if he does? Would she like to stay with him then? Would she like to become his wife if he accepts her? Would she like to stay with him forever?


    She had no answer for this question now. or perhaps, she had but she was in no position to answer it.


    Answering these questions means hope. And hope meant looking forward to a future. And future that could shatter anytime soon.


    "Are you sure that you are fine?" Valencia asked her one more time as she saw her leaving. "I''m telling you if he doesn''t take the news well or if he gets violent, just call me. You can stay with me if you don''t want to go back to your home."


    Valencia was truly afraid out of her wits after James Simon episodes. She knew what kind of men Persephone was surrounded with. And so she was more scared for Persephone than the girl in the discussion was.


    It could be said that the James Simon episode was traumatic for Valencia. And it was also the reason why Persephone was able to understand the root cause of Valencia''s worry for her.


    "I know, Val," Persephone sighed out.


    However, Valencia didn''t look convinced by her assurances.


    Who knows what kind of man her husband was? What if he hurt her?


    "I know you are worried," said Persephone patting her shoulder. "But my husband will never try to hurt me. I can assure you. He is a reasonable man. He won''t hit his wife. I can vouch for him."


    Nobody knew where this sliver of trust in Persephone''s voice came from, but her flaring eyes were telling Valencia that she could trust her for once.


    "I will be fine," Persephone once again assured her. "I''m leaving now. Romeo is waiting for me there." She pointed at the boy waiting next to the car, by the other side of the road.


    Under Valencia''s concerned eyes, Persephone took a step ahead but as she moved, a vehicle came out of nowhere, freezing her to the place.


    ...


    GOAL :


    20 GOLDEN TICKETS (month) = 2 extra Chap.


    200 Power stones = 2 extra. chap.


    (weekly)

 Chapter 159 - Nash In Accident

    It happened so fast that even spectators like Valencia or Romeo didn''t know what just transpired. One second Persephone was waving at her with a small smile playing on her face, and the other, her eyes widened, making her freeze on her spot.


    The road was empty and no vehicle or person was in sight when she stepped to cross the road, however, just as she was to take another step, a vehicle came from somewhere, freezing Persephone due to the intensity of fear that she just felt at that moment. Before she could come out of the stupor and run to save her life, she felt the vehicle running over it.


    "Percy!" She heard a shriek.


    At this moment, She felt someone''s strong arms wrapping around her waist and the next moment, she felt herself lying on the pavement, not seriously injured at all. Her head was hit against the concrete but the hit wasn''t enough to make her head bleed.


    However, the same couldn''t be said about the man who just saved her life.


    "Nash!!" She heard Valencia''s cry from afar.


    She raised her throbbing head to see Valencia running towards the man lying in the middle of the road, dripping with blood. A mauled bouquet of pink roses lying next to him.


    When Nash saw Valencia standing in the doorway earlier, he was so excited to convince her to go on a date with him. He had even brought her favourite pink flowers for her. But a rush of jealousy ran through him when he saw her waving at someone with that concerned smile on her beautiful face.


    Luckily, he turned his head to follow her gaze and found Persephone Marino about to run by the vehicle.


    He acted on his instincts and jumped to save her.


    "Mia Cara, the flowers¡­" Nash tried to whisper as he looked at his darling crying for him. Would it be very wrong of him to say that he liked this feeling of Valencia crying for him? He knew that he was a sick and twisted bastard for thinking so. But no one had ever cared for him in such a way.


    A silly smile appeared on his lips as he whispered, "You look beautiful even when you cry."


    Hearing him uttering nonsense again, Valencia cried and laughed simultaneously. She didn''t know what to do with him!


    On the other hand, Romeo, who had run to an injured Persephone, tried to help her but she shook her head and said, "I''m fine. You please save the man."


    Looking at Persephone and then at the man who not only saved her but him too, he was feeling quite confused. He couldn''t leave Persephone just to cater to that man but Persephone''s wounds were minor whereas that man looked quite serious. Thus, in the end, he called an ambulance as he couldn''t leave that man dying there.


    "Why did you do this?" Valencia cried, his head was placed in her lap.


    They were now waiting for an ambulance that was about to come any second. She couldn''t let him fall unconscious, so she was trying to make him talk.


    The smile that was playing on his face dimmed as his eyes became blurry and drowsiness overpowering him. However in his half-conscious state when he was the most vulnerable than anyone had ever seen, he replied to her in the softest voice he was capable of producing, "That motherfucker would have died if something were to happen to her. And darling, I can bear anything but a world without him."


    Valencia had no idea what he was talking about. She didn''t even know who he was talking about. But sensing that he gave someone else this much importance in his life, an unknown feeling similar to jealousy arose in her heart.


    Again, she cried and laughed at the same time. "You make me feel jealous, stupid. I swear if you died on me, I am gonna kill that mf! I''m telling you?" She shouted as she saw Nash slowly losing her consciousness. "Nash! Nash! You idiot! You crazy man! Are you hearing me?!"


    "Ah, my darling, you should curse often." It was the last thing Nash said before he fell unconscious. The ambulance arrived just then and took the two injured people straight to the hospital.


    ¡­


    On Santiago''s side.


    It was a very important day for Santiago, all the major families were about to sign the agreement that they just finished negotiating. It took them more than a month to reach the stage they were now.


    Edward Kingsley sure signed the agreement but from the dead looks he was giving Santiago, it was clear that the man was planning something. He, as the mediator, had to make sure that none of the sides screwed this up. He didn''t care if these families live in peace after the ultimate step or kill each other. As long as his plan was working, he could take down Alessandro Marino after making him taste success.


    It hurts more when you fall from the top. And this was what Santiago was going to make sure happen with Alessandro Marino.


    They exited the hall after shaking their hands.


    Santiago had sent Emmanuel for an important task and as he saw the latter coming towards him with a gloating expression, he understood that the mission was successful.


    "Here, Mr V," Emmanuel sneakily passed him the iPad and looked at a few girls in a flirty manner, pretending as if he wasn''t working for Santiago. "I couldn''t find much but Edward Kingsley met this man in black coat at the hotel Blue Moon before coming here."


    Santiago saw Edward entering a hotel room with a man clad in a large black coat and a hat of similar shade. His face might not be seen, but his body structure was quite visible to him.


    And Santiago didn''t have to look at it twice to recognise who this man was!


    Killian Palmero!


    This little shit!


    He was hell-bent on shoving his leg in his manner, wasn''t he?

 Chapter 160 - My Boyfriend

    Emmanuel, on his left, was harmlessly flirting with a waitress to convince her to pour him a glass of wine without needing his ID.


    "Aren''t you afraid that your boyfriend will accuse you of infidelity?" Santiago asked him quite amused.


    Emmanuel groaned. "Mr V, he can understand that it''s harmless. Just for alcohol." It was better in his country where there were no strict laws for alcohol.


    As if on cue, Emmanuel''s phone chimed. His eyes widened when he saw the caller ID.


    ''Romeo.''


    "What?" Santiago asked him.


    "It''s Romeo," Emmanuel whispered.


    "You guys sure have telepathy," Santiago snickered.


    Picking up the call, Emmanuel said in a sickly sweet voice,"Romeo baby?!"


    "Where is Mr V?" He asked straightforwardly.


    "Romeo baby, I wasn''t cheating on you. Trust me. Mr V is lying---"


    "Em! Mr V now. Percy was in an accident. I''m taking her to the hospital." Romeo hung up after informing him as he was running to fill the paperwork.


    "What happened?" Santiago asked while taking a sip of his drink.


    "Miss Persephone," He whispered. "She was in an accident."


    The glass fell from Santiago''s hand as soon as Emmanuel''s words settled inside his head.


    ¡­.


    Santiago wasn''t driving his car as soon as Emmanuel pressed on the brakes, he ran inside the hospital like a mad man. Stopping by the receptionists, he uttered in a torn voice,"My wife. Persephone Vitello."


    "Fourth floor, ICU no 4--" Before the receptionist could complete her sentence, Santiago had disappeared from her sight. He was already running towards his wife.


    He didn''t even know how much she was injured. What if¡­ No he must not think negatively. She would be alright. He would make sure of it.


    As Santiago reached the fourth floor, he found a crying and shivering Valencia sitting in the waiting arena, outside the ICU.


    Unconsciously, his footsteps stopped on their own and a word left his mouth," Val?"


    Val, just like how he used to call her all those years ago.


    Valencia felt as if someone was calling her. With a dishevelled profile, she turned around to find Santiago standing a few inches away from her.


    She didn''t know what was coming to her at this moment, but she found herself running towards him to bury her head in his embrace. It was weird right?


    She had only met this man once but the feeling of warmth and safety that he oozed made her lose her guard around him.


    As he patted her back and consoled her calmly and warmly, she felt her heart soothe.


    "Shh, everything will be alright," Santiago murmured. "Stop crying already! Val, what happened? Tell me? Who made you cry? I will kill their asses for making such a pretty girl cry!"


    Valencia cried even loudly and badly but he didn''t lose control. He kept on hugging her until she calmed down. With those red teary eyes, she looked at him and murmured an apology.


    "I''m sorry," She said and wiped her face with the handkerchief that Santiago gave her. "I didn''t know what come to me--"


    "You don''t have to explain," Santiago said. "May I ask why you are crying?"


    "My boyfriend," Valencia hiccupped. "He was in a really bad accident. " She pointed at the ICU.


    A look of confusion passed through his eyes as he noted the ICU number. Wasn''t it the same ICU where his Red was supposed to be?


    "Are you here to see someone?" He heard Valencia''s question.


    "My wife," he found himself replying. "Persephone. Persephone Vitello."


    ¡­


    Persephone, who was getting her minor injuries dressed by a nurse, found Santiago coming her way. A smile bloomed on her pale face but it dimmed as he ignored her figure and hugged Valencia.


    The feelings that she was feeling right now, she would never be able to describe it in words. She could feel rage taking over her sanity. She wanted to go right there and separate Valencia from her husband''s arms. This man was her husband! Her man!


    She didn''t know where this bout of suppressed jealousy came from. But all she knew was that it had always been here, from the time she saw him sitting beside Sophia on that lunch table a month ago. It was also here when he chose Sophia over her when she wasn''t even an option.


    How could it be humanly possible?


    What was this dark feeling inside of her changing into rage right now?


    It could be called madness, obsession and¡­


    Something tells her that if she found what this third thing is, she would be able to understand this whole equation between them.


    "Miss Persephone?!" Emmanuel shouted as he caught sight of her.


    Santiago, too, turned to find Persephone sitting on a bench getting her wounds bandaged by a nurse. He sighed in relief as he looked at her. Fortunately, she wasn''t that injured.


    Still, how did she get injured in the first place?


    He walked towards her and kneeled beside her while wiping her wild red curls from her face. "How are you?" He tenderly asked her. "Are you feeling pain somewhere?"


    Seeing that his eyes were showing genuine concern for her, she harrumphed and shifted her head to look at the pretty boy who was tending to her injuries and smiled at him.


    Santiago didn''t understand what just happened but Valencia, who was noticing the two of them from the start, smiled as she knew why her friend was behaving the way she was.


    Simply, she was jealous. And didn''t know why she was feeling so!


    [Oh, Percy! I can understand your state of mind. No wonder, you were so vocal about this husband of yours!]


    "Percy, what happened?" Santiago asked her while knitting his brows. "Are you feeling pain somewhere?"


    ''Yes, in my heart! And you are the reason!''


    "Will you tell me why you are behaving weirdly?" He asked his wife.


    "You infuriate me," She replied.


    He sighed out,"Do you want me to leave you alone?"


    "Yes!" She said, angrily.


    He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her for a hug and murmured,"No way in hell, baby! I ain''t leaving you alone here!"

 Chapter 161 - Tell Him The Truth

    Santiago was now standing bedside Romeo and Emmanuel while Persephone and Valencia were sitting on the two chairs before him.


    He didn''t know how these two women knew each other but he could say from the ease Persephone was treating the other woman that there was some familiarity between the two of them.


    It was only up to him to find how on earth did the two of them end up getting acquainted.


    Suddenly, he was reminded of the night when Cameron was getting beaten and Persephone was standing there. He had deduced from their expressions that those two had known each other but he didn''t say anything about it.


    Now that he saw these two women together, he could tell Persephone was acquainted with the whole Vitello family without his knowledge.


    Good. Very good. Only this was left to happen!


    "Can I ask how you end up getting hurt?" questioned Santiago to his wife.


    Persephone, who was angry with him for something she couldn''t remember right now, just turned her head to avoid talking to him.


    Santiago sighed as he noticed a sneer in her eyes.


    This woman! Was she looking down on him, her husband?


    Valencia saw helplessness in Santiago''s warm eyes. She couldn''t help but sympathize with him. She didn''t know why she felt her heart hurt for him. Could it be that his eyes resembled a lot with her son?


    Helplessly, he shifted his gaze to Romeo, who unconsciously straightened his back.


    "Mr V, Miss Persephone was crossing the road when all of a sudden a vehicle came out of nowhere," Romeo started narrating the whole incident. He shuddered as he remembered the bloody scene where Nash got hurt." Before she could be hit by it, Miss Reynold''s friend appeared and pulled Miss Persephone. However, in the process of saving her, he got severely injured."


    Persephone took a deep breath and didn''t say anything to him. She had been pretty horrified by the memory of the accident. If possible she wouldn''t like to be remembered about it.


    "Our family can''t repay the kindness that he had unknowingly or unknowingly bestowed on us," Santiago said. He didn''t know what kind of man Valencia was dating. It wasn''t like he liked interfering in her life. It was just that this time that man had saved his Red. There was no way he would repay the kindness with cruelty.


    Persephone raised her head to look at Santiago who was looking towards Nash''s room with sheer gratitude shining in his eyes. She didn''t know if it was true or fake.


    "His condition is pretty serious, "Persephone spoke after a while. "I heard his family was not informed as he wasn''t American."


    Santiago''s brows furrowed. "He is not American?"


    This question was directed at Valencia, who quietly shook her head.


    Santiago sighed. "You shouldn''t worry much since he got hurt while helping my wife. I will not slight him in the least. My household will take care of him until he recovers."


    Valencia shook his head, "That''s not what I meant to say. You don''t have to do this. I will manage."


    "Nonsense!"Santiago cut her off. Letting her take care of a man who wasn''t her husband? No way in hell! He wasn''t dead yet.


    Valencia felt words getting stuck in her throat. So, in the end, she didn''t say anything.


    Once again, Persephone narrowed her eyes on those two. Was it just her that thinks her husband was too attentive to Valencia? He was looking at her with a warm and doting gaze.


    It was only when she looked at Emmanuel that she felt that she wasn''t the only one. There was someone else who shared the same thoughts.


    "Val, he is right. Your friend got hurt while saving him. It''s natural that as my husband, he would feel this his responsibility to repay the kindness," Persephone chimed in.


    At this time, the door to Nash''s room opened and out came a doctor followed by two nurses. He saw five people standing in the waiting area and paused in his footsteps.


    "Are you the patient''s family?" the doctor asked them.


    Valencia nodded her head. Quickly standing up, she went to the doctor and asked in an anxious voice. "How is he? Is he out of danger?"


    "Although the patient''s injuries were grave, still none of his vital organs were hurt. He is out of danger, "The doctor informed them. "He needs to stay at the hospital for a few days. We will keep him under our supervision for a few days first."


    With this said, the doctor left with his team. But since Santiago had something to discuss with the doctor, he followed him.


    Emmanuel saw Santiago following the doctor and so he signalled Romeo to keep the girl''s company as he will be back in a jiffy. Actually, he went to the cafeteria to buy coffee or some drinks for all of them. They had been waiting there for more than an hour.


    "Percy?" Valencia softly called out her name.


    Persephone blinked her eyes at her. "Hmm?"


    "Your husband is Mr V," Valencia said in a voice that expressed her regret for thinking all the bad things about him. "I haven''t met him more than once before this encounter." She was saying this not to let Persephone misunderstand Santiago when the other person didn''t have impure thoughts about her and neither did he. She quickly added what she wanted to say from the moment she found out he was Persephone''s husband. "He is a good man. I know you won''t trust me easily. But I have only met him twice and can say that this man has a heart of gold. He didn''t deserve to be kept in darkness. Just tell him the truth once and then think about the consequences. You are a brave woman. You don''t need this mess."


    Persephone felt her throat choking as she heard Valencia''s words. That person was not wrong. There was no point in playing meaningless games with Santiago. It wasn''t worth it. She would never be able to win from him. He was a man who had seen the worst of the world. What kind of games had he not seen?


    She could no longer keep on pretending to be who she was not. She wasn''t a liar, cheat and a trickster. She couldn''t keep Santiago in darkness no matter how scared she was. She might not be a favourable daughter but she had the support of her brother at least.


    With helplessness and defeat shining in her eyes, she placed her head on Valencia''s shoulder and closed her eyes.


    Valencia could understand the predicament that Persephone was in. She placed her hand on the latter''s head and started caressing her hair.


    This was the scene that Santiago encountered when he returned from the doctor''s office. Just as his eyes had fallen on those two women immersed in their own world, he had paused in his movement. He didn''t know why despite seeing the beauty of this scene, he felt his heart tightening inside his chest.


    Emmanuel also appeared at this time. He came with his hands full of coffee and some snacks that he found in the hospital cafeteria. Romeo moved to take half of the things from his boyfriend''s hand.


    "This one''s for you Percy," Emmanuel handed her a coffee.


    "Don''t give her coffee," Valencia immediately responded before Persephone could touch the coffee. "This is bad for her."


    Santiago raised his head to look at Valencia with furrowed brows. Just what was happening here?


    Persephone smiled at Emmanuel in apology who just winked at her.


    He then handed coffee and snacks to other people. At last, he gave the special cup to Romeo, "Here, this is your latte. This is what Latte is!"


    Romeo obviously rolled his eyes at him. He still remembered his joke.


    "What happened?" Valencia asked Persephone when she found her stifling laughter.


    Persephone couldn''t help but burst into laughter. "When Emmanuel moved from the USA to his country, he had ordered Latte there. But the poor boy was served with milk. But since he is a good boy who would never make things difficult for anyone, he quietly drank that plain milk. Every single time, he would ask for Latte in restaurants, and he would be served with milk."


    "Huh?" Valencia knitted her brows, still not understanding.


    "See, this was my reaction," Emmanuel said a bit loudly while pointing at Valencia.


    Santiago, who was drinking the blame hospital coffee was hiding his amusement behind the paper glass.


    "You didn''t understand?" Persephone asked Valencia who shook her head.


    Persephone sat back on the chair like a deflated balloon. She just felt that a good joke went wasted just like that.


    Now how could Santiago let her sit there like that? He naturally had to come forward to make her enthusiastic like before. He couldn''t bear to see her depressed sitting in the hospital.. So, he elaborated for those who didn''t understand.

 Chapter 162 - Pictures From Past

    "Latte is a regular term for milk there," Santiago informed. "American culture hasn''t reached there yet. So, while placing the order of Latte coffee, one must tell the barista specifically. This was the mistake that Emmanuel had been doing all this while. So, he had to learn to make Latte himself in the end."


    "Poor baby," Valencia could sympathize with the boy. He looked a couple of years older than Cameron. "How old are you?"


    "I''m nineteen," Emmanuel replied in a bland voice. He felt that only Valencia could connect with him over this matter but since she was on his enemy list, he didn''t enthusiastically reply to her. This was to let everyone know that his loyalty lies with Persephone.


    Santiago gave him a look but didn''t say anything.


    Valencia nodded in response as if his indifference had nothing to do with her. "My younger brother is seventeen. You remind me of him."


    "Did you inform Cameron?" Persephone immediately inquired. "And my little Santiago? Wouldn''t he be worrying about you?"


    Big Santiago, who was now looking at Persephone as if he was looking at a criminal, just realized one thing. Red''s little Santiago. And Little Santiago''s Big Red? He had always been near the truth.


    "Don''t tell me you are that brat''s Red?" Santiago asked her as if she had betrayed him.


    "Who are you calling brat?" Persephone glared at him. "Little Santiago is better than this Big Santiago!!"


    "Persephone, are you collecting figurines by the name of Santiago? Do you perhaps have an obsession with this name?!" Santiago asked her in a cold voice.


    Persephone blinked her eyes at him. "What do you mean?" Yes, she agreed that she was particularly vulnerable to this name. But it didn''t mean she liked collecting all the men by this name.


    "I wouldn''t be surprised if you start naming your children all versions of Santiago," Santiago snickered at her.


    "Santiago Vitello! You know nothing!"


    If he was the father of her sons, she might start naming them Santiago One, Santiago Two and so on.


    Only if he was¡­


    And only if Persephone knew¡­


    ¡­.


    After the doctor sent all of them back as they all were not allowed to stay the night accompanying the patient for they were not the patient''s immediate family members.


    Valencia returned home as Santiago dropped her on his way. He had been headed to an important place.


    Persephone was sent with Romeo and Emmanuel to their home. Santiago wasn''t coming home once again and no one of them was surprised. So they just returned without him.


    Since Persephone had made up her mind to tell Santiago the truth, she wasn''t going to wait anymore. She would clear all the unnecessary complications first before having a long and hard talk with him.


    However, to achieve her goal she had to communicate with someone else first. But to contact that person, she needed her laptop. And her laptop was still at Marino''s residence.


    And that person was a lawyer suggested by Valencia.


    "Emmanuel, can I use your laptop?"Persephone asked him.


    Hearing Persephone''s question, he was reminded of the erotic content that he had stashed. His face paled and seeing such an extreme expression on his face, she shook her head as realizing the problem with this boy.


    "It''s okay," She told him while returning to her room.


    She was still walking with a slight limp. The bump on her head was aching now. Thankfully, she didn''t fall on her stomach or else she didn''t know what she might have done. She thought of having a hot bath as she had just come from the hospital, still smelling disinfectants.


    As Persephone was taking out her nightgown from the wardrobe, she saw that Santiago''s side of the wardrobe was unlocked. Curiosity got the best of her and she couldn''t stop herself from snooping his things. She saw his clothes neatly arranged, watches, ties, cufflinks, everything properly lined. She was about to lock it back when her gaze fell on a black rectangular gadget.


    Taking it out she found that it was a laptop. Its model looked pretty old but it would do. Now she was running around the house looking for a charger. In the end, she found it in a drawer by Santiago''s cabinet.


    Once the laptop was switched on, she found that it was password protected.


    She scoffed at her idiocy. "Who leaves their gadgets unlocked?! How stupid, Percy?!"


    "What could be his password?!" Persephone thought to herself.


    "His birthday?" She tried it.


    Now don''t ask how she knew his birthdate. She just knew it.


    Wrong password.


    "My birthday?" She tried it again. Who knew that this man might have some weird fetish of setting his wife''s birth date as a password?


    Wrong password.


    "Jerk," she mumbled.


    "Wedding anniversary?" She tried this one too.


    The laptop rang.


    "Holy fuck," She cursed out aloud. "It is the correct password. What kind of man is Santiago Vitello?!"


    Now she just hoped that she wouldn''t hurt that man with her truth. Still, bitter truth was way better than a sweeter lie.


    It wasn''t true that Santiago had set his wedding date as his password. He had set the date he met young Persephone from his memories for the first time. It was the eleventh of may. (It is written as 11/5 pretty much all over the world except for America.) And they got married on the Fifth of November (11/5 in America).


    Call it a coincidence but the laptop had been unlocked now.


    After unlocking the laptop, her gaze fell on the wallpaper set on the screen. It was a picture taken of a calm ocean from a distance. She could see an extremely beautiful view of the ocean and several dolphins jumping in the water. It didn''t look like a photo clicked by a professional photographer. At most, it looked like a picture clicked by the camera.


    If she had seen the wallpaper early, she could see a short feminine shadow hiding behind the icons on the screen.


    "This place is really beautiful," Persphone was just mesmerized by a single picture. She had heard that the country Santiago was from, it was an island country. It must be a picture clicked by him. Tempting to see more pictures of the place where Santiago grew up in, she started raiding his gallery. She knew that it was bad of her. She couldn''t just sneak through someone''s personal stuff but had someone ever been able to defeat curiosity?


    However, the feeling after seeing that picture, she couldn''t describe it in words. She felt as if this place in the picture was hiding a different kind of heaven and peace behind the screen. She felt connected with that place. It was hard to describe the feeling surging inside her heart.


    But who would have thought that this moment was going to change her life? People didn''t lie when they say that excess information and unnecessary curiosity could be deadly. Excessive information disturbs the quality of decision making at the cost of one''s mental health and unnecessary curiosity. And curiosity? It simply killed the cat.


    And that''s what happened in Persephone''s case.


    As she opened the gallery app, several different pictures flashed before her eyes.


    There was only one thing similar in all the pictures.


    Her.


    Long silky raven hair and a beautiful and delicate face.


    It was her captured in all different poses.


    The first photograph was inside a very lavish museum or that''s what she believed. She was wearing a white dress and standing in the hallway, studying the expensive items projected on the walls. From the angle the picture was taken, it could be seen that her expression in the picture was that of sheer curiosity, no fear, anger or other emotion.


    Her fingers moved on their own and in a few seconds, another picture was before her eyes. In this picture, her back was facing the cameraman, her gaze was fixed on the magnificent blue ocean. What caught her eyes wasn''t the blue ocean but the swimming pool that seemed to meet at one point with the ocean.


    Just like that she went through several pictures all taken in a similar setting that seemed like a patio of a very gorgeous sea villa.


    She went through hundreds of photos captured in a place that seemed like an island. She could seem angry, frustrated, infuriated, annoyed, and most of all jubilant.


    The pictures just didn''t end here she found herself captured in a different setting too. It appeared like she was captured in a night party or similar event. In some pictures, she was found drunk with a wine bottle in her hand, and a silly smile tugged on her lips.


    And lastly, she found several of her videos laughing and giggling playing in the water, someone with dolphins, yes real super cute dolphins. As if it was not enough, she found one last video in a different folder.


    ...


    Author Note: What do you think Persephone''s reaction will be?

 Chapter 163 - Nothing Left Of Me

    It would have been better if Persphone had not seen the last video. But when she had seen so much, what harm could the last one cause?


    This was what Persephone had thought too.


    However now, if she could take back her words, she would certainly take them back.


    The video opened with Persephone''s laughing and tanned face. It looked like she was sitting on the beach, recording the video. Her face was shown only because she was turning the camera to the other person.


    On the beach mat, a huge tan man was eating the desserts that looked delicious even on the camera.


    "What are you doing?" He asked her, immediately. Colour drained from his face, seeing the phone in her hand.


    He leaned to snatch the phone from her hand but she simply dogged his action and laughed at him.


    In an amused voice, Persephone in the video said, "Capturing a certain villain savouring sweets."


    This time Santiago didn''t try to snatch the phone from him, instead gave him a you-are-ridiculous look.


    In the end, he instead started eating more and more.


    Not bearing him to see destroying his sexy abs just like that, Persephone said, "Stop eating sweets. You are making your abs cry! Such torture!"


    Santiago gave her a wicked look before wiping his lips and murmuring, "Sure, Red. Sweets can''t be sweeter than you."


    Therefore, the video ended with Santiago snatching the phone with one hand and her hand with another.


    A feminine giggle could also be heard.


    ¡­.


    Persephone couldn''t bear it anymore. She was panting even without running. Although she had not run, why did it feel like she had run a mile?


    She couldn''t handle these feelings. She felt like crying, laughing, shouting, pulling her hair and what not!


    Throwing the laptop on the sofa, Persephone carefully stood up. Standing in front of the mirror, she eyed her sapphire necklace, dangling on neck while sparkling under the light.


    "It must be given by you," She sneered in the softest of words.


    The next thing, the necklace was yanked off her neck and thrown on the floor. In the process, there was a red mark on her neck as evidence of a struggle between her delicate neck and the metal.


    After throwing the necklace, she started laughing hysterically while staring at her reflection in the mirror.


    "Who the hell am I?" She asked herself.


    Seeing that the reflection in the mirror had no idea of replying, she let out that scary hysterical laugh once again.


    "Who on earth am I?"


    "A plaything?"


    "A doormat?"


    "A means to an end?"


    "Or just a pawn?"


    She was asking questions after questions to her own reflection in the mirror but there was no reply. She didn''t know what to feel, what to say or what to do right now! She felt so defeated, so unpurposeful and so¡­


    Not knowing what to do with her overwhelming emotions, she started throwing and breaking things in anger, shouting and cursing at no one. Her hand got hurt in the process but she was in no mood to stop. She couldn''t even stop. She felt that if she stopped right now, she would lose her mind.


    She was going mad. No, she had gone mad.


    There was no saving her.


    From the next door, when Emmanuel and Romeo heard the noise of breaking of things accompanied by a woman''s shrieks, for a minute they were startled. They didn''t know how to reply.


    But when Persephone shouted again, they ran out of their room to check out the situation.


    "Miss Persephone?!" Emmanuel was banging on her door. The door was locked from inside and Persephone was in no state of mind to hear them.


    "Did you find the keys?" Emmanuel shouted at Romeo who was going through the cabinets and drawers. At this time, even the spare keys were unfound.


    As the noise of watering objects didn''t diminish and the keys were yet to be found, both Emmanuel and Romeo found themselves helpless and desperate in this matter. Many wild and dreadful speculations were running in their minds but what could they do apart from this?


    Break the door?


    What if they hurt Persephone in the process?


    If Something were to happen to her, Santiago would bury them alive. He had arranged a few hidden bodyguards for her. Whenever she went outside which was very rare since she got married to Santiago, they would secretly follow her. But since they failed to protect her today, there was no doubt that they wouldn''t be punished.


    Santiago!


    Yes, they should call him.


    "Emmanuel, call Mr V immediately. Tell him it''s an emergency," Romeo shouted.


    They were told by Santiago to inform him if something happened at home.


    Persephone shouting and breaking things was still an emergency. She was not responding to them and neither was she stopping her breaking and shouting spree. There had to be some reason behind her behaviour.


    "I found the keys," Romeo yelled at the top of his lungs. He came running towards Emmanuel and immediately unlocked the door.


    Emmanuel, whose call had yet to connect hung up the call and ran towards Persephone, unable to call him.


    In the end, he just sent seven words in total.


    Come home now. It''s an emergency.


    However, only Santiago knew the effect of these seven words.


    When Romeo opened the door to the room, the scene that welcomed them was shocking. The whole room was a mess. Expensive vases, paintings, mirrors, and almost everything was thrown on the floor. Some that could break while smashing against the floor were scattered in tiny pieces and those that couldn''t be broke like pillows, covers etc were lying on the floor.


    Persephone was about to throw the mattress on the floor when Romeo and Emmanuel caught her hand.


    "Percy!"


    "Calm down!"


    Instead of calming down, she started laughing madly while pulling her hair.


    Both boys didn''t know what was wrong with her but her current vulnerable and dishevelled profile was very pitiful to look at.


    They didn''t ask her what happened to her. Instead, started patting her back asking her to calm down.


    Just as Emmanuel said, "Everything will be fine. You will be fine. You are strong."


    Persephone broke down, falling on the floor, she hugged her knees and started crying. She broke into those ugly heart piercing sobs.


    Romeo and Emmanuel didn''t know why but they found their eyes tearing up with her. However, instead of asking her to stop and consoling her, they let her cry. It was better than shouting and laughing and shattering things.


    Another half an hour passed but Persephone was not stopping crying. The boys were in a mess. They didn''t know what to do except for just standing there and doing nothing.


    As if on cue, the front door opened with a thud and someone''s quick footsteps were heard.


    When Santiago reached his room, his footsteps stopped as his gaze fell on the messy room. He didn''t know what to say or do. His anxious and frightened eyes fell on a crying figure and he felt his heart stopping beating. This scene was so painful that he felt himself unable to breathe.


    He couldn''t control himself from falling numb.


    However, he still ran towards her, pulled her in his arms and hugged her tightly. She was shaking badly in his arms. Her sobs were heart-wrenching. She was so thin, so fragile and so cold in his arms.


    "Red, what happened?" His hoarse voice asked in utter desperation.


    Persephone slowly stopped crying. Jerking his arms off her body, she said up, taking a few steps back, she looked at him with eyes of loath and disgust.


    Santiago too stood up , his eyes yet not leaving hers.


    "Red--" Before he could say another word, her hand lifted up and a crisp slap sounded on his cheek.


    "Are you happy now?" She sneered at him with those swollen red eyes. Her voice was hoarse from all the crying, but it still didn''t diminish the intensity of loathe it carried for him.


    Santiago looked at him in confusion. He didn''t know what she was saying. He was happy that she wasn''t crying anymore and so he didn''t feel bad that she was looking at him with those hateful eyes.


    His heart had given up when he read that message sent on his number. He had left his work in the middle and ran back home. Only he knew what kind of speculations that had been forming in his heart on its own.


    "What are you saying?" Santiago asked her with knitted brows.


    Persephone stared at him with dead eyes. And next moment, she broke into a fit of mirthless laughter. "Are you happy now? You finally destroyed me, my existence, my will to live and dream. Nothing is left of me. Look at me, I''m just ashes. Isn''t that what you always wanted? You won, Villain. You won. There is nothing left of me."


    Villain¡­

 Chapter 164 - Cantt Run From Past

    One truth he had learned in life: You can''t run away from the truth. No matter where you hide or take refuge in little or big lies, the truth will find you. It always does. There was no stopping it. Of course, he had not thought one day he would have to run from the biggest truth of his life but here he was¡­


    One might ask him what scared him the most?


    He had seen the worst this world had to offer. Kidnapped and taken from his home and family at a young age, imprisoned in a basement, and later saw his family growing from the sidelines. If it was not enough, he fell for two girls. Unknowingly both times, it was her-- Persephone Marino. But the sad truth-- was they could never belong to each other.


    And even if he had doubted this, all his doubts were now cleared.


    Her green eyes were gazing at him in utter loathe. And he didn''t feel an ounce of hurt about it. He deserved it. If a woman gives you enough memories to spend the entire life thinking about and cherishing each fragment of them, you don''t hurt her the most in the world.


    He learned now. All this mess. Her dishevelled state. The broken and fragile look in her eyes was caused by him. He broke this wonderful woman standing before. And heaven would never forgive him for this sin.


    This goddess was brought to this pathetic state by him.


    There was no redemption to this sin.


    At this moment, Emmanuel and Romeo quietly ushered out of the room. This moment belonged to Santiago and Persephone. They couldn''t intrude now. And only Santiago could help her get back to normal. This Persephone was unbearable to watch.


    "Red¡­" A word escaped his mouth as blue eyes burned to apologize, regret and beg. But it was too late. There was no forgiveness she could grant him.


    After all, she was only a mere mortal, incapable of controlling her own life.


    "Don''t¡­" She whispered while gazing at him. Those blue eyes once meant the whole world to him. She could just drown in them and never wish to come back. But now...all she felt was disgust.


    Taking several steps back, she uttered, this time in a loud voice," Don''t you dare come near me¡­"


    No justification could solve this. This...whatever it was. He or she or anyone else would never be able to solve this. This was unsolvable.


    "Listen to me first," Santiago pleaded with her. He didn''t want her to forgive him. But he wanted to explain because he knew his Red had a tendency of overthinking and over-complicating everything. And he could never let her do this to her. This was going to hurt her the most.


    "I said don''t come near me, "Persephone shouted as she saw him taking steps towards her. " You have destroyed me, isn''t it enough?"


    Her callous words made him hesitate to take another step.


    Today, she was callous with her words. But eerily, they were soothing her charring soul. The soul he had burned with his cruelty, lies and secrets.


    "You remember everything?"Santiago questioned her.


    What a stupid question!


    Of course, she did. Or why else would¡­


    Persephone burst into self depreciating laughter. Look at him. Wasn''t this bastard earlier saying to never meet? Why was he appearing as if he saw a ghost?


    He also said that she was overthinking everything.


    Hell, she was even jealous of herself.


    This man could never love anyone much less than him.


    "Even if I didn''t, would you tell me the truth now?" She asked him once she stopped laughing. "No, you won''t. You will manipulate the truth once again. Isn''t that what you have been doing from the beginning?"


    He played with her heart. She would never forgive him. All this while, she had been constraining her heart not to open up to him even when her heart was begging her to. It was on the verge of rebelling with her brain.


    He made her feel all those words emotions starting from the day she met him at the luncheon at Marino house to the day they shared that little intimate moment in the mall. She couldn''t remember those moments without paining her heart.


    The baby jewellery he gifted her, she still stares at it before going to sleep. She still remembers all those moments that she shouldn''t.


    Her baby''s first gift was bought by him unknowingly.


    She was so damned. She couldn''t even feel without hurting. Why? What did she do to deserve this all?!


    "I never want to hurt you," Santiago told her.


    He swore to God-- he never meant to hurt her ever.


    "But you did," Persephone shouted at him.


    "I did," Santiago couldn''t refuse this fact.


    "I hate you, "She told him while bitterness ran through her bloodstream, opposing all her said words. Angry tears were streaming down her cheeks and she had no means to stop them.


    And why should she?


    Does she have no right to cry now?


    She couldn''t pretend to be strong when she was shattering right before his eyes.


    "I know," He accepted.


    "You don''t, trust me," Persephone whispered.


    ....


    Author''s Note:


    This chapter ended up becoming more depressed but we would never be able to feel what Persephone is feeling right now. Unknowingly, she felt too much for this husband for hers and it''s breaking her heart that everything from the start had been a kind of lie.


    I know you might feel why the chapters are filled with so much misunderstanding. But I wanna ask you -- Is love that easy?


    Persephone and Santiago had always belonged to two separate worlds. It''s not easy to build a bride to connect their worlds and just live their happily ever after.


    If acceptance and loving and to let loved was so easy, no one in this world would have suffered.


    Persephone and Santiago''s love story is not just a Villain falling in love. It''s the story of accepting who you are and still allowing to be loved, seeking redemption even when it is hard to, loving selflessly yet never asking anything in return and most of all passing every fire to get the love that belongs to you.


    Thank you!

 Chapter 165 - Confrontation

    "Do you know what it feels to wake up one day and have no memories of yourself?" She asked him.


    And just like she had thought, he had no answers to give. How could he have answers? He needed to feel all those things that she did. What would do if one day he woke up and forgot his passion, ambition, and everything that completes him?!


    What would he do?


    Certainly, he would go insane.


    And Persephone never wished this even for her biggest enemies.


    "Do you know what it means to be helpless?" She once again asked him.


    How could a man who had suffered the greatest form of helplessness make another person helpless?


    Now, he questioned if his revenge was even justified.


    Helplessness, a dreadful feeling, capable of making anyone paralyzed, emotionally and mentally. There is no cure to it. It makes you worse than a sick person. Someone like Santiago, who experienced it himself, how could he cause this to someone else?


    "Do you know what it feels to think of a monster as a God?"Persephone whispered.


    She gave Alessandro the place of a God when she woke up. She had forgotten all the torture and injustice he had inflicted on her.


    How could she?


    She did everything to make him happy. Didn''t question or reason with what he asked her to do! Did he know how this felt?


    "Do you know what it means to call the only people who loved you an enemy?"


    How could she forget the grievance she had caused on Carina, Sophia and Salvatore? She really believed that these three people mistreated her.


    If one day, Valencia recognised him and hated him for something he had never done, would he be able to see his own eyes in the mirror?


    Would he be able to survive it?


    "Do you know what it means to live always in confusion?"


    She asked him another question, he had no answer for. Living in delusion and confusion, the biggest mental torture one could inflict on another.


    "You can''t trust anyone. You can''t trust yourself," She derided. "Because you depend on them as your memory bank."


    Every day, she had to think a thousand times before trusting anyone. She refused to believe her heart because she couldn''t afford it.


    What worse than a constant fight and confusion between heart and brain can a human experience?


    "Do you know what it feels to have people see you like a slut?"


    At Salvatore''s wedding, Emily accused her of being a slut. Made her believe that she was a slut because she was defiled. The loss of memories really made her believe so.


    But now, she knew better.


    Even in this sadness and fury, she knew that she wasn''t defiled as they all thought. Your conscience would never let you emotionally close to those who tried to harm you.


    She was badly and terribly attracted to Villain. He didn''t need to¡­ He just had to look at him and she would be seduced. She knew how this man could make her dance to his tune¡­ His seduction was fatal. And she might have been shot by his attack of seduction back then.


    She stepped ahead and yanked him by gripping his collar and she said, "Do you know what it is to be pregnant with a man''s child you don''t remember?"


    The truth rippled out like a stone thrown into a pond. Again, she had voiced something he hadn''t ever fathomed.


    It hit him like a poisonous arrow, piercing right through his reasoning and comprehension power.


    Her words didn''t make him numb. Numb means feeling nothing. But he was feeling everywhere. Aching everywhere. He hadn''t known it was possible to be so afraid for someone whose existence he just came to know of.


    He glanced at Persephone''s melancholic state, scanning the plans and contours, looking for a lie. But there was none. She was not lying.


    No woman would lie about this. Moreover, she never lies.


    "You don''t know!" She shouted. He doesn''t know how much she hated him. "So stop saying you know!"


    This sudden revelation of truth had struck him, stupefied. He was left with no words to say.


    "You played with my head, Dammit!" She yanked his collar once again but all he felt was the truth throwing him against the wall. Sadly, he didn''t feel ache this time, just sadness. "You wiped the memory of mine! Happy! Sad! All! You had no right!"


    He had no rights. He was given no rights. She didn''t allow him. How could he do this to her? Who gave her the right to erase her memories? It was up to her if she wanted to die with those memories or be nostalgic thinking about whatever tragedy had struck her!


    Who allowed him to play with her head?


    She wasn''t a plaything!


    She didn''t deserve this!


    Then, why?!


    Just why?!


    "Do you know I nearly killed myself?" She told him. Until today, she was ashamed of accepting this fact that she had almost brought death to her and her unborn baby.


    She wanted to shout at him and inflict all the pain she had felt because of him. She wanted him to feel guilty, ashamed, regret and all the things. She was crumbling before his time each passing moment and there was no saving her. His desire for revenge, hunger for power and stubborn personality caused the death of her leftover innocence.


    He''d said he didn''t want to hurt her. But he had already killed a significant portion of her being. He didn''t need to beg for her forgiveness even if she wanted him to --- because she would never forgive him.


    He took everything for her. Every right from her. It was her right to feel sad, happy, angry and all those emotions that could kill her, make her paralyze emotionally, unable to love anyone except for him. Even if the worst came to come, she wanted to face it all.


    For a minute, she got that he wiped a part of her memories to save her-- from the torture Alessandro Marino was going to cause on her. If for another second believed that he did what he did because it was for his own safety.


    Still, it was her decision. She knew even at this moment when her hate for him was at peak --- she would have never done anything and spoke any word, capable enough of harming him.


    How could he take her right away from her?

 Chapter 166 - Saved Me

    "You asked me how I know Valencia''s family?" Persephone asked him in a voice that resembled more like a sneer.


    She had been sneering a lot today. At him. Not like he didn''t deserve it.


    "Cameron saved me." Her words hit him in the gut. He thought he knew what she was talking about but at the same time, he didn''t need her to say those words aloud. He wouldn''t be able to hear them. Yes, he was a coward.


    Santiago Vitello, the man people feared and respected, was a coward.


    He wanted to shout at her, beg her to not continue.


    But there was no stopping her. She wouldn''t calm down until she spit out all the toxic filled in her heart.


    "I was about to kill myself and the child in my womb because I have no memories, no means to protect him and me, and no fucking way to provide for both of us," She told him, blinking away the tears.


    At this proximity, he could see all those emotions swimming inside her eyes. And if he knew better, his face was not blank today. He couldn''t mask the heavy emotions emanating inside him.


    Fate was such a shocker.


    "What options was I left with?" She questioned him. "I had nothing! No one could help me at that time!"


    Santiago could imagine the helplessness that she might have felt at that time. Only if he was there¡­


    If he was there, so what?


    What could have changed?


    He would be him; the asshole, cruel and wicked man.


    What help would he have done for her?


    "Tell me, Villiam, if Cameron hadn''t come that time would I still be questioning you?!"


    Her question made him breathless, crumbled the last bit of his strength. He dared not imagine it.


    She would have¡­


    No. No. No. He couldn''t imagine a world with her gone.


    As asshole as he might be, he would never wish her death.


    If anyone deserved a bad ending, that was him; the villain.


    He understood today why Villains could never be adored like heroes. Why can''t they have endings like heroes?


    He by all means, doesn''t deserve anything less than hell.


    And his Percy hating him for all the shit he put her through was akin to loving hell.


    "If my father had succeeded today, would I still be here?!" This time she said this loudly.


    His eyes widened as he deciphered the meaning behind her words.


    Alessandro Marino¡­


    He couldn''t¡­


    He wouldn''t dare to¡­


    Shit¡­


    Today''s accident¡­


    As if understanding the meaning of horror on his face, she laughed, and he wasn''t sure who she was laughing at this time, her or him or perhaps it was aimed at Don Marino for the irony.


    "My father tried to kill me today," She said with another bout of laughter. " I know this time will come."


    She raised her hand and under the light, the diamond in her ring glistening like moonlight falling on a calm blue sea. He got this diamond added to her wedding ring because of her obsession with blue color.


    "From the time, you made me wear this ring. I know he will kill me and my child. He will never let me be a rock in his path!"


    The day they got married, she had told him while standing under a similar lightbulb with certainty flashing in those glistening green eyes that he had no idea what he had done.


    At that time, he didn''t take her words seriously.


    Maybe, he did.


    But he was afraid of reading the meaning behind her words.


    She was certain that Don Marino wanted her dead for the fact that she would be an obstacle in his dream of ruling over all the families of New York. And she wasn''t wrong. He indeed did what she had expected.


    How he didn''t see it coming?


    The accident today¡­


    It was aimed to take her life along with the innocent child.


    His child.


    He had yet not accepted the fact that he¡­


    Lord, he couldn''t even say in his heart.


    "What an irony he was going to kill the mother of your child for you!"


    And it hit him.


    They wanted to kill his wife and unborn child.


    Sudden rage clouded his vision, striving to take over his body that he knew would result in a killing spree if he allowed it.


    "Your child¡­" She said those words softly while looking at him as if she just realized it.


    And then she suddenly chuckled.. "I believe you are the father if you haven''t shared this slut with your men¡­"


    "Persephone!" Santiago raised his voice. He couldn''t bear to hear her belittling herself.


    How could she?


    Although she had nothing to trust him¡­


    Still even if she didn''t trust him but at least had trust in herself.


    A man tried to touch her and he was now dead¡­


    And all these words that she had been using for herself¡­ she ain''t deserve that.


    Seeing the horrified look on his face, she felt a little relief.


    However, she wouldn''t stop here.


    "Oh, you didn''t?" Persephone mocked herself. "I might not have been able to tempt your men. What a bad choice you had!"


    Tears blurred his vision. He could hear anymore. Her demeaning herself was more like cutting his heart into tiny tiny pieces. He had never been more ashamed, unhappy and unfortunate than this moment.


    He would do anything to have her stop saying all this shit.


    She shouldn''t be provided at this moment. This wasn''t good for her. She could lose the baby this way. This was not good.


    And so he begged her.


    "Stop it Persephone! Stop! Stop degrading yourself."


    But was she in her senses to listen to him?


    No, she wasn''t.


    Today, she would stop at nothing.


    "I''m just a mere woman not worthy of being saved. Let me say all these things about me."


    .....


    Please add the book to your collection if you haven''t yet!

 Chapter 167 - Not Worthy Of Being Saved

    "I''m just a mere woman not worthy of being saved. Let me say all these things about me."


    She wasn''t lying. She was telling the truth. Wasn''t she? She might not have been a good lay.


    She was crumbling. She couldn''t save herself. She was hurting and so she was hurting him too. Only hurt people hurt others. And this was what she was doing.


    She was breaking apart. There was no one to catch her. She had no one to lean on. Who would she rely on?


    Confusion was better than this clarity.


    This clarity was like an inconvenient feeling to her.


    She was craving for one more sweet lie or a safe illusion once again.


    Suddenly, her rage settled as sadness and helpless once again took over. She looked at him with a soft gaze as if she was about to plead to him.


    "I don''t think I will be able to survive, " She told him. She wasn''t saying that she would be able to defeat the monster who was no one else but her father.


    Although she hates Santiago for what he did to her, for lying and cheating her, still she wouldn''t call him the ultimate villain of his life.


    It was her father. The father who brought her to this end. He killed her mama. He liked Lucian. Now he was out to kill her and her unborn baby.


    He didn''t know what end Lucian and mama met. But she didn''t want to think the same about herself. Or once could say she didn''t dare to.


    She, like every other mother on the planet, would like to look forward to the future where her child would be living the best life with her.


    She didn''t want it to just end up as wishful thinking on her part.


    She wanted it to be true so badly.


    But who had seen the future?


    And who had ever defeated Don Marino?


    That monster wins. He always wins. And she didn''t like to believe this but she knows that he will win this time too.


    "Santiago Vitello, will you at least fulfill that one left wish?" She asked him hopefully. "Can you make sure I and my child are buried with the honor we deserve and not end up as a meal for stray dogs or scavengers."


    These words broke him, laid bare before her eyes. He fell on her feet as she felt liquid trickle down on her bare feet. She refused to believe it was what it was. How could Santiago Vittelo, the badass Villain capable of producing tears?


    He didn''t look up but she heard his broken voice all too clearly. For the first time in her life, a man was begging her while falling on her feet, but her fragile heart turned cold, refused to be moved.


    "I beg you don''t talk about death. Please calm down. You can hate me, beat me or kill me...but please calm down...if not for me for the child in your womb? Please, Persephone. Please."


    "I know there is nothing I can do to make you believe me but I vow to protect you and the many at the cost of my life. As long as I shall live, no danger dares to come near you. I will die protecting you both. You don''t have to believe me, Persephone. You don''t have to forgive me. You don''t have to do anything at all. I will protect you both. I will¡­"


    These were the last words Santiago and Persephone exchanged that day.


    That day broke and created something between them.


    It wouldn''t be wrong to say that the day changed them forever.


    They could never be the same.


    Heavens avenged Persephone by taking away the sole ambition of Santiago''s life. He was nothing but an empty and broken man. A man who would never be able to be whole again. What Lorenzo couldn''t broke inside him was broken by his own self!


    What a pity!!


    What a pity!


    A love so great and strong was lost. And no one else was the reason but them.


    A pity indeed.


    ¡­.


    Author Note:


    To say that this chapter while writing broke something inside me wouldn''t be an exaggeration. Persephone and Santiago had broken my heart in many ways that I have never thought was possible. This angst, sadness and utter helplessness is paralyzing me.


    Sometimes I wonder, a woman, who had never experienced love before, was capable of writing this story. Literally, this is a shocker for me too.


    I have been having complaints about how Santiago is a bad man and he ain''t deserve Persephone. He is a vicious man and how Persephone wasn''t equal in this story and how they shouldn''t be together...etc etc¡­


    I agree, Santiago Vitello, is not a good man. He is dubbed as a villain for a reason. I told you in the beginning that he is a man beyond redemption. He wouldn''t change himself for a woman so easily, especially his enemy''s daughter.


    We all have a soft spot for Persephone because she is our Heroine but for Santiago, in the beginning, she is nothing more than a stolen bride and Alessandro''s daughter.


    The deal they signed, they both were willing. P was not forced. She was attracted to him even before he put forward the contract.


    If Santiago was evil, Persephone was no goody goody baby. She did fare share of manipulations and stuff because it was necessary for survival.


    She was Attracted to him. She burned for him. She longed for him. So, please dear readers stop saying she suffered because that agreement.


    He played with his head and it was wrong but it was necessary for Persephone''s survival. Don Marino is cruel even to his children. So, would he leave the change of interrogating the hell outta his daughter to search for the man who dared to oppose him?!


    As for her suicidal thoughts and unexpected pregnancy, her pitiful condition and Santiago responsible for all of them¡­ he is not the only factor.


    Last but not least, curse the characters for crying out loud, not the author.


    Thank you!

 Chapter 168 - Give Us A Chance

    "Killian, are we finished?"Emma asked her husband. He had been bringing things to their new bedroom and she was arranging it.


    Today, they moved to a new house. It was located in a peaceful neighborhood. A one storey classic house with a front yard nothing like the house she spent the majority of her life in. It might not be as fancy as the house her father left her, but she felt an instant connection with this one more than she had felt with Costas'' residence.


    Killian surprised her by asking her if she would like to move to New York. It wasn''t like she wasn''t happy with their house in Vegas but now that her father was gone, she dared not move states especially when her mother was all alone here. It would have been fine if she had siblings but she was the only child of her parents and she believed that it was her responsibility to take care of them in their old age. Even if her mother would rather die than see her face, her mother''s words not hers, she would still care for them.


    And it was kind of Killian to ask for her advice before moving here.


    Her father had left her everything which was worth around five hundred million USD. Even if she does nothing but spend them recklessly, she still wouldn''t be able to spend this crazy amount of money.


    Her mother accused her of taking everything away from her that should have been given to her. Well, she could not understand where her mom was coming from. It can''t be like she was going to take every luxury from her mom and neither can she burn this crazy amount of money, right?


    "Em, have you seen my phone?" Killian came dragging two suitcases. This man had been working hard since this morning. And she a hopeless case in kitchen, couldn''t even make him breakfast and at last, he had to cook for both of them.


    The frowns on Emma''s forehead slimmed as she heard his nickname for her. Perhaps, he had not noticed he had started calling her Em instead of Emmalime or Emma.


    "Your phone was switched off. I put it on the charger for you,"Emma replied as she pointed to where his phone was placed.


    "Thanks," Killian answered as he quickly opened the suitcases and placed the folded clothes in their closet.


    Emma was now leaning against the door, her eyes stuck on a ridiculously charming man doing house work, with a silly smile tugging on her own gorgeous face. Killian Palmero was one hell of a beautiful man, in and out.


    "Killian?" She suddenly called out his name.


    "Hmm?" He replied, still doing his work.


    "Thank you," Emma voiced her feelings.


    "For what?" He still hadn''t looked back.


    "For giving me a home," She said with a soft voice, not trying at least to hide emotions brimming in her eyes in the form of tears.


    He might not know how badly she needed a home when he offered her one.


    Killian took a deep breath and glanced back. He found her teary eyes once again. It seemed his wife had a strange habit of crying for all little or big things.


    Fate was a really weird thing, wasn''t it? He, the man who rarely let emotions or feelings touch him, was married to this woman, who felt too much. Would it be really cliche to say that they balance each other?


    Standing up, he walked towards her. He stopped when he was only a few inches away from her. With the pad of his thumb, he wiped the tear that leaked out of the corner of her eye.


    "How many times have I told you that I don''t like seeing you cry?" He murmured.


    "I''m not crying," She refused as another tear drop fell from her eye.


    "Then what''s that, Amour?" Killian asked her as he caught another tear on the pad of his thumb.


    "I''m happy. Really happy. And they are tears of happiness," She argued.


    "You make it hard for me," Killian told her with a sigh. "I don''t know if I should make you happy or not if you keep crying like that."


    Emma cried-laughed at him. "You are right." Throwing all the restraint, she threw herself at him. He caught her with a deep chuckle.


    "Easy, Cara. You must not forget that before a gentleman, I, too am, a man," He told her with another chuckle. Still, he tightened his arms around her frail body.


    Although Emma''s face was a red shade resembling that of a tomato, still she dared not move from his hold. She wants to live right there. Would it be too early to say that she was looking forward to having a lifetime with him?


    "What''s your smart brain weaving?" Killian ended up asking.


    "Umm...how interesting it would be to have a lifetime with you?" Emma said her thoughts out loud. She decided not to be hesitant to demand for the things she wanted anymore. She had suffered a lot because she would always keep her feelings inside her. And now she would never keep her feelings inside her. As long as she shall love, she would ask for things and fight for them if she really needed them.


    "Em, you don''t need me now," Killian sighed out.


    Previously, she was desperate for a shelter when she met him in Vegas. However, she was more than self-sufficient now. She wouldn''t need him. Her father had left her enough wealth to last three generations.


    As much as it hurts to say but if she asked for divorce now, he wouldn''t be able to say no to her. She married him in desperation and she was fine now.


    "I know Killian we are not real husband and wife¡­."Emma knew that she had not fulfilled any duty a wife was supposed to. No wonder Killian didn''t want to continue their farce of a marriage anymore.


    "As much as I remember I took vows with you and since this marriage is very much real in my eyes," Killian told her. He was not the one to beat around the bush. So, he directly told her that their marriage was very much real in his own eyes.


    "This is not what I am saying," Emma began saying. She was nervous and fumbling with her fingers. "We lived as roommates in Vegas and I know you have expectations from your wife¡­."


    What man would live with a woman without having a thought of intimacy? It might have been acceptable if they were not husband and wife but since she was his wife, he must have some sort of expectations from her, right? She knew that she was thinking too much but still.


    They have been married for more than two months now and they were nothing but roommates who shared the same bed but no intimacy.


    "Stop, Em," Killian said with a sigh. He knew what was going on in her mind but instead of telling her his real thoughts there was nothing he could do. "That''s not what I was implying. I''m just saying you aren''t helpless now. You don''t need me anymore. You are self-sufficient now."


    She had money, a number of houses across the country to choose from, and several hundred of millions in her bank account. She didn''t need him as her financial support.


    She had a great future to look forward to whilst he was stuck in his past. His future was murky. Until he found Alicia, he would never be able to think about his future.


    "Killian, I do not want a divorce," Emma instantly said. She didn''t wish to give him a chance to mention separation. She didn''t want to be separated from him. In the last two months, this man had been her emotional pillar unknowingly.


    Would it be too much of her to ask for another chance to their relationship?


    "Can we give us a chance?" She asked him hesitatingly. Seeing how the colour drained from his face, she immediately added," If you still insist on divorce...we...we can think about it."


    "Em¡­"


    "I won''t force you, Killian."


    "Emma¡­"


    "You can think about --"


    "Emmaline!!"


    "...yeah?"


    With a softened gaze, he broke the hug and then looked at her. Her exceptionally soft brown eyes were staring at him in hesitation. He knew what she was thinking. She wanted to give their relationship a chance. A real change.


    And so did he. But not before clarifying everything. He didn''t want to start a relationship on the foundation of lies.


    If he and Emmaline were going to live as husband and wife for real, there must not be any secret or lie shivering around them, ready to shatter their home anytime.


    Like Santiago, he didn''t want to live in constant fear of getting his secrets known by Persephone.. He wanted w simple and peaceful life with this woman.

 Chapter 169 - Back For Revenge

    "I didn''t want a divorce either," said Killian. "I''m just saying that if we keep our mutual interest aside, that was the reason we got married in the first place, we can try."


    Did she hear him right?


    Mutual interests?


    What mutual interests was he talking about?


    "Mutual interest?" With furrowed brows, Emma questioned him, "Wasn''t I the one who was desperate?"


    They married in the first place because she convinced him to marry her as she really needed shelter and didn''t want to be under her family''s thumb anymore.


    It could be said she kind of forced him to marry her by giving such a silly excuse.


    So what mutual interests was he talking about?


    To think how she courageously married a man she didn''t know anything about still brings a smile to her face.


    Answering Emmaline''s question, Killian sighed out loud. "No, Em. I knew your identity the moment I saw you. That''s why I married you."


    There was no free lunch in this world. And neither were coincidences.


    Thinking of that day which was still clear in her mind vividly like it was yesterday, she understood why he agreed to marry her. He knew all along, who she was. Still, she couldn''t bring herself to think of him as a bad guy. He gave her everything that a man would give for his wife without any expectations.


    She wouldn''t call Killian Palmero a saint but he wasn''t a devil either.


    He was just a human.


    "What do you mean?" She still asked him. However, her gaze didn''t seem hostile, just curious.


    "I met you a long time ago," Killian informed her. The first time, they had met, they were still kids. He was Lucca Palermo''s son and she was Richard Costas'' daughter. Their fathers were accomplices that day.


    "We met when I was still engaged to Salvatore?" Emma questioned him. She and Salvatore had been engaged for around a decade.


    Could it be he met her then and fell for her but since she was engaged to another man, he didn''t approach her? Her thinking was going way too wild. But she couldn''t help but wonder why he treated her so well.


    But there was nothing lovable about her then.


    She was nothing but an obsessed bitch.


    "No," Killian shook his head in reply. "You were engaged to Lucian then."


    To say Emma was shocked would be an understatement. The name ''Lucian'' was her biggest weakness. And Killian knew about this. How?


    Suddenly, she feared their future. She didn''t want to part from him. But she didn''t want to turn into an obsessive bitch once again.


    "How¡­?" She didn''t have in her to ask her all those questions.


    Killian didn''t know what the name *Lucian* would have this exaggerated effect on her. If he had known¡­ Then again, they couldn''t afford to let this matter slide. It''s better to clear the misunderstandings on time or else they would become something so toxic that could destroy any healthy relationship. And he didn''t want this for a relationship that had yet to start.


    So, he gently held her hand and made her sit on the edge of the bed. He sat on the warm floor, his hands warming her cold ones.


    "Remember Luca Palmero?" He softly asked her.


    Emmaline''s wide eyes looked into soft chocolate ones. How could she not know Luca Palmero?


    How could she not? That man was the factor that Lucian was killed.


    "I''m his son. Killian Palmero."


    Emma felt as if she couldn''t breathe. Killian was from the Palermo family that her family destroyed. He was back for revenge?


    No. She didn''t want to think about it. She didn''t want to leave him. Why couldn''t she just spend her life with a person she finally began to trust? Was she cursed? Or this was what retribution was called?


    "Em, stop overthinking," Killian sighed out.


    "How¡­?" Once again a word left her mouth.


    "How am I alive?" Killian asked the question for her.


    "I don''t know either?" He replied with similar confusion. "I just know that I am."


    "You are back for revenge," She concluded on her own.


    The man she married was that Killian Palmero.


    Could it be more messed up?


    Killian laughed while shaking his head. He knew what she might be thinking in her mind. He raised his hand to stroke her silky golden hair that he seemed to love so much. "Silly girl, if revenge is the only fire that kept me going, I would have died a long time ago." Seeing the look of uncertainty flashing in her eyes, he explained, "My father was a monster, a bastard who never deserved the family. My mother was a kind woman who chose that man and this life for her and us too."


    By us, he meant him and his sister.


    "I have no desire for the notion of revenge. You might not know but Em, I saw someone very close to me burn his soul for revenge. He worked all day and night, not stopping. Just for revenge. He even threw away the only thing ever wanted in his life. For what! Revenge!"


    Emma didn''t know who Killian was talking about. But whoever he was, he might have left a huge scar on Killian''s mind.


    "I am not back for revenge," He said in a soft whisper. "I''m just back for the sister that I lost."


    ...


    Killian and Emma talked for a long time. He told her about his life in his country and about the brothers he found and lost. What he does for a living and what kind of life he has been leading back in all those years.


    All she could say was that he really cared for the three men he talked about. Although he didn''t tell many things but whatever he did, they were deep enough to leave an impression on her.


    "Emma, can you tell me something about Lucian that will help me look for Alicia?" Killian asked her after a while.


    Lucian and Alicia. What could be the connection between those two? Why did Lucian give away his life to protect a girl who was nothing to him?


    Emma was put in thought. As much as she knew, Lucian never had any interaction with Alicia Palmero. It wasn''t like she knew that girl too well. But Alicia was quite younger than her, which makes her, even more, younger than Lucian.


    Lucian was In his late teens when he died and Alicia was merely a child, not more than seven years old back then. It made no sense that he would save that girl when he had no interaction with her at all.


    What''s more! That girl was still nowhere to be found. And she knew this because Don Marino was still looking for her, for some indescribable reasons.


    "Have you ever met Lucian, Killian?" Emma asked him.


    The majority of the people didn''t even know what the infamous Lucian Marino looked like. He was so isolated from the real world that he would spend months cooped up inside his wing in Marino Residence. He never attends any parties or events organized by Don Marino. Some said Penelope had pampered him a way too much. And some say Don Marino listened to him too much, which makes Lucian, the golden boy, arrogant and superior.


    But she knew better. After all, she had been betrothed to him as soon as she was born. Penelope was like a second mom to her.


    After Penelope''s death, Lucian grew way more reclusive. It was impossible for him to meet little Alicia that time.


    Killian replied with a shake of the head. "I have never met him. I don''t even know what he even looks like."


    "Have you seen Alessandro Marino''s father?" Emma questioned him.


    "I have. Well, not face to face but in pictures. I have seen him." Killian didn''t know where she was going with her questions but he tried to answer as much as he could. If these questions could take him anywhere, he would be glad to answer them.


    "Lucian looks exactly like him," Emma informed her. "Emerald green eyes, dark hair and a tall and lanky build. He looks nothing like Alessandro." She paused before adding something, "None of Alessandro''s children except for Persephone. She took after his father, except for those eyes." As something clicked inside her mind, she added further. " Even Salvatore is a carbon copy of his grandfather. If Lucian was alive, Salvatore would have safely been dubbed as his identical twin."


    Since it had been many years since Lucian died and no one really saw him developing into a fine young man, they might not know that Salvatore and Lucian looked almost identical. But Emma, who was close to both Marino brothers, knew better.


    Even Carina or Alessandro didn''t know Lucian and Salvatore as much as she did.


    But one thing Emmaline could say was that Salvatore Marino wasn''t what he seemed like. That man is hiding himself beneath multiple masks.


    And even the great Don Marino is not capable of seeing through this prodigal son of his.

 Chapter 170 - Truth About Salvatore Marino

    "I have never really studied Salvatore Marino," Killian told her.


    He had details on all the people associated with the Marino family. He believed that he knew secrets about Marino''s that not even every family member of the same family was aware of. However, still, he had never tried to study much into Salvatore Marino for he had nothing special to look at him twice.


    Despite Salvatore''s good looks, there was nothing to know about him. He wasn''t special at all. However, he couldn''t do the same for Persephone.


    Persephone Marino, as weak as she might appear, was as lethal as her father. Both share the same wicked mind but she lacks the motivation to use it, unlike her father.


    Emma smiled at him while shaking her head. He could read the thoughts running in his head on his face. Sometimes, it was too easy to read through Killian Marino.


    "Why are you smiling?" He asked her. Moments ago, this woman was crying in his embrace and now she was suddenly smiling and shaking her head at him like a fool.


    "This is the mistake everyone makes," Emma sighed out.


    There are a variety of people. Some like to show emotions and thoughts on their face. Some hide their true self beneath their skin. However, there is another kind of people-- they appear so harmless and ridiculous to others that no one would ever think that these people are the most fatal ones. And Salvatore Marino belonged to this category.


    "What do you mean?" Killian couldn''t help but ask her. He knew that she knew something but wasn''t clearly telling him. Perhaps, she was just simplifying the matters for him.


    "Killian, do you know I can practically be called a reason why you are in the place you are today?" questioned Emma. She still blamed her for what happened with the Palmero family back then. She paused and then looked at him with those eyes once again, and whispered, "If I had not been so obsessed with Sal and hadn''t done what ultimately caused the death of your family ---"


    "Stop it, Emma," Killian said as he put a finger on her soft lips. He couldn''t bear her blaming her for something she had no part in. Not even a but. So, he continued in a very gentle voice," You might not know but your father and my father were in preparation to stab Marino''s back. However, before they could succeed, Lucian accidentally found this out. In order to protect himself, your father stabbed my old man''s back. That''s it."


    "If I hadn''t been so obsessed with Sal back then¡­"Emma''s clock was still stuck in the same place.


    Killian didn''t let her complete her words and pulled her in his lap. Wrapping his arms around her delicate waist, he placed his head in the crook of her neck and said," Em, you and that pretty Salvatore Marino aren''t capable of killing anyone much less than that wicked father of mine."


    "Kill, you are making the same mistake like everyone else once again," Emma spoke once again. He wasn''t gonna believe her soon. But she had no evidence to support her claim as her thoughts were based on her intuition mainly. So, she began asking him basic questions. " Let me ask you a question: what will be the first impression of anyone who sees Salvatore Marino?"


    "An empty head, arrogant, talentless prince."Killian was merciless in his reply. He didn''t even think before replying to her. The answer was already formed in his head.


    Emma smiled. "Exactly. But let me tell you he is anything but the words you used to describe him."


    "What do you want to say?" Killian was tired of this guessing game. He was also tired of hearing her praise that Salvatore Marino. To be honest, he didn''t like her talking about that man at all. And Emma could understand it by the way his hold tightened on her.


    "He and I are the same age," Emma began saying with a nostalgic smile. "Did you know he could solve chemistry Olympiad questions when we were in middle school?" Yes, Salvatore Marino was a genius that was found once in a century. "Yes, Chemistry Olympiad questions. Not just chemistry but mathematics too. I saw him solving all those papers with my own eyes. The first time I saw him, I was dumbstruck."


    She raised for a minute to see the same expression that she was expecting to see on her dear husband''s face. She continued, No one knows about this. When I say no one. It means no one except for me of course. Obviously, except for me. You know I wouldn''t have known about it too, but Emmaline Costas of that time was an obsessive bitch. She used to stalk him every time. She knew everything about him. Even a tiny detail."


    "Why are you talking about yourself in the third person?" Killian couldn''t help but ask him.


    "Because I am not that person anymore," Emma smiled at him brightly. " And I don''t want to be her anymore."


    "Then what happened?" Killian asked her.


    "Finally got intrigued by the Salvatore Marino I know about?" Emma grinned at her.


    Seeing his pursed lips, she continued, " Everyone thinks that Lucian hated Sal for being the Bastard but no one knows how he used to protect his little brother. He never called her ''bastard''. And Salvatore used to adore and respect his big bro a lot. He used to run behind him, using every scheme and method to make his big brother notice him. Lucian was notorious for ignoring people."


    "No one else than Penelope could see through him," Emma chuckled. "However, he used to adore Persephone a lot. She was his little treasure."


    Coming back to Salvatore, she said, "Lucian protected him in his own way. It was like he knew something that no one does. And surprisingly...well for me¡­ Lucian never paid any attention to Salvatore when anyone was present. He pretended as if he could barely endure Sophia too. But he loved that doll too."


    She dropped the bomb now as she said, "Do you know Don Marino had to buy a high school degree for Salvatore Marino because he was unable to pass high school."

 Chapter 171 - Connection Between The Two Of Them

    Seeing Killian''s widened eyes, she let out a chuckle. Caressing his jaw, she said, "Surprising, isn''t it? How could a boy who could solve chemistry olympiad questions at eleven and solve mathematics problems just in mind, can fail high school?"


    Killian had no way to answer her question. He was shocked and confused beyond words. He didn''t know what to say. Could it be that what Emma was trying to tell him was correct? No, he didn''t think she would lie to him. But still...how could his research be wrong?


    "No one could disguise better than him," Emma further told him. "He makes you think about what he wants you to."


    "Then why did you run away from the marriage if he was so amazing as you make him sound?" Killian asked him. If Salvatore Marino was so great as Emma was telling him, then why did she leave him at the altar?


    He didn''t know why but a sliver of jealousy ran down his spine, making him lose control. He never thought before that Salvatore Marino stood a chance against him but now¡­ he wasn''t so sure.


    "Because¡­" Emma paused before forming words to say. "He had been signalling to me for years now to let go of this relationship. He didn''t want to marry me from the start. This push and pull game was not worth my patience and time. I think I deserve better."


    "Then why did he not break the marriage?" Killian questioned him.


    If he didn''t want to marry this woman in the first place, then why did he keep her hanging?


    "Because he wanted to show everyone that he is still the king of vanity," Emma replied him with a sad smile. "He wanted to show everyone how he was going to marry will marry the leftover fiance of his dead brother. He wanted to be called, snobbish, arrogant, petty and narrow-minded."


    "You are making me dizzy¡­" Killian wrapped his arms around her body with a tight grip now.


    Emma chuckled mirthlessly, "Well, he makes me dizzy too. Especially when he was obsessed with a girl so much to let her go. And then I came to know that he married Belle. Shocking isn''t it?"


    "Obsessed with a girl?" Killian asked with curious intent.


    What kind of girl was capable enough of getting hooked on a single girl?


    Wasn''t that man a notorious womaniser?


    Or maybe, he just wanted to be called a womanizer only?


    How many layers were Salvatore Marino hiding beneath his disgusting exterior?


    "He says it was a hate relationship. But I beg to differ," Emma said with a scoff.


    "How do you know?" Killian inquired.


    He knew that his wife was not some goody two shoes. She had her fair share of being a scheming woman but he still couldn''t believe that she could be evil. No matter how stalkerish she might ne, she still was Emmaline-- the girl with a heart of gold.


    Salvatore Marino threw one hell of a magnificent woman in his path and there was no way he was going to let him take her back. No way in hell.


    "Because I might have had a catfight with a girl several years younger than me on a university campus," Emma confessed with a sheepish smile.


    "You are kidding," Killian refused to accept. His prim and proper wife to engage in a catfight with a girl on a university campus? He couldn''t even imagine it.


    "I''m not," She tried to convince him. "Even saying that fight as a catfight was an understatement. He clawed my face and it took several weeks for me to heal. The girl grew up on the streets, Killian. I was no match for her but I still did a pretty good job. I cut her hair with small scissors that fell from her bag! Damn! I don''t even wanna think about that incident. It still makes me embarrassed."


    "I can''t believe my Em chopped a younger girl''s hair," Killian said in shock. He didn''t know she had an evil side too.


    "Killian, you don''t know the intensity of obsession I had with a boy named Salvatore Marino back then," Emma said. "When Don Marino punished him because he was fed up with his son''s laid back attitude and sent him to university to get a college degree and that too in Las Vegas. Miles and miles away from New York, I was restless."


    "How could I live without him here? I spent a month cooling my heart that he is my fiance and I don''t need to be so controlling but I still end up getting on a flight to meet him. When I reached his University, I got to know that he and a girl, much younger than him were each other''s, arch enemy."


    "Yes, arch enemies not lovers," Emma emphasised on the words. "But that time I felt like I was losing him. Salvatore Marino never gives his time of the day to just anybody. And suddenly, a girl out of nowhere appears and gets under his skin. I couldn''t bear it. But that fight on the campus put me on the ban and I was prohibited to meet him until he comes back. He spent like two years there and I tried to make her disappear from his life but every time, the outcome was more embarrassing than ever."


    "Perhaps, they were just arch enemies and you were just thinking too much that time," Killian reasoned with her.


    "You can be right," Emma agreed with him.


    "You said salvatore was in university in Vegas?" Killian questioned as he remembered something else.


    Emma nodded.


    "I think you can help me here." Killian had a hopeful smile on his face.


    "What do you mean?"


    "Alicia too went to the same university but then she dropped in the middle of a semester. Some say she got married and some said that she moved states. I have been at that university as a professor but still, I can''t get any useful information."


    Killian wasn''t able to find any substantial details there.


    "I think I have a way to help you," Emma said.. She just knew a way to help him.

 Chapter 172 - Leaving The Guilt Behind

    Four days later, Santiago was woken up by the knocking on his door. Rubbing his eyes, he pulled his quilt to get out of the bed but just as he pulled the quilt off his body, his gaze fell on a folded document placed near his pillow. He hadn''t put these documents here. And nobody came to his room either.


    Then, who could have put these papers here?


    And what sort of documents were these?


    Suddenly he had a very bad premonition. Last night, Persephone came to see him. He thought she was finally there to talk to him. She hadn''t talked to anyone since that day. Neither had she come out of her room. And when she knocked on his door, he felt a rush of happiness entering his heart but who would have thought that she wouldn''t say more than a sentence?


    ''Where are my rings, Santiago?''


    He had not given her those rings back. Back then, when he sent her back, he was unwilling to give her those rings back. That time he didn''t know that the bitterness he felt seeing those rings was jealousy, but now he clearly does. But since he couldn''t hurt her more than he already did, he gave her back those rings. He still had those rings with him.


    She took back the rings and didn''t say anything and left the room without turning back.


    Now looking at the folded paper, he sighed deeply to muster up the courage to read the content without breaking down.


    As he unfolded those documents, the content of the agreement didn''t surprise him.


    It was a divorce agreement. There were many clauses and sub-clauses but to summarize it could be said -- They would divorce on good terms and the custody of the child would be given to her. He could meet his child whenever he wished to as long as he did not negatively influence their child.


    He smiled bitterly while looking at the ceiling.


    At least, she didn''t three him out of her life. She was willing to give him a chance to be a father. This was enough to tell him that despite her hardness for him, he wouldn''t be just a stranger in their child''s life.


    Life was really weird. It surprises you when you least expect him. Just a few months ago, he was basking in the joy of finally defeating his enemy and now¡­ he was willing to forget everything just to make a woman happy.


    Taking out a pen from the drawer, he signed his name in pretty yet glaring blue ink on the paper.


    Just as he was about to place the pen and document back in the drawer, he heard knocking on his door again.


    "Mr V?!"


    It was Emmanuel''s anxious voice calling for him.


    "What''s wrong, Emmanuel?" Santiago asked in an eerily calm voice.


    "Miss Persephone. I couldn''t find her," came the reply.


    "What do you mean?!" Santiago asked him as soon as he left the room.


    "Miss Persephone is not in the house. I couldn''t find her anywhere," Emmanuel said. He had been on pins and needles since that day. He had been personally taking care of her. Her diet, medicines and everything was mostly supervised by him on Santiago''s offer. Romeo, on the other hand, was responsible for the kitchen alone.


    After checking the CCTV camera, they found that Persephone left the house early this morning. They called Valencia, Sophia, Carina and even Salvatore toa so if Persephone came there but none of them had my idea.


    On the other side, Persephone was standing outside an apartment in a shady building, speculating if she should ring the bell or not. As she raised her hand to press the bell, the door opened from inside and a very young woman came out.


    "Who do you want to see?" The young woman asked her in annoyance.


    "I...I¡­"Although Persephone had been waiting for this day for months, she still couldn''t muster up the courage to say a word now. She had never been so cowardly before.


    "Look, I know that you have been standing outside the door for fifteen minutes now. Perhaps, to contemplate whether to come in or not. But I''m already late for my shift, I can''t welcome you now," The woman was quite blunt with her words.


    Only now Persephone saw that the woman was dressed up in T-shirt and jeans, a sling bag hanging on her shoulder. She was about to lock the door as she was on her way to go out.


    "Wait!" Persephone finally said.


    The young woman finally stopped in her footsteps. But she didn''t look back as if waiting for Persephone to speak further. "I''m here to see Leena Max. I used to know Joe Max," she only turned her head to look at a stammering Persephone standing behind her.


    "Come inside," These were the words the young woman said as she unlocked the door and went inside. She offered Persephone water.


    "How do you know my brother?" Leena Max asked the redhead. She had seen many beautiful women in her life but had never seen one like her. She wasn''t a devastating beauty but there was something that made one not look away from her face.


    Persephone opened her handbag and took out a ring to give it to Leena. "This belongs to him."


    Leena took the ring from Persephone''s arms with trembling hands and teary eyes. "How did you find this?"


    "He said he was going to propose to his girlfriend," Persephone said with a sad smile. This ring had been worn by her for a long time now. It was time to give it back to someone who deserved it. Joe wasn''t her boyfriend or man as her family thought of him. He was just a stranger. A beautiful stranger who brought a smile to her face when she needed it the most. She wasn''t going to meet him or remember him after that night but somehow he ended up becoming an unforgettable memory to her. He was killed before her eyes. He was innocent but her papa didn''t think so. Apparently, no man who dared to come close to her was innocent.


    Leena sadly smiled at the woman sitting on her tattered sofa. "She got engaged just three days after my brother''s funeral. As evil as he might be to the rest of the world, he was faithful to her. Perhaps, this was karma."


    "Why are you saying that?" Persephone didn''t understand her.


    "He was working for some bad people," Leena whispered. "I have always known it. I wanted him to quit and he agreed to. But that day, we were finally going to move away from this dirty life here, he died. He told me that once he marries his girlfriend, he will leave all behind and we will move states."


    Persephone could more or less understand now. But Leena didn''t know that it was her family that got poor Joe killed, not the people he was working for. She remembered Joe telling her that he was a free man now, capable of loving and getting loved.


    "I''m sorry for your loss, Leena," Persephone whispered. "I wish I could bring him back. If --"


    Leena didn''t let her complete her sentence. "I don''t want to talk about my brother anymore. But I want to thank you for bringing this ring back. It was the only thing my parents left behind. You don''t know how much it means to me."


    Persephone just smiled. She had no other words to say to this woman. She got up as she knew that Leena was getting late for her morning shift.


    The neighbourhood Leena lived in was not very safe but this was what she could afford right now.


    "What do you do?" Persephone asked Leena. She didn''t know where she was going. She wanted fresh air but didn''t want to be alone anymore. So, she was walking beside her.


    "I work in a restaurant," Leena told her. She turned to look at the beautiful redhead walking beside her and smiled at her brightly as if no grief could touch her. "I dropped from culinary school this semester. I hope to own a restaurant one day."


    "That''s great," Persephone found herself returning her smile.


    They walked further but didn''t speak anymore. At the end of the street, Persephone stopped and called out a name, "Leena!"


    Leena, who was now walking ahead of her, paused in her steps and looked back to see the redhead glancing at her with eyes full of indescribable emotions. "Joe was supposed to be a stranger who one night made me laugh and smile at the silliness of life. I didn''t want him to end up as one of my unforgettable memories. I had forgotten many events of my life but the night I met him wasn''t easy to suppress. I wish it was because of another reason but guilt. " She paused for a moment and then wiped the tear that leaked from the corner of her eye and continued, "I don''t know if what my family did is forgivable or not but I want this episode to end here." She pulled something from her hand and gave it to Leena who was still looking at her in a daze. "Live life, Leena. Fly higher. Your brother must be very proud of you. Fulfil all your dreams."


    Leena saw the redhead''s fragile figure disappearing from her eyes. Only when the woman was lost in the crowd of people, did she saw what she shoved into her hand.


    An envelope containing a cheque and a letter.

 Chapter 173 - Emy Got Kidnapped

    Persephone was sitting on a bench in a park while looking at several kids playing before her eyes. After meeting Leena, she didn''t want to go home just yet not bothering to think about the stress and worry she might have caused back at home.


    Right now, she didn''t know if Santiago had signed the divorce papers or not but she was hoping that he did, even when a voice inside her heart was telling her not to do it.


    Perhaps, it was physical exhaustion or a mental one but as warm sun rays fell on her face, her eyelids dropped.


    In her dreams, she saw a very happy girl dancing with a man in the middle of the night on the shore of an ocean.


    She heard herself asking the dancing question, "Why are you so happy?"


    The girl dressed in a man''s white shirt, barefoot with long wavy dark hair didn''t pause in her movement. But she did laugh at her.


    "Why won''t I be happy? Look at me, dancing with him."


    She didn''t understand the reason for the girl''s enthusiasm. "Is dancing fun? I can''t believe a simple dance can make anyone so happy."


    The girl didn''t mind her doubtful gaze. Instead, she softly replied, "It''s not the dance that''s making me happy. It''s the promise that he will dance with me all the nights we would be together. Tell me, how can his promise not make me happy?"


    "Who is he to you?" Persephone asked the petite woman in her dreams. "Is he your lover?"


    She didn''t know why but she wanted to know the answer to this question. It was as if it was too necessary for her.


    The girl''s eyes softened as her gaze fell on the man who was holding her back and murmured, "He is my life."


    Before Persephone could ask any more questions, she woke up. She didn''t know what was the meaning of this weird dream but she found her heart hurting for some reason. There was an emptiness accompanying the pain in her heart.


    Thinking that it was almost noon, she thought of going back but just as she stood up, her eyes fell on a little figure playing a little far from her.


    ''Isn''t it Emy?'' She asked herself.


    The little girl dressed in a white fur coat, black leggings and another white fur cap placed on her head, was actually Emy who had come to the park to play with her nanny. Ellison was sick and to not infect her baby girl, she had been distancing herself from her daughter. It was very difficult for Emy to maintain distance from her mother and so she had been extremely cranky these days. To make her delighted once again, Ellison sent her to play out with her nanny and a bodyguard.


    Apparently, the security around Emy was, even more, stricter than Ellison''s. One might think that she was a daughter of a very rich father and it wasn''t wrong either.


    "Emy!" Persephone excitedly called her name. She had been feeling low after that dream. She loved kids like Emy and Santiago. And she was really excited to meet this furry doll.


    However, much to her disappointment, Emy didn''t hear her. Persephone walked faster to reach the girl but before she could reach her, she saw a man who didn''t resemble Ellison''s bodyguard at all talking and laughing with the nanny. The nanny teased him by smacking his butt but he just shook his head at her as if saying it wasn''t the right place or time and picked up the girl who was looking at the stranger in confusion.


    As much as Persephone understood Ellison, she was very strict with her employees. She would never tolerate such unprofessional behaviour from her employees.


    "Emy!" Persephone once again called the toddler''s name. Now, she just wanted to reach her.


    This time, Emy heard her. She cried when she saw her mommy''s friend calling her name.


    The nanny looked back too following Emy''s gaze and found Persephone walking to reach them. She patted the man''s shoulder and asked him to run. She recognized Persephone as the same woman who came with that big and scary man that night and spoiled her plan of stealing the kid.


    Persephone understood only now that something was not right with this nanny. So, she began running after them but thinking about the child in her belly, she slowed down a bit, clutched her belly in her hands and then started walking faster.


    "Emy!"


    "Hey! You both stop!"


    Seeing that no one was coming forward to help her, she increased her speed. The man and nanny were


    not running to avoid the suspicion. They both pretended as if Persephone was a nuisance following them. And surprisingly, people believed them. They thought she was out to trouble the family of three.


    Only when they exited the park, they increase their speed a bit and showed some panicky behaviour.


    "Stop both of you!"


    "Where are you taking the kid!"


    "Emy!"


    Unfortunately, Persephone didn''t have her phone with her and the street was empty and no one was there to help her. She was sweating badly, her legs were wobbly and her feet numb. She was, after all, a fragile pregnant woman. Running after a kidnapper was no easy feat.


    Seeing that the street was about to end, she ran after them but the couple was more sneaky than her. The nanny disappeared into another street and the man carrying Emy was now running faster.


    "Please help me!" Persephone shouted as a busy crowded street came.


    "The man is kidnapping the child!"


    "Please help!"


    A man, who was buying coffee for his wife, happened to hear a very familiar voice.


    When Killian looked back, he saw Persephone running after a man, clutching her stomach with her hands, shouting for help. While looking at her, it could be said that she could faint anytime. This was how bad her condition looked to him.


    He slapped some dollar bills on the counter and unconsciously ran to help her. He caught her by her shoulder and asked in concern, "Are you alright?"


    He didn''t realize that in hurry he forgot to switch to English. Thankfully, Persephone could reply to him back in Sicilian. "That man. Please stop him. He is stealing Emy." She shouted at the crying toddler " "Emy! Don''t cry! Baby, Aunt is here!"


    "Em, take care of her," Killian yelled as he saw Emma coming towards him in confusion. He ran after the man. Although the man was proficient in stealing kids, this time, he was caught and beaten by another man.


    Emma hadn''t thought that one day she would see Persephone in such a bad situation, running after a man in a half-unconscious situation.


    "Percy, are you alright?" Emma shouted in helplessness as she saw the latter had her eyes closed.


    "E-Emma, save the girl¡­"


    "Don''t worry. Killian will keep her safe. Trust him."


    Killian saved the crying girl from the kidnapper and embraced her safely in his arms. A few passersby who now had an idea of what was happening here began to beat the kidnapper but unfortunately, he succeeded in running away from there.


    When he was running for his life, a gold locket that was stuck on his jacket fell down. It was the same Locket that Persephone had been looking for in Lucian''s wing. The locket didn''t belong to the kidnapper but Emy.


    Killian''s eye fell on the locket that had just fallen down and he took it from the ground and put it in his pocket. He would give it back to the girl''s parents.


    He had bigger problems to deal with now than to put back the locket to where it belonged. And it was how to make this toddler stop crying. She was crying with no will to stop.


    Killian, who had never dealt with the kids before, was put in a dilemma when the toddler in his arms was almost breathless from all the crying.


    In a helpless state, he wiped her tears with his big callous hands. "Hush! Cara! Hush! Uncle will buy you chocolate! Hush!"


    When nothing worked, this sentence worked like magic on the girl.


    "Chocwate?" Emy seemed to hear her favourite word. Her big and innocent glassy eyes looked at him in anticipation and once again asked, "Chocwate?"


    Killian didn''t know that a kid could have such beautiful eyes which no less resemble a ball of chocolate. "Yes," He nodded his head at her and the girl gave her a toothy grin.


    An arrow shot his heart as the girl grinned at him and he found his lips forming into an arc.


    Emy clapped her chubby hands in excitement. "Emwy wawnts Chocwate now!"


    Her white fur hat was making her appear even more gorgeous. And that big grin adorning her delicate face was enough of melting any heart.. As if her lethal attack was less effective, she even gave Killian a wet kiss on his cheek.

 Chapter 174 - The Next Door

    Killian had a sudden and crazy urge to ask Emma to have a child of their own. He knew he was being crazy but this child was making him feel all those emotions he had never before.


    Seeing where his thoughts were flowing, he bit his tongue and came back to reality.


    "Emwy chocwate now!" She was urging Killian not to go back on his words. She knew if she stopped her cuteness act, this man would not buy her chocolates. And how could she bear that?


    Killian, who was lost in this bundle of cuteness, forgot that once upon a time there was another cutest girl who would act similarly to this toddler to get chocolates. She too was a big fan of chocolates and sweets.


    Perhaps, his conscious was remembering that girl from his childhood when he was looking at Emy without his knowing. And so, he brought her every single thing she pointed her finger on. Seeing that million dollars worth smile blooming on the kid''s face was everything he had never desired for.


    It wasn''t until Emy asked him about his mom he was reminded of Persephone who was on the verge of fainting. This, he went back to where left her with his wife.


    "Killian, she doesn''t look good,"Emma told him as soon as she saw him. Her eyes were filled with concern for the woman who once was about to become her sister-in-law.


    Of course, Killian couldn''t leave her alone here in this condition. She was Villain''s wife after all. It didn''t matter at this moment if they were on speaking terms or not. It was an unspeakable code to always help their brother''s family. Although Killian didn''t like anyone from the Marino family, he couldn''t leave her here in this condition as in his heart she was now Santiago''s wife, Alessandro''s daughter later.


    Although Persephone was conscious now, still she was aware that wouldn''t be for long. Now she regretted that she should have at least told Emmanuel or Romeo that she was going out. Or perhaps her about to be ex-husband too.


    "Percy, are you okay?!" Emma asked as she saw her eyelids moving.


    "In fine. Save Emy. Please." Persephone was still asking them to save Emy. She didn''t care about her health before running to protect the little girl.


    "She is fine. Killian found her," Emma told her instantly. "Look at her, she is in front of you."


    Persephone opened her eyes and saw a blurry figure of Emy in Killian''s arms. As if she could finally sigh in relief after seeing Emy safe, she fell unconscious.


    "Killian, let''s take her home," Emma said to her husband. She took Emy from Killian''s arms and gestured to him to pick Persephone.


    "She is pregnant. Be careful," Emma quickly said.


    "How do you know?" Killian asked with wide eyes.


    "She told me."


    No wonder that bastard looked miserable. A wicked smile tugged on his lips as he picked Persephone in his arms.


    And this was how Persephone and Emy ended up at Killian''s place.


    ¡­.


    At Santiago''s place, he was going berserk with each passing second. He searched everywhere Persephone could go, but he couldn''t find his wife at all. He didn''t want to think the worst of this situation yet he couldn''t stop it.


    She already placed divorce papers beside him. Could it be that she decided to leave this place?


    Or did Don Marino send people to hurt him?


    No, her father wouldn''t try to hurt her since his last attack went futile. He would at least wait for sometimes not to raise suspicion.


    Then, could it be that she left him forever?


    Didn''t he think of letting her live her life under her conditions? Then, why was he hurting now?


    What should he do now?


    He couldn''t imagine not seeing her beautiful again and not visualizing in his mind what his child that was growing in her belly might look like once he/she comes to this world?


    He had done anything wrong and he deserved punishment for all of them. Yet, he prayed God not to punish him by not allowing him to see the faces of two people he was craving the most.


    Currently, Valencia, who was pacing back and forth in his living room was thundering at him for being careless. She had been under a lot of stress for several days and she couldn''t handle one more.


    Seeing Santiago in worry, she couldn''t help but think what might have happened between him and Persephone.


    "Where has she gone to?" Valencia asked him.


    She had her suspicion regarding this man. And once Persephone came back, she was going to clear all of them. And if they were proved right, she was going to beat the hell of this man with her son''s baseball bat.


    "I don''t know, Cia," Santiago sighed. He didn''t notice how he unconsciously used the nickname that only he was allowed to call her. "I woke up and found her gone."


    Something passed in Valencia''s eyes but she suppressed the urge to begin the question round here and then


    "Moreover, weren''t you at the hospital taking care of your friend!" She heard him asking.


    "Santiago Vitello, I''m not going back until my friend comes here. Remember, if you hurt her, I will not spare you."


    It wasn''t only Valencia who had rushed to his house after the sudden disappearance of Persephone but Salvatore, too, went out to look for his sister. When he didn''t find her anywhere, he returned to Santiago''s home.


    He hadn''t expected that Santiago Vitello would allow Valencia, Persephone''s friend to threaten him just like that. He had expected the former to growl. What else he hadn''t expected was Santiago''s concern for Persephone even after knowing that she was pregnant. This didn''t sit well with him. There must be an angle he was missing. And he intended to find it soon.


    He was about to say something but his chiming phone stopped him. After taking the call, he heard a piece of news that shook his whole world.


    "What did you just say? Repeat it!"


    "I will not spare any of you if even a single strand of her hair is hurt! Get ready to die at my hands!"


    He was so angry and worried that he believed if those useless men of his were here, they would be dead by now.


    Just as Salvatore disconnected the phone, Santiago''s phone rang. Seeing the caller, he picked the call through gritted d teeth, "What the fuck you want, Kill?!!"


    In anger, he forgot that Valencia and Salvatore were still in the room.


    Killian chuckled from the other side. "I thought you would be happy if you received news about a certain Marino Princess but it seems¡­"


    "What did you say?" Santiago paused for a moment. It wasn''t an auditory illusion, right?


    "Your wife is with me, "He decided to cut to the chase."Btw congratulations. Who knew you¡­"


    "Stop with nonsense," Santiago didn''t allow him to complete his sentence. He fired another question. "Tell me where she is?".


    "My home," Killian smiled.


    "Give me the fucking address, Killian" It seemed Santiago had forgotten all his manners. But who would mind manners at this time?


    "Without paying?!" How could Killian let this transaction go unilaterally? He must get something in return for Persephone Marino at least this time?


    "What do you need?" Santiago was merely controlling himself. He was just a second away from beating the hell out of Killian. Only if he was in front of him.


    "Get me Nash address." Killian had been trying to look for Nash for several days but he wasn''t able to connect to him. Or one could say, he didn''t want to talk to anyone. He was really petty sometimes. Just like he had said, unless and until Santiago apologized to him and convinced him, this buddha would never talk to any of them.


    "I''m not his PA," Santiago growled. "Search for him yourself."


    "I think this is where we say goodbye." Of course, he was hellbent on getting Nash''s address. No one but Persephone could help him in urging Santiago to persuade Nash. And he had a chance now. Even if he asked for Santiago''s life now, he would receive it. However, he only needed a simple address, not someone''s life.


    "Wait. Wait. I will get you his address before this evening. Now tell me where you are!"


    Killian wasn''t wrong. Right now, Santiago was ready to do anything as long as he found his wife.


    Pleading to Nash or bowing to him was easier. He didn''t mind drinking his pride for his wife.


    With this Killian cut the call and moments later, a message flashed on Santiago''s screen.


    Seeing the address, Santiago muttered, "The fucker¡­"


    "I found Persephone," Santiago informed everyone.


    "Where?" Salvatore quickly asked.


    "The next door¡­"


    Killian and Emma had been staying right beside him and he had no idea about it.


    Wait, until he breaks his jaw for playing with him.

 Chapter 175 - Emys Dawda

    "Hello, neighbour!" Killian grinned.


    Santiago was panting when he saw Killian standing at the door with a kid in his arms. He came running here as soon as he found the address.


    Salvatore and Valencia might be coming after him but he didn''t pay attention to anything else but his wife at this moment.


    "Sweet Pea, say hello to Uncle," Killian smiled at the fussy kid who he had now wrapped around his fingers. And, yes, she had been given many nicknames by Killian until now. Sweet Pea was the only one that both of them liked the most.


    "Hwllo Unwle," Emy smiled at Santiago. She didn''t think it was wrong to be so chummy with a stranger she just met several hours ago.


    "Whose kid have you stolen?" Santiago asked him.


    "Life is all about being progressive. I no longer do the same things. Instead of stealing, I saved her from getting stolen." Killian told him with a smug look on his face.


    However, Santiago was looking at him in doubt. Of course, he knew that Killian would never stoop so low by kidnapping a kid. Well, it''s not like they are proficient in the kidnapping. In their life, they had kidnapped a woman only once and look where did that kidnapping take them?


    "You!" Killian pointed his finger at Santiago. "You think I kidnapped this kid? Don''t forget we don''t commit the same mistake twice."


    Santiago''s lips twitched. "Indeed, we don''t commit the same mistake twice."


    He glanced at the cute kid in Killian''s arms and offered her a small smile but he was replied with a scowl.


    ''Kid has a temper just like the man she is being carried by.''


    Just as Santiago was about to go inside to find Persephone, Salvatore and Valencia appeared.


    "Ah, We meet again, Mr Marino." Killian offered Salvatore a smile but he was replied with a scowl in return.


    Why did he feel that his scowl is so similar to the kid he is holding?


    "I didn''t know Mr Palmero was into stealing kids," Salvatore''s reply was merciless.


    Killian realized now that behind Salvatore''s I-don''t-care facade, lied poisonous tongue.


    "Ah," Killian smiled once again. But his smile was so damn fake that everyone could see. "What a coincidence! Your brother-in-law said the same words. I didn''t know you guys shared such a deep understanding!"


    A look of disgust flashed through Salvatore''s eyes and before he could hide it with his usual expressions, Killian noticed it.


    Unknowingly, Salvatore''s sore point was seen by Killian. No one until now had ever imagined that Salvatore didn''t like Santiago. He had never bothered to show his views for Santiago Vitello but now Killian could see a very different angle.


    Maybe, Emma was right. Salvatore Marino wasn''t who he appeared to be.


    When these adults were busy showing shades at each other, Emy was confused. Seeing Salvatore standing beside Santiago, she waved her hand at him and said with a huge smile. "Hwllo Dawda."


    Unlike last time, She didn''t try to get out of Killian''s arms and neither did she show any enthusiasm to get out of his arms. Who knew that this cranky kid could be won over by a few hundred bucks of chocolates!


    "Sweet Pea. Don''t call him Dawda." Killian frowned his brows. How could he let this kid be fooled by Salvatore Marino? It was already bad that everyone else believed his facade.


    "Call him Mr S."


    Yes, she should call him Mr S. Salvatore would be too long for him.


    "Mr S?" Emy asked Killian, who nodded in return. To Emy only Killian was right and the rest were wrong. Only a good man can feed her chocolates. The rest were not useful at all. If Ellison knew that a baker''s daughter was bought by another person by offering chocolates, Lord knows what she might do.


    "I don''t think it''s good for you to call someone else''s kid nicknames," Salvatore said in a hard tone. He was controlling himself not to punch Emma''s husband. "Her parents might not like it."


    Killian didn''t know why Salvatore was acting like a grumpy old man. Could it be that he was jealous of him?


    He had an amazing wife and even found a cute kid. Was Salvatore jealous of him?


    "Mr Marino, how do you know this angel in my arms is not my daughter?" Killian questioned him. As much as he knew, he didn''t tell Salvatore that this kid was not his. If a stranger would see Killian carrying Emy, they would think him of her father since both of them had the same set of dark chocolate orbs.


    Santiago didn''t want to engage with Killian and Salvatore''s childish fight and went inside to search for Persephone. Valencia, too, followed him inside.


    One thing was clear to Killian now. He didn''t like Salvatore Marino at all. If there was one person he might dislike with every fibre of his being, it would be Salvatore Marino. It was good that he wasn''t related to the Marino family like Santiago or he didn''t know how he would survive without punching his pretty face.


    "I know enough," Salvatore forced out the words. He didn''t want to engage in verbal fights with this man. "Where is my sister?"


    "Inside with my wife," Killian emphasized on the last word.


    Salvatore followed Killian inside where Persephone was lying on the bed. Santiago was sitting next to Emma and Valencia was taking her pulse.


    "How is she?" Santiago asked Valencia.


    "What happened to her?" He then asked Emma.


    "She fainted because of low sugar level. The doctor said she will be fine." Emma told him.


    "How did you find her?" Santiago questioned him again.


    Emma narrated the whole incident to Santiago, Salvatore and Valencia. She told him how they found Persephone running after a man who was trying to kidnap the kid called Emy. Persephone had identified that Emy''s nanny was involved too.


    "You are saying she is in this condition because she was running after the kidnapper to save Emy?" Salvatore asked Emma. He couldn''t believe that his sister would put her life in danger for a kid she only met once or twice.


    Emma nodded in reply. She could see that Salvatore didn''t look like he was in good condition. He was barely controlling his emotions.


    "Fool," Salvatore whispered looking at his silly sister. Restricting his bloodlust, he clenched his fist and got out of the house to make a call. When he was done with the call and returned inside the house, he saw Killian and Emy playing and laughing with each other. A rush of emotions that he couldn''t even decipher ran through him. There was jealousy, fear, longing and most of all, relief.


    Killian and Emy stopped laughing as their gaze fell on Salvatore who was staring at them.


    "Killian?!" Emma''s voice was heard. She was calling for her husband.


    Killian didn''t want to leave Emy with him but he couldn''t ignore Emma too.


    "I will look after her. You go ahead, your wife is calling for you." Salvatore found himself saying.


    Hearing him, Killian left Emy in his care but not before giving him several warnings and threats.


    Salvatore kneeled on the ground once Killian left and hugged the girl tightly in his arms.


    "Dawda?" Emy, who was being crushed in his arms, asked in confusion.


    "Cupcake, you have no idea how scared I was," Salvatore murmured. She still smelled of innocence and baby powder. She still smelled like his baby girl. "You don''t know how worried your mommy is right now."


    Emmy didn''t understand what he was saying but seeing him hugging her so lovingly, she too wrapped her tiny and chubby arms around his neck. Her fur cap and jacket were tickling his neck. Seeing that her dada was tickling, she started laughing once again.


    "Dawda! Emmy hungry!" She said once she stopped hugging. She was patting her tummy over her thick jacket showing him how hungry she was.


    "Ah, what does my Emy want to eat!" He asked, pinching her tender nose lightly.


    "Chocolate!" Of course, her answer was the same as ever.


    "No!" He had seen chocolate wrappers lying here and there. If Ellison saw a stranger feeding her daughter, she would wreak havoc.


    "Pleeechhh!"


    "No!!"


    "Bad dawda!"


    "Emy!!"


    "Milk!" She couldn''t win against him. Someone call that uncle back!


    "Cupcake, you are not allowed to tell mommy that you ate chocolate," Salvatore warned her and she nodded at him.


    "Dawda. Hungry," She reminded him again.


    Salvatore picked her up and made her sit on a chair when he was raiding someone else''s kitchen. He found some oats and milk. It would fill Emy''s belly until her mom arrived to take her back.


    He even fed her after cooking and cooling it down.


    "Done?" He asked when Emy finished half a bowl of oats.


    Emmy nodded her head enthusiastically. He wiped her face with a handkerchief and pecked her chubby cheeks. "My cupcake looks like a ball of snow." He poked her cap and she laughed in return.


    Just like this, both of them started laughing.


    ¡­


    Author Note: I''m trying to clear all the misunderstandings between everyone. Perhaps, we will go to Santiago''s country for New Year as New York is getting too sad for Persephone. After all, that country carries too many beautiful memories of our love birds.


    PS: I''m trying to write Callum''s book but I have no inspiration for now.


    God bless me.

 Chapter 176 - Lets Fight Our Own Battles

    Salvatore raised his eyes and found Emma standing near the refrigerator, staring at him and Emy with those brown eyes of hers. He offered her a smile and she answered back him in the same manner but her smile seemed stiff.


    "I didn''t know you were so good with children, " Emma said when she had nothing to say.


    Salvatore scratched his head not knowing how to reply to her.


    She came to Emy and touched her tender and chubby cheek. "Emy, we called your mommy. She will come to take you soon."


    Emmy offered her a toothy grin.


    "She is really an adorable child," Emma told Salvatore, who still didn''t know how to reply to her. She was telling him as if Emy was her kid.


    When Emma was leaving the kitchen, she heard Salvatore say, "I''m sorry, Emma."


    "Ah, don''t mention it. I brought it upon myself." Emma didn''t look back because she didn''t know what kind of emotions Salvatore might find on her face. She still had some complicated feelings about him in his heart.


    ¡­


    When Persephone opened her eyes, she found Santiago sitting beside her. She didn''t know where she was but it surely wasn''t a hospital room. Blinking her eyes at him, she asked, "Why are you here?"


    Of course, she wouldn''t tell him that she was a tiny bit happy seeing him beside her after that huge episode that day. But she didn''t show anything on her face.


    "Persephone, what do you think you were doing?" Santiago didn''t answer her question but rather questioned her in return.


    "I''m just lying like a patient. What else can a sick woman like me do?" She raised a question to him in a defiant tone.


    Santiago took a deep breath to calm himself down. "Do you know how dangerous the stunt you pulled was? You could have gotten injured. If not for yourself, at least think about the baby in your belly? What if Killian had not found you? What if you have gotten hurt?"


    "I didn''t know you were so close to Emma''s question," Persephone muttered as she moved to sit.


    "This is not the answer I want," Santiago told her.


    "Too bad, this is the only answer you will be given," Persephone countered.


    Santiago narrowed his eyes at her and she narrowed her eyes at him in answer, lifting her chin arrogantly. Sighing, he looked away first. "Can we stop fighting? I don''t want to fight with you."


    "Why do you think I wish to fight with you?" Persephone questioned arrogantly.


    If she could, she would rather question a certain woman in her dreams. When she was unconscious, she saw the same woman in her dreams once again. There were many scenes she vividly saw this time too but she couldn''t see the faces of protagonists in her dream. Every scene she watched she could say that both of them were so in love. It was a perfect life; the kind of life that almost appeared euphoric. Perhaps, it was the reason why she always saw those two figures in her dreams recently.


    Santiago sighed once again as he had no answer to give him. He held her wrist in his hand and pulled her into his arms.


    For a few seconds, Persephone didn''t understand what just happened. Her heart shuddered feeling the familiar warmth in his embrace. He still smells like the way he did a month ago. Unwelcomed sweetness and a sense of security seeped into her heart.


    "Persephone, I know our situation is different from other couples. I know what I did is unforgivable. But you must believe me that I will not dare to hurt you," Santiago said in a low voice. "Our future is unforeseen but I want to assure you that the house we live in belongs to you. In the future, if you can''t bear to see my face, just throw me out and set my things on fire. I will not complain. But please, don''t leave the house. I''m afraid that if you left the house without letting anyone know, you might get hurt and I might not be able to protect you. I don''t want you and baby to get hurt at any cost."


    Persephone didn''t know what to say. The words were stuck in her throat as she felt a caress of his soft lips on her temple and then she was free of his arms.


    "I want nothing but your safety," She heard him say then.


    Meeting his gaze, she asked him, "Why should I believe you?"


    Santiago smiled. "If not anything, just believe that I can''t seem to see my own blood and flesh in danger."


    Hearing this Persephone had no way to retort, he was telling her that if she didn''t believe that he would keep her safe then she should at least believe that he would go to any extent to keep his child safe. She knew prideful Italian men. They gave too much importance to their children. And the baby in her belly was, in the end, his own flesh and blood. So, he had more reasons to keep her safe.


    She wished her own father was like him. But it was just wishful thinking.


    Santiago saw that Persephone wanted to ask more questions but the knock on the door prevented her from doing so.


    Valencia arrived with Emma with a tray of food. They instructed her to have some food first as it was dangerous for her to have an empty stomach for too long. She pursed her lips as she realized that Santiago was right. She had indeed pulled a big stunt unknowingly and caused everyone worry.


    "I''m sorry for causing you unnecessary worry," Persephone said to Emma. "Thank you for taking care of Emy. I know she can be a handful just like her mama." Obviously, she said the last sentence in a whisper as Salvatore appeared with Emy.


    It was Valencia who replied to her with a roll of eyes, "Are you still talking about this Emy? You should have seen a calm and sensible version of Emy earlier. I was shocked that Ellison''s daughter can be quiet."


    Unknowingly a chuckle escaped Salvatore''s throat hearing Valencia. Looking at her, he murmured a sorry but his eyes still carried indescribable warmth for the kid in his arms. He walked ahead under the scrutiny of everyone''s eyes and gave Emy to Valencia. "Would it be alright for you to send Emy back to her mom? You seem family with her mother."


    Obviously, Valencia agreed and went out with Emma as she was getting a call from Ellison, who was waiting for them outside the house. Santiago too left Persephone''s side to look for Killian regarding Nash.


    Only Persephone and Salvatore were left in the room. She was quietly eating her food when she saw Salvatore sitting next to her.


    "Don''t do something stupid like this again," Salvatore told him.


    "Was it really stupid, Sal?" Persephone asked him, eyes narrowed at him. There was something in her eyes that was challenging her to refute her words.


    Salvatore sighed and rubbed her head while saying, "Don''t overthink, okay. Everything is alright." He paused for a moment before saying, "I will ask someone to pack a bag for you. You finish your food and then we will leave."


    Persephone blinked her eyes at him. "What do you mean? I''m not going back to Marino house ever again. I don''t want to be imprisoned."


    "Persephone," Salvatore called her name in. a ton that she couldn''t decipher. "I''m not Alessandro Marino. I might not be more powerful than him but I am not weak either. He married you to this man for his greed. You don''t deserve to suffer more. You are coming with me. And we are not going back to Marino house. This place is no longer safe for you."


    Persephone swallowed back her emotions. "Sal, you know papa tried to kill me?"


    Her question shocked Salvatore. "How¡­"


    Persephone smiled bitterly at him. "How do I know?" She took a deep breath as she placed the food tray aside and leaned against the bed wall. "I learned a lot. All from you. To pretend to be weak to survive. I know many things. Actually a lot of things that no one knows about. The day I married Santiago, I knew my papa would soon try to kill me." Looking at him, she whispered, "I''m scared, Sal. He won''t stop at all. He doesn''t care if his own blood and flesh die at his own hand."


    "Trust me once, I will keep you safe," Salvatore told her. Gripping her wrist, he tried to ask her to come with him but she shook her head at him. "I can''t come with you. Let''s fight our own wars."


    ...


    Author Note: I apologize sincerely for all the unedited chapters. But please try to understand my circumstances. I''m stuck in a place where I can''t do anything but to apologize and feel bad. I''m in the last year of the college and swamped by examination. Plus, this winter, it''s making me sick. I can''t go out without shivering and dying....


    I will try to edit the book from the beginning. There are many mistakes and I am aware of them. I really really need a vacation to complete it.


    Wish me luck and give me courage to fight against this winter.. If this winter didn''t freeze me to death, I will upload chapters daily.

 Chapter 177 - "So, Are You Brother!"

    "Percy, I can''t lose another sibling. Half or not! You are my sister, get this in our mind," Salvatore said to her. He was extremely vulnerable at this moment. "I will be damned before letting you, Soph or mom hurt at the hands of that monster once again. Come with me." He paused for a moment and saw that Persephone was still very stubborn to agree with him. He continued," This man you call your husband is a monster just like the one who sired us. You may not know but he is in plans to screw Alessandro Marino when the time comes. He only cares about his profits, not about you or anyone else."


    "I know," Persephone weakly smiled at him.


    She didn''t know how Salvatore knew about Santiago. But it didn''t matter if he knew or not because it couldn''t change anything at all.


    "I knew everything about him even before I married him. I also knew everything that happened at the wedding was his handiwork, from those pictures to Nico marrying Sophia, everything was done by him."


    She paused for a moment and saw fury written all over her brother''s face. She knew that he wasn''t happy with Sophia marrying Nico in such a way. He never liked Nico and never approved of his sisters marrying someone like Nicolas Scuderi but who can stop fate?


    She continued in a weak voice, "He asked me to marry him when he was still engaged to Sophia but I didn''t give him an answer. He is stubborn, Salvatore. He won''t stop until he gets what he stops. Let me tell you, he wants our father''s head and he will get it."


    "This makes him an enemy, Percy," Salvatore murmured.


    Persephone sighed like she couldn''t do this. "Alessandro Marino is our enemy, Brother. And Santiago is just Alessandro''s enemy, not ours."


    "This is the same thing, Percy. Try to understand, "Salvatore tried to make her see her point of view.


    Persephone shook her head. "He is just my husband. Not an enemy. I know that I will be safe as long as I am with him. At this juncture, I chose to trust him, Sal."


    Villain hurting her or her wanting divorcing him had nothing to do with Salvatore. Persephone knew that she was a confusing and confused woman. She does things that she sometimes doesn''t understand.


    Sometimes she hates Villain but other times, she longs for him. She couldn''t take one route and this was making everything difficult for her. Sometimes, she wondered if her breaking down that day was too much. She said many things to Santiago to hurt him, to make him feel guilty, to tell him how much he had hurt her but she still couldn''t help but only notice him.


    She wants and hates him at the same time. How was it even possible? She must have lost all her brain cells or what could one call this behaviour anything but insanity?


    One thing was clear to her. She could hate Santiago all she wanted but she wouldn''t ever allow anyone to hurt him. He could inflict all pains on her but she wouldn''t allow anyone to even look at him with a threat in their eyes. Not even Salvatore, her own brother.


    "He will hurt you, Percy," Salvatore told him in a pained voice. It was as if he could see all the thoughts running in her head. He didn''t wish for her sister to end up in a lifetime of misery.


    "I know but he can keep me and my baby safe." What kind of insanity was this? Even Persephone had no idea about it. All she knew was that she needed to trust Villain this time.


    Salvatore had nothing to say anymore. It seemed as if she had made her own choice. She wasn''t going to waver at all.


    Nobody spoke for a long time. It was because they were thinking of what the future had to offer them. Salvatore was now aware that the choices and paths he took in his past were now coming before him. He knew one day his past and present would meet each other but he never knew it would be this soon.


    Today, seeing Emy in Killian''s arms made him understand one thing -- it was better to disclose everything himself and if he wasn''t the one to disclose everything, he would lose the control of his life or worse he will lose everything dear to him.


    "Sal?" Persephone said after a while.


    "Hmm?" Salvatore jerked out of his daze.


    "My kidnapping.." Persephone began saying. She thought she needed to make one thing clear to him.


    He immediately looked at her. He was still sensitive to the word ''kidnapping''.


    She glanced at him and said, "My kidnapping wasn''t what the kidnappers made you believe."


    Salvatore wrinkled his brows as if her words didn''t make any sense to him.


    "Would you believe me if I said I was kidnapped only in name?"


    "You are not making any sense," He clarified.


    "Just remember that the man who kidnapped me was not a bad person," She told him in a clear voice. She just felt that she needed to tell everyone the truth to a certain extent. She didn''t want all of them to look at her in pity as if she was defiled and whatnot when none of it was true. She didn''t remember everything but she knew enough to say that she wasn''t maltreated by Santiago in any sort.


    Further, she didn''t want anyone to go avenging her honour by hurting Santiago. It wasn''t worth it.


    "The kidnapper is just like you and me, hurt by Alessandro Marino. He sure hurt me but it wasn''t like what you all think."


    Santiago Marino hurt her in the worst way possible but the pain was emotional not physically. So, she didn''t want anyone to try to kill Santiago.


    "I hate him now because he took my memories from me. He took away my choices from me. He perhaps knew that I never wanted to go back to New York yet he sent me to this hell when I was accustomed to heaven in that single month."


    "Your words are contradicting, Percy."


    " I know," She sighed. " Just remember to not hurt him, thinking he hurt me." She stopped and then said,'''' Yes, he did hurt me. But no one else but I have the right and power to avenge myself. Either you. Neither father has any right to hurt him in the name of avenging my honour or whatever excuse you guys need for flowing blood. If I forgive him, it''s my right once again. You guys have no right whatsoever. So don''t touch him."


    "How can you say something like this?" Salvatore asked her in shock. Did this girl even know what she was saying?


    "Look at you, Percy. He is still manipulating you. You can''t forgive him."


    Persephone had a headache hearing him talking about revenge once again. Did these men not know that an eye for an eye will make the whole world blind? There was nothing in revenge except for mutual harm and pain.


    She wasn''t a goddess of selflessness and forgiveness but she did know when to back off. Not everything needed to be dealt with arms and blood. Dialogue could be used once in a while.


    "That bastard played you once and is still playing you," Salvatore scoffed. "He is still controlling you, Percy."


    "Sal, no one else but I have the right to call him names," She told him in clear cut words. "I won''t bear anyone saying a word to him. Not even you."


    "He is an asshole, Percy."


    "So are you, brother," She retorted. "Remember how many people you played and how many people you are still playing with."


    She took a deep breath and added, "How is your battle a battle for revenge and honour and another person is a bastard for hurting your family member? Isn''t it hypocrisy? It''s not necessary that one of you is right and the other person is wrong. You both can be right or wrong at the same time."


    "Why are you protecting your kidnapper, Percy? He gave you the biggest flaw and burden of your life."


    "You said it now," Persephone replied with a smile. "Never call my child a burden or a flaw of my life. This life inside of me is my greatest strength and most beautiful gift. I always lost something of mine in the battles I have no part in. But this time, I won more than I lost. So, I''m not unhappy."


    "It means you won''t change your mind," Salvatore asked her one last time.


    "I won''t," She said with a smile.


    Salvatore nodded and stood up to leave the room. However, he stopped when he heard Persephone''s words.


    "Run, brother. You don''t want Emma to come across Ellison, do you?"


    Salvatore turned his head to find her smirking at him knowingly.. Understanding what she meant, his eyes widened and ran for his life.

 Chapter 178 - Found The Second Necklace

    "Where were you?"Killian asked Emma, who just appeared from inside. He had been looking for her for a while now but he didn''t find her anywhere. It wasn''t only her who was missing but Salvatore Marino too.


    Of course, he didn''t believe that his wife still loved Salvatore Marino but he couldn''t help but worry now for Salvatore had been behaving weirdly ever since Emy arrived. And now he and Emma were missing when Emy went back home.


    "I''m sorry, Killian," Emma hurriedly said." Salvatore was calling me as he needed something. Did Emy''s mom go back?" Seeing Killian nodding at her, she sighed. "Aish, I couldn''t meet her."


    "Why was Salvatore looking for you?" Killian asked her.


    "He needed juice for Persephone,"She told him.


    "Oh,"Killian murmured. "Where is he now?"


    Emma looked here and there but she didn''t find Salvatore. She was now clearly confused. Salvatore was behaving very strangely today. She didn''t know what was going on with that man.


    "I saw him leaving just now," Valencia softly said.


    Killian and Emma shared a look but didn''t say anything as it wasn''t their place to say.


    "Emy forgot her chocolates here," Killian said with a soft smile as his gaze fell on chocolate packets. He looked at Valencia and said,"Why did her mom not come to take her? And the man who received her looked like a guard."


    "Ellison didn''t come as she is severely sick these days," Valencia informed him. "She is afraid of infecting all of us. So Ace , her bodyguard, came to take Emy. He is responsible for Ellison and Emy''s security. He said Ellison is grateful to all of you for saving Emy. Once she recovers, she would like to express gratitude."


    "She didn''t need to thank us. She needs to thank Percy only." Emma said to her. It was Persephone who saved the little girl at the cost of her life. If it wasn''t for her, they wouldn''t even have noticed the little girl.


    Killian nodded too. "We did nothing great. It''s Persephone who saved the girl at the cost of her life."


    Valencia just nodded at them. She looked back and saw Persephone having her meal and Santiago standing there with a glass of water. They looked peaceful to her. Lord knew what was going on with them. Both of them were responsible for complicating their lives.


    Killian was thinking about something when he suddenly remembered. He checked his pocket and took out a gold pendant. "Oh, it seems I forgot to give Emy''s chain back."


    Emma, who recognized the chain, shook her head. "Killian, it''s not Emy''s . It''s Percy''s." She told him.


    She had seen Penelope designing these necklaces. As much as she remembered, there were two of them. One for each of her children. She remembered these necklaces because when Penelope gave these drafts to be made, she also designed several jewelleries for Emma. She told Emma that she would get all those exclusive Jewelleries designed by her once she became her daughter-in-law.


    "No, Em, it''s Emy''s," Killian said in a soft voice. He had picked this chain when the kidnapper fleed. "I found it on the ground. So, it can only belong to Emy."


    "Oh, no kill. This chain was designed by Penelope. Percy''s mom," Emma told him. She couldn''t forget this piece of jewellery. " She had two similar chains. I saw her drawing this particular design. One is for Percy and another for Lucian. So, it can only belong to Persephone."


    "Guys,"Valencia said with a deep breath. "How about you ask Persephone? It''s a simple chain design. It can belong to anyone."


    Emma wanted to say something but stopped when Killian said,"Exactly."


    Why bother arguing when they could just get the result by asking Persephone?


    ¡­


    "Do you need something?" Santiago asked as he gave her water and took the plate away.


    Persephone shook her head. "Can we go home now?"


    Santiago was about to nod his head when they heard a knock on the door. They saw Killian and Emma coming inside.


    "Persephone, do you recognize this necklace?" Killian directly asked her.


    He shows her a gold chain with a coin shaped pendant. How could Persephone not recognize this necklace? She had been looking for it for a long time now? She knew quite well that it wasn''t the one she found in her mom''s jewellery box. This one was the other chain her mom had left for Lucian?


    "Where did you find it?" Persephone asked, taking the chain from Killian''s hand. She saw the faint carving and murmured, "It''s really designed by my mom."


    Nobody noticed anything suspicious with Persephone''s expressions but Santiago did. If it really belonged to Persephone then why did she express shock and excitement after seeing this necklace? And most of all, why did he not notice her wearing it?


    She used to wear the sapphire pendant given by him earlier. Since the day she had thrown it, her neck was bare.


    He kept his suspicions to himself and didn''t reveal anything on his face.


    Persephone knew better than anyone what she was doing.


    " I told you it belongs to Percy." Emma said with a roll of eyes. She looked at Persephone who was staring at both of them in confusion and clarified, "He said it belongs to Emy."


    "Emy?"Persephone asked in disbelief.


    "Yeah" Killian muttered. She was still feeling as if the result was not satisfactory."I found it on the ground when the kidnapper ran away."


    "It really belongs to my mom,"Persephone said with a smile.She couldn''t show to anyone that this was really worn by Emy if Killian found it on the ground.


    However, the question still remained unanswered as to how it reached Emy. What was the connection between Emy and Lucian?


    She had to find it out soon. Or else, she would die out of curiosity.


    "See, I told you right," Emma scoffed."Penelope designed this necklace years ago. She said it was special back then. But I never asked why even though it looked very simple to me."


    Persephone didn''t clear to Emma how this necklace was special as it was not necessary to give this much information to anyone.


    She couldn''t contain her excitement. She finally had all the information she needed. Nobody could find this amount of information to destroy Alessandro Marino that Penelope had accumulated. And now, this all belonged to her.


    She could more or less guess why her mom was killed by Alessandro Marino.


    "Thank you for giving it back to me," Persephone looked at Killian and Emma in gratitude. They didn''t know how much they helped her.


    ¡­


    In the evening, Santiago was inside his study when his phone rang. Immediately, accepting the call, he asked,"Did you find anything?"


    The man from the other side chuckled. "Boss, you will not believe me. Do you know who saved your wife from the accident that day?"


    "Who?" Santiago was impatient now.


    "Your friend Nash. The man who saved your wife that day and the man who has been sending flowers and cards to Valencia Reynolds are the same person," He informed Santiago.


    Santiago didn''t say anything else. He just disconnected from the call.


    He took a deep breath to calm his raging emotions. He didn''t know that his past and present would meet each other in their way.


    He was so mad right now that he couldn''t express it in words. He stayed away from his family because he couldn''t drag them with him to hell. His father and mother were already dead and he couldn''t imagine seeing Valencia or Cameron in the same ending. And now, Nash was dragging Valencia and her son into the same world he spent his life distancing them from. How could he let it happen?


    No, he wasn''t going to let it happen at any cost.


    He sent a message to Killian, grabbed his coat and keys and exited his house. It was better to handle all the mess than to leave it for the future.


    "Nash is in New York?" This was the first question Killian asked him in utter disbelief.


    When he saw Santiago''s blank expression, he added,"Don''t tell me Callum is here too?"


    "He is not but he will be here first thing in the morning," Santiago informed him.


    "Why on earth?" Killian asked him.


    "To drag back Nash''s ass, of course," Santiago replied as a matter of fact.


    "How the hell did he offend you this time?" Killian questioned him. He could see that Santiago was barely controlling his anger. He didn''t know what Nash did this time to rage Santiago to this extent.


    He had never seen Santiago so mad except for the day they lost Lorenzo. He suddenly sympathised with Nash at this moment.


    "Will you drive or should I?" Santiago asked him.


    "Give me the keys, " Killian answered and asked Santiago to put the address in the GPS.


    "What is he doing in the hospital?" Killian asked with furrowed brows.


    Santiago suddenly smiled at him. "Heard he is pursuing a doctor there."


    Killian shuddered hearing Santiago''s reply.. ''God bless you, Nash.''

 Chapter 179 - Beauties Are Fatal

    "My. My. What do we have here?" Nash grinned from ear to ear as Killian opened the door.


    Nash was lying on the bed. His head was wrapped in a bandage along with his arm. He appeared severely injured to Killian at a single glance.


    "What on earth have you done to yourself?" Killian asked him in shock. He had heard that he was pursuing a woman in hospital. Then how did he get hurt? "How did you get injured?"


    "I was saving a beauty, " Nash snickered. "Beauties are so damn fatal. Look at me, no one''s here to accompany this sick man."


    Nash was still in the mood for a joke. Although he had been staying in hospitals, his mood these days had been exceptionally good. And why wouldn''t it be? Valencia came every day to visit him.


    Killian shook his head in resignation. Nash would always be Nash. Even an accident as severe as this wouldn''t shut his mouth. It was good as long as he wasn''t lashing out.


    "I heard you have been pursuing a doctor. Do tell me how this rake decided to settle down?" Killian couldn''t help but ask. He was exceptionally curious to know which woman was capable enough to tame this rake?


    Nash smiled in a silly way as his eyes curved to form a crescent. "Amour. My friend, Amour. Even a proud Rake like me can be swept off his feet when armour comes into his life." Completely forgetting that he and Killian weren''t on talking terms, he began narrating his love life. "You have to meet her once, Killian. I''m telling you that you haven''t met a woman like her in your entire life. She is so beautiful, so intelligent and so great that I''m in awe of her. Fuck, I can''t imagine my life without her. Ah, I will be the happiest bastard in the whole wide world the day she accepts me and my love."


    "I''m happy for you," Killian said. He was glad that Nash was genuinely happy with his life.


    Nash had always been a man who had never taken his life seriously. His hobbies were extreme just like his behaviour. The missions he selected were always suicidal. He was genuinely glad that Nash found someone worth living for.


    Perhaps, separation from Santiago was better than they initially thought. He was married now with a real goal of life except for finding Alicia, Callum was finally working on himself and Nash was about to settle down.


    Probably, he could curse Santiago a little less in the future.


    "I''m gonna make her mine soon," Nash added with a smile. However, his smile froze when the door opened once again and in came a fuming Santiago.


    He didn''t want to see him at all. If he wanted he would have met him when Santiago was insisting on meeting the man who saved his wife.


    Killian turned his head to find Santiago standing at the door. "Where were you?" He asked him. "I thought you left after dropping me."


    Nash, who saw Killian talking to Santiago in a friendly manner, growled, "What are you two now? Best friends?" Pointing his finger at Santiago, he shouted," Did you forget what he did? He fucking broke all of us. What did he say? He didn''t need any of us. There was no need for us to be a unit. Just because he failed once, he decided to break all of us. He knew all too fucking well that we don''t know how to survive without each other. Yet, he asked us to leave him when he needed us the most. Hell, we needed him too."


    Santiago didn''t answer him back. Instead, he looked at Killian and said, "Tell him, he is going back tomorrow. Callum will be coming to take him back."


    "The fuck I will," Nash shouted. "Who the hell are you to make rules? Do I need to obey you anymore? No fucking way. Instead of a ''thank you'', you decide to throw your seniority here. Santiago fucking Vitello, I am not going to leave."


    Killian knew that out of all the three, Nash was affected by Santiago''s decision the most. When Santiago was living for revenge, Killian for finding Alicia, Callum for a better future, Nash had no ambition, nothing. He would work for himself or these three because he had no life of his own. Hell, he didn''t even have any expectations from himself. He takes jobs that give him thrill and enough money to last for months without bothering to work again. He was a playboy who loved Alcohol and women more than anything else.


    But when Santiago asked all of them to get out of his life. They were mad and enraged. Most of all, Nash. He broke his relationship with all three of them and never looked back.


    "Nash, calm down." Killian held his arm because his IV was moving with his arm. "Calm down, Nash."


    Nash was seething and refused to heed to anyone. He looked at Killian and asked, "Who the hell is he to make decisions for me? Why should I leave?"


    Santiago finally looked at Nash and said. "I''m no one to impose seniority on you. But King Leonardo can order you all too well. He is the one who ordered you to come back. Did you forget your identity, Nash? Did you forget who signed your hefty paycheck? Or did you forget what will happen if your real identity is leaked here? You will go running for your life!"


    "If you are not aware, then let me inform you, I resigned several months ago," Nash argued back. "I''m a simple businessman now." Pausing for a minute, he added," Can''t you see me happy for a second? I have lost many things in life too. But my sole agenda is not revenge like you. I now have a life here. So, don''t you dare take my happiness away from me."


    "But was your resignation approved?" Santiago asked him with a sneer.


    "Fuck you, Vitello," Nash spat out. " Why are you after my life? What the hell do you want? Can''t you see me settling down? I''m not going back until I marry my girl."


    "Marry who?" Santiago smiled at him. "And what girl are you talking about? Valencia?" He paused for a minute and then asked in a gravely calm voice. "Do you dare, Nash?"


    Something in Santiago''s expression stopped Nash from retaliating. He didn''t understand what it was but he could feel himself suffocated under his gaze. No matter how much he tried he couldn''t remove his gaze from his face. Something was telling him Santiago came to destroy the harmony of his life.


    "Eighteen years. Nash, eighteen fucking years. For eighteen years, my father and I had been paying for the one mistake my grandfather made in his youth," Santiago began narrating his story.


    "Unlike you all, I wasn''t an orphan when we all met. King Leonardo didn''t lend us help without asking for anything," He scoffed at remembering the face of the king who was given the highest status in his country. "He is next to God for the people of his country, but we had seen the devilish side of him. We had sold our souls to that satan years ago. He gave us our present life and took our past and everything connected to it away from us. The identity he gave us came at the cost of everything that was dear to us once."


    It wasn''t that King Leonardo was an evil man, it was just that an ordinary man couldn''t be a king. Especially the one who saved his country from such devastation.


    "For eighteen years, I have been seeing my family from the sidelines. I saw my sister getting married. She became a widow just a couple of years after marrying her childhood sweetheart," He let out a sad smile. "She welcomed a new life just a few months after she lost her husband." Looking at him, he added," Oh, I have a brother too, who has no single clue that I am still alive. You know what was more painful-- not being able to attend my parents'' funeral and every fucking thing. So, don''t you say only you lost and I didn''t."


    "Valencia¡­ "Nash felt as if he couldn''t breathe. " She¡­"


    "Yes asshole, she is my younger sister and you will stay the hell away from her."


    ...


    Author Note: This volume with end soon. In the next Volume, Our leads will reconcile and we will go back to the place where their romance started.


    And one more thing, this story will end in around 250 Chapters. It can be less but not more than 250. The real story will be about 50 more chapters and rest will be the side stories.


    I have not decided what side stories will be like. But I have a perfect ending in my mind. I will work hard to get you the best ending!


    Once again, Sorry for unedited chapters.

 Chapter 180 - Some Happiness

    The room grew suddenly tense and extremely silent as Santiago left after sprouting out poison.


    Nash was terrifyingly silent and so was Killian, who was feeling uncomfortable seeing a very silent Nash. The former had nothing to say as he was feeling as if Santiago had just pulled the rug under his feet when he was finally standing up. He didn''t know what to say and ask. He was officially rendered speechless for the first time in his life.


    Killian asked, "Do you need something?"


    He was asking if Nash needed something as he was alone in the hospital with not even a nurse in his sight.


    Nash suddenly laughed in reply. "Yes, some happiness. Do you have them?"


    Killian just sighed. He didn''t know what to say either. He wasn''t the one who had Nash''s happiness in his hands. Instead, it was Santiago who announced Nash''s fate without even bothering to understand how deeply the boy was in love with his sister.


    Then again, bro code comes before love, right?


    Nash glanced at Killian and laughed in a self-deprecating manner. "Santiago is really more miserable than me. Ah, why doesn''t it feel better to see him more miserable than me?"


    Although the sentence was spoken in a humorous manner, it still expressed the pain swirling in his eyes.


    "Must you fall for Santiago''s sister outta all the ladies in the world?" Killian asked Nash. Of course, he was feeling bad seeing his friend in such a state. Yet, he couldn''t do anything about it. If it was another woman, perhaps, he might have kidnapped another woman once again, this time for Nash, but only if it was another woman. Yes, he knew he was a hypocritical bastard. No need to mention it.


    "Hell if it was in my hands," Nash responded. He paused for a moment and then asked Killian with a pain that was reflecting clearly on his face. "What do you think I will say to her why I am leaving so suddenly?"


    He felt like shit. He asked Valencia for a month before rejecting him. He was so smug, so sure that he would woo her but look at him now? It was like he was dumping the love of his life here in this country. He hated this feeling so much. He could not express how much he wanted to not break her heart. He knew that she felt something for him. When he had fallen for her in an irrevocable state, she still was in the phase of liking only. Yet, there was something in her heart reserved only for him.


    "You are giving up on your dream lady just like this?" Killian inquired.


    Although Santiago had a reason for warning Nash, still it didn''t feel right to just give up on the person you love.


    Nash smiled sadly at him. "It will be selfish of me to drag a righteous Cop''s daughter into the bloodshed? And she has a son. I can''t do this."


    Now that he thought about it, Santiago was right in his place. If he were in his shoes, he would do the same.


    "Nash, are you sure?"


    "Dammit, I hate this villain at this time yet I can''t help but look up at him. He is my fucking idol. Can you change it?" Nash yelled but then slowed down. "Just get my stuff packed. King''s doctor will take care of me. Wasn''t he so restless to see me? I wouldn''t be Nash if I didn''t make him regret missing me."


    Killian felt a tiny bit sympathetic for King Leonardo who had to deal with Nash''s grumpy ass. Nodding his head, he began to exit the room to make arrangements and to call Callum. But just as he opened the door, he found Valencia standing outside.


    She weakly smiled at him as she saw Killian. The world is literally a small village. Just a few hours ago, she returned from Killian and Emma''s house and now she found him again inside Nash''s room.


    If his behaviour with Santiago was less suspicious, she found Santiago leaving the hospital in a fit of anger and Killian exiting Nash''s room. More than anything, she was curious to know how these three men were related to each other and why on earth were they pretending to be unfamiliar with each other.


    "Mr Palmero, I didn''t expect to meet you twice in a day," Valencia said with another polite smile. Her face didn''t show the troubling thoughts running in her mind. Instead, she looked as calm as spring water as always.


    "As I said before, please call me Killian," Unconsciously, Killian was more respectful towards her. She was Santiago''s sister and Nash''s dream lady, of course, he would need to mind his manners now.


    Nash raised his brow at Killian in a fierce manner as he heard both of them talking with such familiarity. No, he wasn''t jealous, merely curious.


    Killian raised his hand in the air and said looking at him. "I love my life. And I have a wife waiting for me at home."


    With the uninjured hand, Nash caught the apple from the fruit basket placed beside his bed and hurled it at Killian''s face but the latter caught it skillfully and laughed at his friend''s childish expression. Amusement was clear on his face as he took a bite of the apple.


    "When the hell do you get married?" Nash yelled at him. Why was he rotting single when all of them were getting married? " And what''s with you all marrying so suddenly?"


    "Callum is still looking for the Duchess. I don''t think he is ready to be hitched." Killian grinned at him. "Handle your mess, dear brother. I gotta go."


    "You know Killian Palmero?" Valencia asked Nash in a suspicious tone. "And don''t tell me you both are acquainted with Santiago Vitello too?"


    He paused for a moment probably thinking of how to reply but nodded in the end.


    "He is your brother?" Valencia questioned as she had heard Killian calling Nash ''dear brother''.

 Chapter 181 - Saving Both Of You

    "He is your brother?" Valencia questioned as she had heard Killian calling Nash ''dear brother''. She just couldn''t see sophisticated Killian as wild Nash''s brother. They were like earth and sky. Their temperament was too different. Hell, they were even different in looks. Killian looked like a handsome scholar and Nash had a hint of roguishness even in his looks.


    "Something like that¡­" Nash didn''t know what to say. He could narrate the whole story of Dark horses to her, could he?


    "You paid your bill?" Valencia asked Nash with a furrowed brow. Sensing that her words might have sounded weird, she immediately added, "Oh, I went to pay for the pill. But the receptionist said your bill is paid and you will be getting discharged tomorrow. Isn''t it too soon?"


    Her last sentence was filled with suppressed insecurities and fear.


    "I''m leaving tomorrow." Nash finally mustered up the courage to say.


    "Leaving the hospital?" She inquired.


    Nash smiled sadly at her. "Leaving the country."


    "What do you mean Nash?" Valencia raised her voice. She couldn''t understand this melancholic Nash. This wasn''t the man she knew." I''m not in the mood for a joke."


    "I''m serious," Nash calmly said.


    "Like hell, you are," For the first time, he saw her brown eyes shining with rage.


    "I''m really leaving," He once again said. And not coming back."


    "Nash, stop this. This is not funny at all." Does this man think it was fine to torment her like this? But when she saw his serious and calm gaze, she understood everything. "Oh, God, you are serious. What did you get by playing with me and my heart?"


    "I''m sorry, Valencia. I never meant to hurt you. However, I found just now how we both belong to two different worlds. My feelings for you are not fake. I like you for real. Hell, I feel more than just like. But you have to understand, I dare not drag you to my life filled with chaos. You and your son don''t belong there. I can''t commit a sin of destroying your goodness and your son''s innocence."


    "Damn you, Nash," Valencia cried. "Why did you not think about all these things before? I will not forgive you!"


    ¡­


    Santiago had just returned from the hospital and was in his study when he heard knocking on his story door. Who in the house didn''t know that no one was allowed her except for himself?


    When he opened the door, he found a seething Valencia standing on the door. She looked as if she had cried.


    "What happened, Val?" He couldn''t help but ask.


    Valencia pushed him and walked inside. She threw the files placed on his table on the ground in anger. Turning to him, she growled, "What did you say to Nash?!"


    "What did he tell you?" He took a deep breath and asked.


    He could more or less understand what might have happened. He was aware of his sister''s feelings for Nash. Initially, he was pleased to hear that she was finally moving on in her life. Jack was such a crucial part of her life that until this day she wasn''t able to leave him behind. And how could she? Her youth was spent with that man. She had loved him more than anything else in this world and then suddenly, he was taken away from her one day.


    "Santiago, why are you doing this to me?" She asked him while suppressing a cry. Her red eyes filled with tears once again and they rolled down on her cheek slowly. "Why are you tormenting me?"


    "Do you think I don''t know who you are?" She sniffled as she continued," Dad always had his suspicions about your death but he never said them out loud because he was afraid of breaking her heart."


    Santiago closed his eyes as he pictured his father.


    "I don''t know what might have caused you to stay hidden and away from us and neither do I have any intention of judging you because somewhere I believe that all the sufferings you experienced so far were because of me," She told him. " It was I who was supposed to be taken away or killed, not you."


    Valencia''s voice wasn''t accusing but self blaming. "I don''t blame you for anything but what did you say to Nash today? Why is hellbent on leaving? He is breaking my heart as well as his own?"


    She hates Nash for leaving without fighting for them. How could he do this? It wasn''t easy to find people who shared the connection like both of them did.


    "I was finally moving on with my life. Eight years ago, I lost Jack and my son lost his father even before he could see him," She smiled sadly. " Finally, happiness knocked on my door after so long. Why are you taking them away from me?"


    "Valencia, I am not taking your happiness away from you," Santiago gripped her shoulder and said. "I''m protecting them. You may hate me today for what I am doing but one day you will look back and thank me for saving you from the hell this love of yours will put you in."


    He had experienced how painful love could be. And how could he let her suffer what Persephone was doing?


    Valencia and Persephone were too similar. They both saw the world from the mirror of black and white. And which was the reason why Nash was bad for her.


    "If you don''t believe me, look at Persephone. She wasn''t a confused, depressed and unhappy woman like she is now," He told her. "She was like a ray of light that burned brighter than any fire but her fire is now extinguished, some by her father and some by me."


    He further said, "I don''t want you to lose your fire unless Nash is willing to protect it. He is an emotionally damaged man just like me. He will bring more harm to you than happiness. I am saving both of you from hurting each other. I care about you as much as I care about Nash. You both meant the world to me.. Don''t ever doubt it."

 Chapter 182 - Saved Her Family

    "Mrs Salvatore, Persephone Marino is here to see you."


    Ellison was inside Emy''s nursery as it was time for the latter''s afternoon nap. Since yesterday, she hadn''t let her baby girl out of her sight for even a second. Not only this, she spent the entire night staring at her innocent and beautiful face.


    She couldn''t reverse the horror she had felt when she received the news that the nanny she hired had gotten her daughter kidnapped. If not for Persephone, she would have nearly lost her baby girl. How could she ever pay for what Persephone had done for her?


    Emmy was her and Salvatore''s life. A single injury to her meant death for both of them. What would have she told Salvatore when he came and asked to see his daughter? She couldn''t tell him that she lost their daughter? He would go berserk. It wasn''t an exaggeration. It was the ultimate truth that Salvatore would have lost his senses and not even she would have been able to undo the destruction accompanying it.


    Persephone Marino had saved her entire life and she wouldn''t be able to pay back to her ever.


    "Ask her to come inside," Ellison softly said. She didn''t know what compelled Persephone to come to her doorstep but now that she was here, both of them were going to have a long talk. "I will see her in a moment."


    Her hand was out of gauze but it still needed extra care. Plus, the cold was making it hard for her to talk without feeling pain in her throat. Her eyes were blurry and were hurting a bit. Since her cold was more serious than the common cold, she was hugging Emmy while wearing a mask.


    "Emy, mommy will come soon, okay?" In a soft whisper, she talked to her daughter and kissed her temple through the mask. "Now sleep."


    Emmy, who was on the verge of sleeping, nodded with her eyes closed. She didn''t know how scared her mom was even while leaving her alone in her nursery.


    Since she wasn''t going to the Cafe due to her illness, she hadn''t cleaned up. Now that Persephone was here, she couldn''t let the latter see her dishevelled and messed up even in her home. So, she entered the bathroom to wash her face and change her clothes to look a bit presentable.


    Downstairs Persephone was looking at Ellison''s house in sheer curiosity and fascination. It was a grand villa in the outskirts of the city with very mesmerizing interiors and magnificent exteriors. It must have cost Ellison several millions of dollars.


    Ellison had never told her what her husband does for a living that involved him staying out from home for months on end but judging from the grand Villa and the security team, he must be some big shot.


    As if fate was loving this play, her face fell on a wall adorned with pictures alone. She stood up from her seat and walked forward to look at the pictures of a family of three hanging on the wall. There were pictures of Ellison and her husband getting married, engaged, and even from college days. Then, there were pictures that she assumed were from Ellison''s pregnancy shoot. There were Emy''s pictures too.


    It could be said that whoever gave the idea of adorning the whole wall with pictures was obsessed with clicking pictures of every special occasion. And it could be seen by how meticulously these photo frames were hung.


    All she could say was that this family of three was very beautiful. And she wished that they would always stay this way.


    "You have a beautiful house, "Persephone said as soon as she felt someone standing beside her. It had been Ellison only who could pull off a sensual chocolate perfume.


    "Thank you," Ellison whispered. Their eyes were still glued to the walk.


    Persephone smiled. "You have a beautiful family too." She could see Ellison looking at her as her image was reflecting on a photo frame.


    "Thank you, Persephone," Ellison once again said.


    "You don''t need to thank me," Persephone replied. She didn''t think she needed to be thanked for complimenting such a beautiful family.


    "How can I not thank you?" Ellison said in an emotional tone. She held her hand as her eyes filled with tears of gratitude. "You saved my home from getting destroyed. Lord knew if something were to happen to Emy, Salvatore and I wouldn''t have known how to even live with her. God, I can''t even talk about it. Even thinking about it brings shivers. I am still so scared. Thank you for saving my Emy and me."


    "Ellison, please do not thank me. I did what I think was right at that time," Persephone said to her. Moreover, she had her doubts from the time she had seen Salvatore and Emy together.


    Children were the most truthful and innocent beings. Emy was a child with a temper and normally she wouldn''t go to anyone but she had seen how when no one was able to calm her down, Salvatore''s one hug and murmurs put the child to sleep. And not to mention, the emotions she saw in her brother''s eyes when he was embracing the little girl were not ordinary.


    If not for the fact that she had a baby in her womb and knew what it meant to feel in distress due to worrying about your child, she might not have been able to read Salvatore''s emotions that day.


    The love and care he had for Emy were that of a parent who unconditionally loved his child.


    Furthermore, Emy had Carina''s smile. When she smiled it felt as if the younger version of her mother was smiling at her. So, how could she not guess that the man Emy called Dada was in reality her dad.


    She wasn''t saving a kid from getting kidnapped but her own niece. So, she didn''t feel as if her action deserved thanks.. As an elder, it was her duty to protect her niece.

 Chapter 183 - Alicia Palmero

    "I couldn''t meet the couple who took care of Emy," Ellison suddenly was reminded of the couple who took care of her daughter. "I would like to thank them too."


    "I will give you their address and you can say all you want," Persephone told her. She felt Killian and Emma would be happy to see Emy once again.


    Ellison asked Persephone to have a seat as a maid came with coffee and snacks.


    "Ellison, I''m not here for Emy now," Persephone said as she took the seat.


    "What do you mean?" Ellison looked at Persephone in confusion.


    Without wasting any time, Persephone took out the necklace Killian had handed her that day out of her purse and showed it to Ellison "I''m for this "


    "This is my necklace." Ellison immediately reacted as she tried taking it from Persephone but the latter pulled her hand back, apparently not wanting to give it back. "Yes, this is my chain. I never part from it." She scratched her head and wondered out loud. "Just a few days ago, I gave this chain to Emy to wear as she was insistent on wearing it. You don''t know how important it is. Thank God you found it. Lord knows I can''t bear to separate myself from this."


    Ellison didn''t find Persephone''s behaviour suspicious at all. Instead, she held her hand to ask to take back the chain but only if she knew that she would not get it back ever.


    "This is not yours, Ellison, "Persephone whispered.


    This time Ellison looked at her as if Persephone was pulling a prank or something like that.


    "This is not yours," Persephone spoke again. "This originally belonged to my mom."


    Ellison looked at her in shock, confusion and bewilderment.


    "How did you find this?" Persephone raised the question before she could say anything.


    "Persephone, this chain is mine," Ellison opened her mouth to say. "You must have some misunderstanding."


    She couldn''t understand what Persephone was talking about. Maybe, she had but she didn''t want to dwell on it. Or maybe, she didn''t want to think about that part of her past once again.


    "Ellison, I know what is right and why is wrong," Persephone replied. " This necklace is designed by my mom. I have exactly one like this back at home." Showing her the chain, she added," This one was given to my brother by my mom."


    At this time, Ellison was refusing to acknowledge what Persephone was talking about. She didn''t want to accept that Persephone was related to her past. No, she couldn''t be that Marino, could she?


    "Lucian Marino. Does it ring a bell?"


    As the name escaped Persephone''s mouth, Ellison trembled uncontrollably. Tears pooled at the corner of her as she related the name once again, "Lucian?"


    Persephone nodded.


    "He was your brother?" Ellison asked once again.


    "Big brother," Persephone replied. "Tell me, Ellison, why do you have this necklace? I have the right to know about it. He was my elder brother." She whispered, suppressing the urge to cry. "I didn''t even get the chance to say goodbye to him. Do you know he was accused of betraying the family? Do you know what everyone says about him? They say Lucian Marino lost his life for a girl. They also say he was a traitor and a stain on the family''s name. I want to hear from you the truth."


    Suddenly, Ellison started crying. Persephone may not know but she pressed her sore nerve. The man Lucian Marino came to her life like a boon as well as a curse. A boon because he saved her life and a curse because until this day she wasn''t able to leave the shadow of his name behind.


    "That girl is me," She cried and pointed at herself. "He saved me that day. He was so injured." She remembered that day still so vividly like it was just yesterday when everything happened. Pointing at the necklace in Persephone''s hand, she added," He gave me this chain. He made me wear it. He was breathing shallowly as if he might not be able to live more. And how could he? Persephone, he was so hurt. Bleeding all over. They shoot my mom, dad and then him. He didn''t kill anyone. He couldn''t kill anyone."


    "He found me hiding between the clothes in the closet. My brother made me swear not to come out at any cost," Ellison continued. She sobbed as she imagined her brother''s shrieks that day. "I thought my brother came back to take me out of the closet and so I opened the door but it wasn''t my brother but someone else. It was Lucian, your brother. He removed his chain from his neck and made me wear it and asked me not to separate it at all."


    "I was so young and naive. When he promised me that he would save me from the goons who apparently hurt my family and him, I believed him," Ellison laughed and cried at the same time. Wiping her tears, she added, "I didn''t get it then but as I grew up, I realized that he wasn''t saving me that day but the chain dangling in my neck. It was a special or date I say precious to him."


    "Funny, how he made it clear that I don''t owe him anything. He was desperate to save this piece of jewellery," She told Persephone as she once again recalled the events of that night. "Your brother knew correctly that he wouldn''t be able to survive. And if he was dead, this chain would be lost. And for whatever reasons, he wanted to protect it would be meaningless too. So, he made a choice. Either to save him or me. And in the end, he saved me to save the chain.


    "You are Alicia Palmero?"Persephone whispered to her.


    Ellison nodded her head. "I''m that unfortunate girl who lost every kin of her in a single night."


    ...


    Author Note: Do Remind me in the comment section if I forget to unsolve another mystery! After Valencia and Alicia, who?

 Chapter 184 - For Revenge

    Ellison nodded her head. "I''m that unfortunate girl who lost every kin of her in a single night."


    Finally, Persephone had real information about Lucian''s death. He didn''t kill Palmeros. He didn''t betray his family. He was just a misunderstood character from beginning till end. If anything, Lucian Marino was a victim.


    She didn''t know what Alessandro Marino achieved by portraying Lucian as a Villain but when he clearly was not the one. He was just an extraordinary human who had to pay the price for who he was. His own father got him killed because he held the power to replace him. This had to be a sick joke, right?


    But it was true. Lucian Marino died because he was a genius and knew something that he shouldn''t.


    Penelope Marino was killed because she knew about her husband''s twisted relationship with her own brother.


    But what Alessandro Marino hadn''t expected even after planning the deaths of his wife and son was the explosives that Penelope had arranged before her death for his pyre.


    The chips inserted inside these necklaces held explosive-like information that would ruin Don Marino within seconds if leaked. From the heinous crimes he committed to his secret bases all over the world, each and every relevant information was stored in those chips.


    Persephone smirked inwardly. She had a dire urge to ask her father - who would kill who now?


    She was feeling as if she held the power to pull the rug under his feet. Just thought was enough to make her giddy.


    Either she could submit those proofs to the FBI anonymously and wait for her father''s destruction or she could send these to someone who badly wanted to screw her daddy dearest. And luckily, there wasn''t just one person she knew who would not leave a chance to end the history of Don Marino, there were several. All more lethal than others.


    What else she hadn''t anticipated was the surprise left by Lucian in the new chip she got from Killian.


    Apparently, Lucian had accumulated proofs regarding Penelope and her sister Elena Moore''s sister too. She also found out about Elena Moore had an affair with Edward Kingsly, Alessandro Marino''s greatest nemesis. Not only this, she had a secret daughter with him too. And as if fate couldn''t be more twisted, the girl''s name was Isabelle Moore.


    Now, don''t say it was a coincidence that the oddball named Isabelle in her life wasn''t the same girl Lucian was hinting at. Lord knew how he got the information but if he did, it wouldn''t be misleading.


    She had heard that Nico''s grandfather had affection for her aunt Elena, through the grapevine of course. She was one of the scandalous women like her, Ginevra and not to forget Isabelle.


    Nobody knew the end of Elena Moore. But it was heard that Edward Kingsly almost ruined himself and Alessandro when he received the news of his beloved death.


    Currently, she had to do nothing but send a small section of the information she owned right now regarding the death of Elena Moore and her secret daughter to Edward Kingsley. And let Edward Kingsley see the rest.


    Later, she would send some other helpful information to Salvatore anonymously and he could handle the demise of his father himself.


    As for Santiago¡­


    Since he was so obsessed with Lorenzo, just give him what he needs.


    She had enough of getting played. Now she would sit back and play all these badass privileged men and enjoy the game that was about to be started.


    There was nothing black and white in this world. Life was a game of getting played and playing with others. Since she had spent more than twenty five years of her life getting played by these assholes, she would now leave no stone unturned in playing with them.


    She just wanted a peaceful life with no chaos and violence. But for the sake of her baby, she had to step into the battlefield.


    Perhaps, a day would come when she would get the desired peace and freedom.


    However, for now, no more getting played.


    ''Amen.''


    ¡­.


    "Are you with your husband for revenge?" Persephone asked her.


    She wanted to know why Salvatore chose Alicia out of all the women in the world. That man was engaged to Emma when he had married Alicia and now ''publicly'' married to Belle.


    Lord knew which was his legal wife and which one was fake. She just wished that he knew what he was doing.


    Moreover, he got married to Isabelle when Emma won''t him at the altar in quite a suspicious fashion. And why did Isabelle agree? Did Salvatore threaten her or was it one of his many great schemes?


    As curious as she was to know the truth behind Salvatore and Isabelle''s very lowkey marriage, she knew she didn''t have enough energy to digest all the information. And sometimes, some things were better not known or if they were known they might leave her sleepless for nights. Or her brain might crash with over information.


    And the most important question is why Salvatore married Alicia and does Alicia know who Salvatore was to Lucian?


    She could see that their marriage looked more real but who knew what was in their hearts.


    Alicia snorted at the idea. She was with Salvatore for anything but revenge. Of course, she loved the lavish lifestyle that Salvatore had given her after marriage. She was a girl who grew up in several foster homes after her guardian died. She had no money, no shelter and no food to eat.


    And when life gave her a chance to this comfortable life, she jumped to grab it. She wasn''t ashamed to admit it.


    But it would be wrong to say that she didn''t love her husband and was with him for ulterior motives. She loved Salvatore. Perhaps, she more than just loved him. He was an inseparable part of her. No matter how many times, she said in a fit of anger that she was gonna leave him, she knew too that it wasn''t possible.. She couldn''t leave without him and their daughter.

 Chapter 185 - Walk In The Park

    "No. I am with him not for revenge," Alicia told Persephone in clear cut words. " I don''t want bloodshed in my life at all. I lost my parents and brother at a young age. I don''t want to lose my husband and daughter too. I don''t want even a shadow of that life anymore."


    Persephone could decipher from Alicia''s words that she had no idea that Salvatore and Lucian were related.


    What a mess!


    Salvatore had a lot of explaining to do to his wife. Just thought of this gave anxiety to Persephone.


    She smiled and stood up to pat her shoulder. "I am leaving, Alicia. Take care of yourself." Holding the chain, she said, "And I am taking this with me. This is not just a piece of jewellery."


    Alicia didn''t stop her as she believed Lucian might have asked her to keep it safe until someone comes to take it one day. And that someone was Persephone.


    When Persephone was halfway, she unexpectedly turned to look at Ellison. "Alicia, Don''t make any decision in haste in the future, okay? Trust Salvatore. He seemed to love you and Emy a lot. He has his own battles to fight. You can just be patient and supportive for a little longer, please. Everything will end soon. And yeah, he would never hurt you."


    "How do you know him?" Ellison was surprised that Persephone knew Salvatore. And her words were scaring her a bit.


    Persephone just mysteriously smiled."I just do."


    She didn''t know what came over her to say all those words but she just said them anyway. What was the meaning of holding them in her heart?


    Right now, She believed that she and all of them needed to trust Salvatore. Perhaps, he would be able to end this monster named Alessandro Marino.


    Perhaps, just like Salvatore''s secret married life, there was another secret identity of his too. He wasn''t stupid enough to start a battle against his powerful father without any resources.


    She heaved out a sigh. Salvatore Marino really played all of them this time. His disguise was too thick to be infiltrated.


    ...


    Outside, Santiago was waiting for his wife in the car. Earlier this morning, she came to him and kind of surprised him by asking if he would be able to drop her somewhere. At first, he didn''t know why she asked him when she could ask Romeo or Emmanuel but then he felt glad that she asked him not someone else.


    But wow that he observed the Villa that she had entered a few minutes ago, he understood why she did so. All he could say was Persephone''s friend who ran the cafe wasn''t a simple woman. Someone who wasn''t in the same line of work as him wouldn''t be able to find anything suspicious or different about this house, but he, who had seen the worst this world had to offer, could recognize the shadow guards from afar.


    He heaved a sigh of relief as he saw Persephone coming towards him and so he leaned to unlock the passenger seat of the car for her.


    She was breathing heavily as she sat in the car and started fanning her face with her hand. She appeared tense to him for some reason. Then, she looked at him and said, "Get me a Frappuccino from the nearest Starbucks, will you?"


    Santiago was still blinking his eyes at him as he was unable to process that she was talking to him. Don''t get him wrong. They do talk. But never unnecessary. And if she needed something, she would just tell the house help or Emmanuel or Romeo. So, it was a novel kind of experience for him that she asked something to him.


    "Will you or will you not?" She asked him again. She didn''t know why the man was blinking his eyes at him as if he was seeing some bizarre phenomenon happening for the first time ever.


    Santiago fumbled with his words at first as he didn''t know what to say and what he shouldn''t say however he just nodded in the end.


    "Also get me some desserts preferably something chocolate," She added when he was alighting the car to get her what she wanted.


    No, she didn''t want to die out of curiosity and over information. That''s why she was going to drink and eat chocolates to ease her anxiety.


    Moreover, it was the baby bean in her belly that was over-hungry, not her. And he/she demanded some sugary stuff.


    Santiago sighed but nodded in the end. It would be a sin to not buy a pregnant woman what she craved for? He was already a sinner and had no intention of overdoing them. So, he went inside and brought all the things she asked for. Hell, even extra.


    Ten minutes later, he appeared with a bag full of snacks and drinks all preferable for pregnant women and Persephone couldn''t be any more happier.


    "Would you like to go somewhere else or head straight home?" Santiago inquired. He knew that she had been extremely cranky and fussy all because she hadn''t gone out for a while. If he had known that she liked going out, yesterday''s episode wouldn''t have happened. He wouldn''t have gone almost berserk looking for her.


    Persephone glanced at him in hesitation as she asked in a soft voice, "Can we go to a park? Just take a walk or maybe we can sit on the bench for a while."


    Santiago didn''t say anything but he did smile at her and took the detour to the park Persephone liked that was luckily just ten minutes away from where they were.


    He even carried her snacks and drinks while she chose the bench where she would like to savour all of them.. He occupied the seat next to her on the bench when she finally chose one and pass her the drink she was craving earlier and put all the snacks in the space between them.

 Chapter 186 - Know You Better Than You

    "How do you know I was looking for something?" Persephone smiled as she sipped on her drink. She shouldn''t feel giddy hearing him say all those words? But hell, she was.


    Has anyone ever seen a person as complicated as her? The person who couldn''t even hate someone she wanted to. Sometimes she wondered if she was a wicked witch in her last life and God sent a villain like Santiago Vitello just to torment her slowly.


    As much as she did not like him, she still felt sensitive to every word he says or every action he does.


    Slowly, Santiago turned his head to look at her as he responded. "I know you more than you think."


    It wasn''t wrong to say that Santiago knew Persephone more than she did. All her tiny gestures or actions weren''t unnoticed by him. Even for the things she didn''t know why she did, he knew all the time. It wasn''t deliberately just a natural action to him.


    Persephone snorted at his audacity. "Do tell?"


    The ex captor of hers claimed to know her more than she did?


    She wondered where he got the nerve to say this.


    The ever so proud and smug villain!


    One day she would find his weakness and torture the hell out of him.


    "I will when the time comes," He merely smiled at her.


    He knew Persephone was a proud and petty creature. If she hated someone, she would hate him until her last breath. And the source of her frustration was her inability to hate him.


    "What''s my favourite color?" Persephone suddenly asked.


    If he so badly wanted to play this game, then why not just play with him?


    Even she was curious to know where he got the guts to announce that he knew her better than her.


    Santiago, who was watching two toddlers play in the sand in front of him, answered with a smile tugging on his lips. "Blue and Red."


    "Ridiculous!"


    It wasn''t a surprise that she was a crazy fan of the colour blue. And it wasn''t hard to guess that along with the colour blue, Red was her absolute favourite. It could be easily guessed from the clothes she owned.


    "What is it that I want to do but I can''t do at all?" She asked him once again. Since the first one was relatively easy, she chose the toughest one this time.


    "Cooking," Santiago grinned and waved at those two toddlers who were grinning back at him.


    Persephone glared at the empty paper cup in her hand and munched on her chocolate pudding as she tossed the other question, "What is it I am best at doing?"


    "Bluffing," Santiago said, holding back his laughter.


    He wasn''t kidding. Persephone was the queen of bluffing and he had seen evidence to support his argument back at his island. She spinned a story and played the victim card, making him appear a supervillain in their eyes.


    Moreover, her talent of bluffing saved his life once. If it wasn''t for her big words, they would have long been killed at the hands of Covrado the clown, the same idiot Persephone used to call Mr Avocado.


    "Santiago Vitello!!" She hit his chest in rage as she heard his reply. "How dare you say it to my face!"


    "I''m not looking at you, Red," Santiago burst out laughing this time. His laugh was frank, natural and so damn beautiful. "I''m looking at two beautiful angels in front of me."


    Following his gaze, she saw two twins looking and laughing their way. "They are so cute," She coed and waved at them. "Why aren''t we having twins?"


    Santiago was right when he said that this woman had the memory and concentration of a goldfish. One moment she was saying and doing one thing, and another moment she might not remember what she was even doing.


    However, this works for him. She was great with a memory of goldfish.


    Persephone happily waved at the twins and they waved back with grins. She felt upset for a moment that she wasn''t having beautiful twin babies.


    "What are we having?" Santiago inquired. He didn''t even know if they were having one baby or more.


    Many times, he thought about asking her how she was feeling, how the baby was in her belly, what she was craving, if she needed something or if she needed him but the next moment he would remember her crestfallen face and suppress all the yearnings inside his heart by giving the same excuse he didn''t deserve any of them ever and ever. Now even his heart was rebelling against him. He wondered how long he would be able to hold on.


    Persephone didn''t speak anything for a while but later she found herself telling him, "Valencia said we can''t know the sex of the baby until the next ultrasound." She paused as she recalled how the baby looked in her ultrasound picture. "You won''t believe me when I say that the baby bean inside my tummy is ugly as a bean." He saw Santiago glancing at him as if she just called a very pure thing bad so she explained, " Not like I don''t love my baby but he is¡­ I don''t know how to put it in words."


    As a mother, she loved her baby bean and was proud that he/she was growing inside her belly but still she couldn''t bring herself like most women to gush about the beauty of the bean. Not at all.


    She knew that she was crazy and wasn''t ashamed to tell this to Santiago.


    Taking out her cell phone from her handbag, she said, "Wait. Let me show you how ugly the baby actually looks."


    Santiago, looked at her grumbling under her breath while playing with her phone as she couldn''t find that picture. And then suddenly, she showed him the ultrasound picture and he found himself breathless.


    ...


    Author Note:


    You know what I just got an amazing idea for my next book. Let''s see if I will work on it or now.


    PS: the book is related to this story.

 Chapter 187 - No Coincidences

    She didn''t notice a change in his demeanour and started complaining about how both of their good looks were wasted. Yes, she still had a bit of narcissism left in her. He was telling and inwardly laughing and crying while listening to her talking silly like old times as he was caressing the phone screen with the pad of his thumb. Indescribable emotions were swimming in his eyes.


    He didn''t say it out loud that it was the most beautiful picture he had ever seen. He quietly took the phone from her hand and sent the picture on his number without her notice.


    When he saw that her pudding was about to end, he opened the container containing choco lava cake and placed it on her lap. She offered him a smile as she took a bite of the cake. As expected, it was delicious.


    "You are not allowed to tell Valencia that I ate all these snacks," She made Santiago swear, who was more than happy to oblige.


    "Of course, I won''t snitch on you," He promised her without blinking an eye. Today, he would allow her to do as she wished. She gave him such a huge gift, it was natural that he would want to give her something in return. However, it didn''t mean that he would allow her to eat this junk every day. Such treatment was reserved just once in a while. "But you aren''t allowed to touch snacks for the whole week. You will only eat what Romeo will cook for you."


    Persephone happily nodded her head.


    "Where did you get Romeo?" She questioned him. "I mean he is such a beautiful and delicate boy, burning his abs in the kitchen. It''s such a shame for a boy with such good looks."


    Suddenly Santiago was reminded of how chummy she and Romeo were at that time. No, he couldn''t forget how both of them fed him disastrous food and what justification they used? That he was sick? No, he didn''t want those days to be back. It was better if they stayed only polite with each other, nothing more.


    "Just here and there," he replied vaguely.


    "How badly do you want to screw Alessandro Marino?" Persephone suddenly asked him.


    "As badly as you want to seek freedom." Although he found her question unexpected, he still replied.


    "I never told you about it " Persephone looked at him in horror.


    "Told you, I know you more than you do, "he smiled at him.


    "Perhaps." This time she was convinced that he knew her more than she expected him. And the question still remained unanswered -- how?


    ¡­


    Persephone didn''t say anything for a long time. But then something happened and she found herself telling him, "Ellison...I mean Emy''s mom is Alicia Palmero." She let out a chuckle. "The girl Lucian lost his life while saving. You know what Santiago, I realised nothing in this life is a coincidence anymore."


    "You are not joking, Percy, are you?" Santiago asked her with wide eyes.


    Alicia Palmero. Killian''s sister. They finally found her. He couldn''t imagine how thrilled Killian was going to be when he would receive the news that they found his sister in the end. And the little girl he was so attached to was no one else but his own niece.


    Persephone hit his arm and glared. "Why do you think I will joke about this?"


    "Ellison, your and Valencia''s friend who runs the cafe you are obsessed, with is Alicia Palmero?" Santiago asked her once again." The same girl who was supposed to be dead according to your father is alive?"


    Persephone nodded her head.


    "We are going home now," Santiago reacted before he could decipher the words that just settled in his brain.


    "Wait. Why?" Persephone was bewildered. "You can''t hurt her!"


    She didn''t want Salvatore and Santiago to be at loggerheads. If Santiago even tried to touch a strand of Ellison''s hair, Salvatore was gonna wreak havoc.


    Moreover, Ellison had Emy. She knew Santiago was not cruel enough to hurt them but still if Alessandro Marino got the whiff that Alicia was alive and worse Salvatore''s wife, she dared not to think what he might do to them.


    "Sweetheart, I am not going to hurt her," Santiago sighed. "Hell, I can''t even think of hurting her."


    "Why?" Her pretty brows furrowed as she heard him. Did he know Alicia from before too? Even if he did, what did it have to do with her?


    "I can''t tell you now," Santiago told her as he heaved out a sigh while scratching his forehead. " Not that I don''t want to but it''s not my secret to share."


    "Oh¡­" Her face fell.


    "Shall we go home now? I have to tell this news to someone immediately."


    "No, you can''t!" Persephone cried. "It will put her in danger."


    She felt stupid for telling this news to Santiago now. What would Alicia do if someone gets to know that she was alive? Her life would be put in danger.


    Santiago shook his head undertaking where her line of thought was going. "Red, her brother is alive too. He has been looking for her for years now. Let the poor man know. He deserves it."


    "Alicia Palmero''s brother?" She inquired.


    How the hell did all the dead were coming back to life?


    It was even absurd to think that someone else from the Palmero family was still alive.


    And another question: how did Santiago know that Alicia Palmero''s brother was alive?


    Were they acquainted?


    Were they looking for Alicia too?


    Suddenly something clicked in her mind as she looked at Santiago with a look of disbelief. "Killian Palmero?"


    Santiago sighed as he saw that she figured it out on her own and so he just nodded at her.


    "I repeat my words, nothing in life is coincidence," Persephone murmured.


    ....


    Author Note:


    An announcement guys. I started writing my new book ''Unscrupulous Enchantress, the ex wife has returned''. Chapters will be updated daily onwards from 1 of January! I''m so happy to share.


    Also, add my book with the same author name as ''tanusam '' on Fizzo to read books without spending a penny!

 Chapter 188 - Surprise Party For Killian

    Emma was busy on her phone when the doorbell rang.


    "Yeah. I will see you tomorrow. Make sure you teach on time," Emma said as she stood up to open the door.


    "Of course not!" She quickly added. "Although we are on friendly terms, it still doesn''t change the fact that he and I are exes. And I will not make my husband uncomfortable by inviting Marinos. Isabelle and I were on cordial terms earlier. We still are but now she is his wife. I am avoiding exes as much as I can."


    The doorbell rang again and she increased her speed. "I will call you later, Lily. And no I am not inviting Scuderi''s for my housewarming party. Sophia hates my guts. Nico is Persephone''s ex. Don''t want them to be awkward, do we?"


    "Then who the hell is even coming to your party, Emmaline?" She heard her best friend yell in frustration.


    "I have more than twenty guests, Lily. They will come," Emma said while disconnecting the phone. "And goodbye."


    She ran to open the door as once again the doorbell rang. When she opened the door, she was surprised to find Santiago standing outside. He seemed to be panting as if he had just run a mile.


    "Mr Vitello?" Emma smiled although she was afraid to see him at her doorstep. Don''t get her wrong. She just felt weird seeing him and Killian pretending to be unfamiliar and nasty to each other.


    "Please call me Santiago," Santiago offered her a polite smile. His body language showed her that he seemed to respect her. She had no interaction with this man before then why the heck was he giving her such treatment? Whatever, she would just take it. After all, gentlemen were hard to come by.


    He further added, " And I will take the liberty of calling you Emma only if you don''t mind."


    "Not at all," A smile formed on her face as she welcomed him. " Please come in."


    Santiago nodded and came inside. He seemed to be searching for someone inside. He asked her with knitted brows, "Is Killian not at home?"


    Hearing him calling Killian with a hint of familiarity, she furrowed her brow and kept her questions to herself. However, she was not as confused as she initially thought about how they all were acquainted with each other.


    She believed that she needed to be patient and trust her husband. If he wanted to share something with her, he would when he was ready. There was no point in forcing him. It would make her appear mistrusting.


    "He called earlier and informed me that he can''t come home tonight," Emma told Santiago with an apologetic smile. "He is busy with an important task. If you have something urgent, you can tell me and I will inform him whenever he calls at home. You can call him too but right now his phone is out of reach."


    "It''s okay," He said as he turned to leave. He seemed to be in a hurry. " I will tell him one call if my call goes through. But if he calls you, just tell him Santiago dropped by. " He paused for a moment and then asked, "Any idea when he will be back?"


    "Perhaps, until tomorrow evening," Emma replied. Killian had told her that he would be back before the party but if he didn''t come before evening, he would inform her first.


    He didn''t tell her what task made him so busy to even keep his phone switched off but if he could share the information, she assumed he would have.


    He only told her that it was a confidential task and he couldn''t disclose the information. And as a supporting wife, what could she do instead of nodding her head?


    How could she question him when she didn''t even know his job?


    Sometimes, she wondered why her husband was so mysterious.


    "Emma?" She heard Santiago calling her.


    She came out of trance and looked at his face. "Do you hear me?"


    "I''m sorry, what did you say?" She didn''t hear what he just said


    "I said please ask him to call me as soon as possible," Santiago answered. He was worried that if he didn''t tell Killian about Alicia as soon as possible something might happen and all their progress might go back to square one.


    And he didn''t want that. They had unexpectedly found Alicia Palmero this time. As soon as he informed Killian about the newly found information, the better it would be.


    Until Killian came he would increase security around Alicia. This way he would be able to keep track of location as well as keep her secure. If Persephone could get to know that Ellison was Alicia, so could Don Marino. That man had his ways. And he wasn''t the one to be underestimated.


    "Santiago, everything is alright?" Emma was getting scared seeing the expressions changing on Santiago''s face.


    She wondered what might have caused him to be so worried. It couldn''t be a simple matter if he was so nervous and anxious.


    " Of course, "He forced a smile on his face but it was so damn fake that he wasn''t able to convince her. "It''s just work-related. Nothing too serious."


    He didn''t know if Killian had told Emma about his past. And what would be the implications if he did. Not wanting to dwell on it, he turned on his heel to leave for his next destination.


    "And Santiago, don''t forget about the party tomorrow night," Emma said when Santiago was exiting the door. " Ask Persephone to remind Valencia once again. And please bring your friends and the handsome boys who gave us apple pie this morning."


    Santiago chuckled at Emmanuel''s action at making friends with their new neighbours but nodded his head in the end.


    He just hoped that Killian would return soon and his attempts to have a conversation with Ellison Salvatore aka Alicia Palmero goes successfully.


    And if it went successfully, this housewarming party might transform into a surprise party for Killian.

 Chapter 189 - Persephone Meets Callum

    It was early morning the next day when Persephone was woken up by the bout of morning sickness. She puked all the chocolates she ate last night in the toilet. And she was feeling bad for wasting all the delicious food. If she could, she would have cried out. But poor her wasn''t even allowed to cry.


    It was hardly five o''clock and she was so hungry that she could eat a whole pig right now.


    No, it wasn''t just her who was hungry. The baby was asking for food. After all, she just threw up what she ate yesterday. Obviously, she would be hungry now.


    Pregnancy is a weird experience. One moment she was puking. The other moment she was starving.


    She lay on the bed and closed her eyes while waiting for sleep to come. But the tiny baby in her belly was asking for food.


    In frustration, she threw the duvet and went out of the bed.


    Since she wasn''t able to sleep, she would just have a long long bubble bath and pass her time until someone woke up and cooked her a delicious but healthy meal.


    She had never felt until this day the importance of cooking.


    After taking a long long bath as she decided and changing into comfortable but beautiful home clothes, she went out of the washroom only to find that it had only been fifteen minutes.


    Yes, fifteen minutes.


    Why would time flow so slow when you are waiting for someone?


    She had a dire urge to stomp her feet.


    In the end, she came out of her room to find something to eat in the kitchen.


    Entering the kitchen, she found there was nothing to eat. Yeah, that''s how unlucky she was.


    However, she did find some bread and Nutella.


    To Persephone, Nutella was her life-saving spread. It was like nothing could go wrong with Nutella. She had used enough Tiktok to pass time that she knew all the crazy food she could make with Nutella.


    If Nutella was her life-saving spread then Tiktok was her saving grace.


    Spreading the Nutella on one side of the bread she placed another piece of bread on it and closed its borders with a fork and put it in the toaster and waited for it to prepare while making a cup of decaf for herself.


    As she was about to eat the delicacy she just cooked, she heard the doorbell ring. Her brows scrunched up. Who could it be this early in the morning?


    Whoever, it was they could wait. She didn''t have the emery to open the door without eating something.


    The baby inside was fainting due to hunger. And as the baby''s beautiful mama, how could she let it be hungry for another moment?


    No, can''t do it.


    The doorbell ringer had to wait for the baby to eat first.


    She stuffed two toasts inside her mouth and took a mouthful of now warm coffee.


    The doorbell rang once again.


    This time she wondered clearly who could be ringing the bell?


    Santiago was asleep now. She knew he came late at night and wouldn''t be awake until eight. Apparently, he valued his sleep more than anything.


    Now don''t ask how she knew but she just did.


    Suppressing all her curiosities that were very hard for her, she walked to open the door now that she finally got some energy.


    As she opened the door, she was struck speechless as she found a very dashing gentleman standing on the door. For a moment, she thought if this angel had mistakenly fallen on her doorsteps.


    But then she noticed that he had a lounge bag in one of his hands and dressed in all black, looking all kind of devilish with a hint of something spicy and angelic.


    She further noted that he had very gorgeous black eyes. The kind of black which was the colour of the darkest night. Not only those eyes, but even his hair were as dark as his eyes and they could mesmerise any woman.


    His hair was long enough to easily touch his nose. But he had combed them in a very elegant manner, not at all appearing unkempt.


    He had full lips and a chiselled face that could have any A-lister Hollywood actors run for the money.


    In simple words, he was so handsome that she felt as if he didn''t belong to this mortal world.


    And then something happened that compelled her to go gaga over him.


    "Good morning, Sister-in-law, " He greeted her with a very gentle smile in Sicilian.


    Dammit, who was this guy?


    And where the hell did he drop from?


    He couldn''t belong to this world.


    He was too good to belong here.


    No, she didn''t have any wrong ideas about him at all. It was just that she was thinking that he couldn''t be a bad man at all. If anyone doesn''t believe what she said, just look at his manners.


    Can a man as well mannered as he be bad?


    "I apologise for disturbing you so early but neither Killian nor Nash were picking my phone and so I have no other option but to come to Santiago''s house," he spoke in Sicilian in that hypnotic voice of his and she found herself blinking at him in fascination. Seeing that she wasn''t replying, he hit his forehead in an oops kinda way. And then spoke in heavy accented English, "I''m Callum."


    "I''m Persephone," She held her hand to shake but he, in a very old fashioned manner, kissed the back of her hand. And Persephone blushed stupidly. She admitted that she had a very tiny bit of a crush on this species of men."And I can understand what you were saying. I was just shocked and kind of frozen to see you."


    "Ah, please I''m not that of a big deal," Callum smiled at her and those two dimples in his cheeks became prominent, thickening her fan filter.. "I''m just Callum and you can call me by my name, sister-in-law."

 Chapter 190 - Send Me Home

    "Please come in," Persephone asked him to come inside. She couldn''t just make all the conversation on the door, could she? She took his coat and bag and asked, "Would you like to freshen up?"


    Callum shook his head. He didn''t need anything else but some good food. He was famished. "I would love some nice food that doesn''t include sandwiches, burgers or worse vegetables."


    He wasn''t shy at all. He believed that one must not be shy in matters involving food. Or he would remain a starving man all his life.


    "Ah¡­" How could Persephone tell him now that she didn''t know how to cook?


    She could see her in this man. Moments ago, she was starving and couldn''t think straight. She wondered how she would ask him to wait for a few moments until someone wakes up and cooks him a meal? Or maybe, she could order something. But who would deliver her food at 5.30 in the morning?


    As if Callum could read the dilemma he had put her in, he said next, "You don''t have to worry about cooking. Just hand me your kitchen for a few minutes and I will be okay." Seeing how her expressions didn''t ease, he added, "It''s okay if you don''t want to. I don''t want to sound imposing."


    "No. No. Please go ahead." Persephone would be born a supervillain in her next life if she stopped a hungry man from eating. And if he could cook for himself, wouldn''t it solve her problem?


    Callum offered her a smile and went inside the kitchen to cook himself breakfast. No, he wasn''t feeling embarrassed at all. This was Santiago''s house and here he couldn''t be awkward in asking for food. All four of them could cook and so it wasn''t a big deal where they ate their meals. Sometimes, it would be at Santiago''s house or other times at Killian''s. Nash was lazy and he was just too busy with work that they would starve to death if not for Santiago or Killian.


    When Callum was cooking, Persephone was staring at him with her elbows placed on the winning table.. She practically had stars in her eyes. How could a man be so perfect? Handsome. Check. Gentleman. Check. Polite. Check. And ridiculously sexy. Double checked.


    And then there was her husband. It was hard for him to say something sweet. He had never cooked for her. Never asked talked like a gentleman to her.


    "Are you close with Killian like Santiago?" Persephone skillfully started the topic. She knew Santiago and Killian were somehow acquainted but didn''t know how. She was gathering information on Santiago as she wanted to know what was his weakness. What could make that man fall on his knees?


    Callum nodded as he didn''t find her question suspicious. "Santiago, Killian, Nash and I had been together for more than fifteen years. We spent more time together with each other than with anyone had spent with their families. So, you can say we guys are tight as a pack."


    It could be deciphered from the fact that they used to have three meals a day almost together at least thrice a week.


    Persephone laughed at the choice of his words. "A pack of four with Santiago as Alpha?"


    She could literally imagine Santiago as the alpha of the pack with three boys following him.


    Calllum shook his head in laughter. He didn''t know she had a merry personality. People living with Santiago usually ended up depressed or dark but she was a unique gem. "You can say it like this. He matches the personality of Alpa, doesn''t he? Brooding, furry, grumpy all the time."


    "Absolutely," Persephone agreed without any qualms.


    Callum, who had finished cooking, came with two plates full of food. He placed before Persephone and took another for him.


    "Won''t you have coffee?" He noticed that she came with only one cup of coffee.


    Persephone pouted and then pointed at her belly,"Little guy here doesn''t allow his momma to have coffee."


    Callum''s eyes widened for a second before he masked his expressions. "Congratulations. Well, I didn''t know or else I would have come with a gift."


    Well, what the hell was happening with these guys?


    First, Santiago dropped the bomb that he married Persephone Marino. Yes, the same woman he had stolen from a church.


    Then, he found out that Nash was in love with a girl and Santiago was raising hell for some reason.


    As if it was less of news for him to digest, Killian informed him that he was married in Vegas. And that woman was no one else but Emmaline Palmero.


    And now Persephone just told him that she was pregnant with a mini villain in her belly.


    Was it what they call retribution?


    He didn''t want to stay in New York any longer now. He wanted to go back home. What if he was hitched here with someone too?


    No. No. He didn''t want to get married or worse become a dad.


    Dammit, he should have believed that Karma is a bitch.


    "Don''t be so polite," He heard Persephone say. "Your heavenly breakfast is more than enough."


    It might be heavenly for her but it wasn''t edible for him anymore.


    He wanted to go home badly.


    ¡­.


    When both of them were laughing and joking like some long disconnected friend reuniting, a brooding and grumpy Alpha was staring at them, his eyes flaring with furry.


    As if Callum could feel constant glares thrown his way, he glanced up to discover Santiago standing away from them, his posture suggesting that he wasn''t happy with the scene unfolding before his eyes. But Callum mustered up to give out a tight smile.


    Why was God so callous?


    How could a sweet girl like Persephone be bound to this asshole?


    She could have any man begging her to choose him but look at the twisted play of destiny.


    Persephone followed Callum''s gaze and swallowed the piece of bacon that got stuck in her throat when she noticed Santiago''s piercing gaze settling on her face.

 Chapter 191 - Herbivores

    Persephone followed Callum''s gaze and swallowed the piece of bacon that got stuck in her throat when she noticed Santiago''s piercing gaze settling on her face. However, he didn''t say or do anything. He just walked to the kitchen and made his own coffee before taking a chair between Callum and Persephone.


    None of them spoke from the time their gaze fell on him to him sitting between them.


    Why were they feeling guilty?


    As if their behaviour didn''t bother him, Santiago turned his head to look at her and found her plate loaded with bacon and eggs with no vegetables in sight. He simply asked her, "This was cooked by callum?"


    Persephone blinked her eyes. "How do you know?"


    "You can''t cook, dear wife," Santiago replied as a matter of fact. "Except for the stuff you mix with Nutella of course." He had noticed that she had done another experiment with Nutella once again.


    What was this woman''s obsession with that spread?


    "We could have ordered from outside?" Persephone responded. "And before calling my food just some stuff, you better remember you liked that too."


    Santiago wasn''t saying that he didn''t like what she made that time. He was just mentioning the obvious."I''m just saying because you promised that you will not have any chocolate this week. Did you forget?"


    "Santiago, I was hungry," Persephone said in frustration. "I don''t know how to cook. I can''t even offer food this early. What I was supposed to do? I was so hungry that I couldn''t breathe. I waited for you or the boys to wake up. But nobody woke up. And now that I finally have some delicious food, you are complaining."


    "I''m not complaining," Santiago sighed. He didn''t know how to talk with her without ending the argument. "I''m just saying Persephone that you need to eat some healthy food. Too much chocolate and meat is not good for you. And don''t overeat too." Pointing his finger at the plate of food, he said,"This food is cooked by him. Only Callum has a glaring hate for vegetables."


    "I just avoid things I don''t like,"Callum shrugged.


    "I don''t like vegetables,"Persephone told Santiago.


    "Since when?" Santiago raised his brows.


    "Since the time you guys started giving me cow''s food," She rendered him speechless. She looked at Callum and complained. "Do you know they feed me what herbivores eat? And if they give me some meat or eggs, it''s bland. No spice, nothing. I don''t even remember when I had pizza last time. Growing up I hated Italian food because of how often I used to have it. But now? I crave the spicy food my mama used to make. People of this house don''t treat me like a human anymore."


    Callum looked at her in pity as if he couldn''t imagine her pain.


    "You are extremely dramatic, Persephone," Santiago uttered.


    Persephone had a look of disbelief on her face. "I''m pregnant, Santiago. You are making a pregnant woman suffer for food. I am telling you that you will meet your retribution soon."


    "Not soon, baby. My retribution is sitting next to me," He snickered at her.


    "Ridiculous," Persephone muttered under her breath and grabbed a bite of bacon. Only good food will calm her down.


    "You are not allowed to eat anything chocolate or sugary now," Santiago once again instructed Persephone.


    "You can''t order me around," She retorted.


    "I can''t but someone else can," Santiago reminded her with a kind smile. "Do you need me to give Valencia a call?"


    "Asshole," Persephone muttered under her breath and started eating breakfast, completely ignoring his presence. No, she didn''t know this man at all.


    "Did you talk to Nash?" Callum asked him. He was enjoying their banter but decided not to encourage them.So, he changed the topic.


    Santiago sighed, wondering why he had to deal with brats everywhere. "You think he is ready to talk to me? It''s enough that Valencia only broke my laptop yesterday, not my face."


    Persephone''s ears caught the information but she didn''t show anything on her face. She was only chewing her food, not hearing anything at all.


    This Nash they were telling was the same man who saved her? She remembered Valencia saying her pursuer''s name was Nash too. Could it be that he was the same Nash that her husband was acquainted with?


    It sounded fishy. Chew. Chew. She had to gather more information. Chew. Chew. But how?


    Then, suddenly her gaze fell on Callum and an evil smile bloomed on her face.


    "Aren''t you being too strict on them? They are adults, Santiago. They had their right to chose the one they liked, '''' Callum said, trying to make Santiago see another angel. But hell if it was so easy to convince this villain.


    "Nash is an adult?" Santiago snorted. "Since when?"


    He had his fair share of squandering and womanising days. But he would never be able to compete with Nash on this criteria. At least, he could count on his fingers the number of women he had been with. But Nash? The dude had no number.


    How could he imagine his younger sister who had his dick in almost all the socialites of Maisean? This was just about socialites and the number of maids and palace staff Nash had fucked had no number.


    Nash was childish, impulsive and rash. The man who didn''t value his own life. How was he good for Valencia and her son?


    Santiago might not have this attitude if Valencia was like a normal good girl falling for a bad boy like Nash. He knew that Nash could be a charming bastard sometimes and he was quite a catch for many women. But for Valencia? Was he a good man?


    Valencia had her emotional baggage. She was a mother of eight years. And she was still Cameron''s guardian.


    Cameron would be an adult in a few months but still he needed her. Valencia had to uproot her life in this country and move with Nash.


    There were so many reasons why they weren''t good for each other yet he couldn''t help but feel bad for being the factor that was stopping his best friend and sister from uniting.

 Chapter 192 - Pregnant Not Sick

    Cameron would be an adult in a few months but still, he needed her. Valencia had to uproot her life from this country and move with Nash.


    There were so many reasons why they weren''t good for each other yet he couldn''t help but feel bad for being the factor that was stopping his best lifriend and sister from uniting.


    "At least, he is not a grumpy old man like you," Callum snorted.


    "When is your return ticket?" Santiago asked instead.


    "Day after tomorrow." Callum had his flight book for return two days later because he didn''t have the energy to travel twice.


    "Why so late?" Santiago frowned.


    "Why? Are you afraid that you can''t feed me?" Calling tossed accusations at him. Why has this man changed so much after getting married? "Or food at home is not enough to feed another man?"


    "No. No, brother. Don''t listen to this Villain," Persephone interrupted. "We have food. Lots of food. You can stay as long as you wish."


    She really really liked Callum and didn''t want him to return soon because of Villain.


    "Red?" Villain smiled at her "You are asking the guest to stay? Do you even know how to cook?"


    Persephone knitted her brows as if she was dealing with a dumb man. "Santiago, he is not a guest. He is your brother. Meaning your family. You can''t ask your family members to return just because I can''t cook. And even if I can''t cook, Romeo can. Moreover, big bro knows how to cook."


    "Big bro?" Santiago smirked. How the hell did Callum win her over? She was the most difficult woman he had ever encountered.


    "He is older than you and the other two. So, he is your big bro, isn''t he?" Persephone asked while blinking her eyes. Looking at Callum, she asked, "Didn''t you say you are the big brother?"


    Callum nodded his head. He had to admit this sister-in-law of his was very cute. They were going to make one hell of a pair. Suddenly, he was looking forward to seeing Santiago and her kids.


    Santiago stared at them. "You know what?! You can stay here as long as you wish. I don''t care.


    He stood up to cook something for himself, leaving those two behind.


    They weren''t playing fair.


    Of course, Persephone didn''t know that her words hit his heart like arrows.


    "He is a softie acting like an asshole all the time," Callum told her as Santiago left.


    "Hey, what Valencia were you both talking about?" Persephone whispered. She was hoping to gather some news from him until Santiago returned.


    "How many Valencia do you know?" Callum raised his brow.


    "Just one," She answered. "She is my doctor-slash-friend."


    Callum let out an oh.


    "We were talking about the one who is Santiago''s younger sister," he answered while leaving.


    ...


    Persephone was wearing an emerald velvet mini dress with long sleeves. Her hair was tied into a pony. She opted for light makeup and a cherry red lipstick to give her a final touch. Her silver low heels matched the dress quite well. She was getting ready for Emma''s housewarming ceremony.


    And now she was waiting for Santiago to finally come home and so they could go together. As much as in discord they were in private, they couldn''t show it to others. In public eyes, they had a role to play.


    Persephone checked time once again. Where was this man?


    Didn''t he say he would be back on time?


    Taking deep breaths, she calmed down her anger. No, she couldn''t kill him. Calm down, Percy.


    Holding the huge wrapped up painting, she came out of her room and found Callum frowning at his phone. As he heard incoming footsteps, his eyes went wide as he saw Persephone holding a painting almost her size, coming his way. She was barely able to walk with her heels and then she was holding that huge painting. Her feet twisted but he ran to grab her wrist with one hand and painting with the other before she would fall on her ass.


    "Thank you for saving the painting, "She said, breathing in relief. "Or else, I would have to wrap it up again."


    Callum looked at her in bewilderment. "Little sis, I don''t care about painting. I''m sure neither does Santiago. But if you have fallen, I wouldn''t be able to answer your husband."


    Why did she always forget that she was with the baby?


    Persephone pursed her lips, realizing her stupidity. "Where is he? He is not even picking my phone now. He said he will be back on time."


    "Hell if I knew, "He shared the same frustration as her. " BTW, what''s this huge painting for?"


    "We are going to Emma and Killian''s house warming party and so it''s a little gift from our side," Persephone told him.


    "Little?" Callum studied the painting once again. "It doesn''t look little. Again, why are you going them painting? Isn''t it just a party?"


    "You don''t bring gifts for your friends to their housewarming party?" Persephone asked him.


    "We have never given gifts to each other. It''s awkward as hell," Callum told her.


    Meanwhile, Persephone''s phone flashed with a message.


    "Santiago is asking me to go with you," Persephone frowned looking at Callum who just shrugged in return. It seemed he didn''t find Santiago''s behaviour infuriating or strange.


    "Let me grab car keys," Callum said.


    "Why?"


    "Because I am driving. I can''t let a pregnant woman drive me places."


    Persephone laughed at his answer. "We can''t go there by car."


    "Then how will we go?"


    "We will walk!" Persephone answered, horrifying Callum.


    "Can you walk in this condition?" He looked at her then at her heels and finally at the huge painting that he was holding.


    "I''m pregnant, not sick."


    "Sure if you say so."


    "Don''t tell me Killian is your neighbour?" He asked with a look of shock when they stopped at the house next door.


    Persephone just smiled brightly.

 Chapter 193 - Emma Met Callum

    "And they say they aren''t on speaking terms?" Callum grumbled under his breath.


    Actually, they all were not in hate with each other as they were claiming to be. They were just mad at each other for not sticking together. But if either of them were in trouble, they would be the first one to leave everything to be there for him.


    Even today when they were in trouble, they would call each other not anyone else.


    Like when Nash was heartbroken he was seeking refuge at Killian''s. He was infuriating and troubling Killian without any break but not once did he throw Nash out. He was trying to help the friend who was heartbroken because that was what he should do.


    "Who?" Persephone couldn''t help but ask. Even She was intrigued by the dynamics of their friendship. It was weird and confusing as heck. It was out of her understanding capabilities but she was trying.


    "Santiago and Killian."


    "That''s why they gave each other looks as if Santiago had cheated on Killian with a mistress," Persephone said, imagining how Santiago might have cheated on his boy love with a mistress. Could the mistress discussion be her? Oh my God. She shouldn''t think about it. "I find it creepy and strange and I am sure Emma did too.


    Callum grunted at her imaginative mind. "Killian might act all indifferent and cool but he is the biggest drama queen. He wants people to coax him. And Santiago is a brooding and grumpy asshole. So, I can imagine what you are saying."


    Persephone nodded. "Oh, so you are trying to bridge a gap between the two?"


    Callum scoffed at her suggestion. "We four aren''t on speaking terms."


    Why would he be bridging the gap between them? Those three were fighting. It had nothing to do with him. He hadn''t said a word from beginning till end but the next thing he knew was that no one talked to each other from the next day. And this angered him.


    "Then why are you going to the party?"


    Persephone''s question was valid. If they all were not on speaking terms. Then why were they going to the party. It didn''t sound good.


    "You asked me to come with you," Callum answered as a matter of fact. "I''m not going there for Killian."


    When Persephone asked him if he would like to go to a party at Killian''s house, he just nodded. He didn''t find anything wrong with it. They used to be present at the parties thrown by each other all the time without any need of invitation. So, he didn''t find it weird at all.


    "Wouldn''t it be weird?" Persephone questioned him.


    "How so?" Callum raised his brow. " I can eat, drink and dance without talking to Killian Nash or Santiago."


    Callum was making it seem so easy yet so difficult.


    "But you were talking with Santiago in the morning," Persephone reminded him.


    "No, we were discussing work," Callum informed him. "Not talking."


    "Big bro, I think you liked to be coaxed too,"Persephone shared the evaluation of her study. "I feel like you are waiting for Villain and the other two to properly apologise for causing you emotional injury. In short, you are waiting to be coaxed by them properly."


    "Aye, a man also liked to be coaxed sometimes," Callum agreed.


    "Then get a woman!" Persephone advised him. "She will coax you all day and night."


    "Let''s not talk about women, little sister," Callum patted her shoulder as he placed the high painting on the ground. He let out a heavy sigh."One has become my damnation and I don''t think that I can afford another for the time being."


    "Why is it so?" She questioned him..


    "Because I can''t separate her from my life at this phase of my life, " Callum said. "She has become my obsession and profession."


    "Wow. She must be a goddess to have your attention," Persephone found herself saying.


    "Only if I know how she looks," Callum sighed.


    "This is weird."


    "I know. I know."


    ...


    Persephone and Callum rang the bell and a very gorgeously dressed Emma appeared to open the door. She was outfitted in pastel pink dress, her golden hair made in a bun, bringing out her high cheekbones and pretty brown eyes.


    She hugged Persephone as soon as she saw her but paused in her movement when she saw Persephone with a man who wasn''t her husband. But the smile on her lips didn''t falter.


    "Emma met Callum. He is Santiago''s best friend slash brother, " Persephone introduced. "And Callum please meet Emma. This gorgeous goddess is Killain''s wife."


    They greeted each other politely as they were meeting for the first time.


    "Ah, what''s this?" Emma pointed at the wrapped painting.


    "A present for your new home," Persephone grinned. "Don''t say I shouldn''t be so polite. Let me tell you girlfriend, I felt so pleased burning a hole in my husband''s pocket."


    Emma laughed and accepted the gift.


    "Valencia apologized for not being able to attend," Persephone had said when Emma asked her about Valencia. "Her son is sick and she has to take care of him."


    "Oh, it must be hard for her," Emma said waving her hand. " Tell her I don''t mind. We will have several chances of meeting again."


    "By the way, where is Santiago?" She asked when she noticed that Santiago didn''t come with them.


    "He is out for work,"Persephone found herself replying. " He said he will meet me here."


    "Okay." Even if Valencia found two of them strange, she didn''t say anything.


    "You have lot of people here," Persephone commented as they entered the living room where party was in full swing.


    "Emmaline Palmero also know how to throw parties. It''s not just Marinos," Emma proudly said, flipping her imaginary hair.


    Persephone burst out laughing . "You know what? You are fucking right."


    ....


    Author Note: Just few chapters left for this volume. Yes, it will end at 200.. And new volume will start from there.

 Chapter 194 - Man With Broken Legs And Broken Heart

    Emmaline laughed at her attempt at joking and passed her a drink. Before Persephone could take the glass, she paused and looked at her in horror, "You know what else?"


    "What?" Emma inquired with interest.


    " I need to go to the toilet,"Persephone announced and quickly trotted away. "And you take care of my big bro."


    "Big bro?"Emma paused for a moment.


    "Yes." Persephone pointed her finger at Callum while leaving. "He is my big bro from now on."


    Persephone really liked Callum. She believed that both of them shared the same vibe and energy. Why waste time in getting to know the people who share the same vibe as you?


    Once Persephone left, Emma studied Callum once again from head to toe. It was like her intense gaze was trying to see through him.


    "She called you big bro," Emma, who was still in shock, said after a while. "I think we need to get introduced once again. This time more finely." She extended her hand. "I''m Emmaline Palmero. Killian''s wife. I don''t know if you know him or pretend to not know him."


    "Dr Callum Facci," Callum shook his hand. "No, I don''t know that asshole."


    Emma laughed at his answer. She ignored that he called her husband an asshole because his tone didn''t mean anything insulting, just super friendly. "I think you belong to the same group Santiago does."


    Callum shrugged and took a sip of his drink. He didn''t know what group Santiago belonged to and neither did he have any wish to know it.


    "Actually, even if you guys pretend to not know. Your accents gave it away," Emma told him her evaluation. " All four of you have similar accents when you speak English."


    "Four?" Callum raised his brow. "You met Nash already?"


    "Well, he is inside," Emma shrugged. "He has been in an accident. Killian had informed me." Pointing at the room, across the hall, she said, "They are inside. Do you want me to lead you there?


    "I don''t think it will be right," Callum said instead.He wasn''t ready to hear Nash telling his soap story.


    "Sorry. Sorry," Persephone appeared walking fast towards them. "I didn''t want to bail on you guys. But trust me, being pregnant is not so easy after all. I need to empty my bladder every ten minutes. Lord bless me."


    "You girl, take care of yourself,"Emm sighed.


    Persephone flashed her a grin.


    "Big bro, you enjoy it here. We are going to dance." Persephone took Emma''s hand to take her where their girlfriends were dancing.


    Did that Villain think she won''t be able to enjoy the party without him?


    Well, screw him.


    ..


    "I''m going to see my wife," Killian announced.


    "Go. Go. Why would you even care about me now?" Nash snorted at him? He was lying on the bed. His leg and an arm was put in plaster while his head was wrapped with a bandage.


    "Nash, what the hell is your problem?" Killian couldn''t help but scowl. He spend all the day taking care of him but not only did this sick man not appreciate his effort but had been talking nonsense all along.


    "I''m miserable and you should be miserable with me," This was nash''s reply to Killian''s burst of anger. "This is the first rule of friendship."


    "Who the hell is your friend, Nash?"


    No, he didn''t want to be friend with this sarcastic brute. He could screw himself and he was going to entertain his snotty attitude.


    Once again, why the hell he took responsibility of Nash?


    If he was in such a difficult position, he wondered what Nash was going to do when he reaches back home?


    He would annoy the hell out of Callum. Although Callum appear patience and cool, only he knew what he was capable of doing if someone gets on his nerves.


    "Get lost. Why would you be friends with a man whose legs and heart is broken?"


    This was Nash''s attitude now that he was lying on bed with a broken arm and leg.


    "Nash," Killian sighed. "Take your medicine and try to sleep now. I''m going out to accompany my wife. She has a party arranged in the house. And I''m not going to put her in difficult place by leaving her there alone. If you need anything just call me."


    With this said, he left the room.


    Someone give him a breather or else he would go mad.


    ¡­


    Killian saw a man sitting on the sofa quietly drinking his drink. As usual it was a non alcoholic. He seemed to be in a different world as if the buzz of this world didn''t appear to bother him at all. Only Callum would drink a non alcoholic drink in a party and enjoy it as it is nectar.


    With another gaze, he saw his wife with Persephone dancing with their friends, enjoying the party.


    At least, someone else was enjoying the party.


    With a sigh, he took a seat next to Callum and chose the same sickening sweet drink as him.


    How on earth was he able to drink this?


    Silently, he placed the drink back on table and chose another.


    "She is good for you," He heard Callum say. "I am afraid of staying here for any moment. I''m afraid if I don''t go back I will be hitched like the three of you."


    Killian snickered at his response. "You won''t, until you find your duchess."


    "She is not mine," Callum quickly retorted.


    The duchess was on run and even if she was a goddess as Persephone had said, he wouldn''t make someone like her his.


    This novel is a contracted work with W e b n o v e l. c o m (remove spaces). If you''re not reading ''The Villain '' on W e b n o v e l, it has been stolen.. It''s very heartbreaking to see pirates profiting from my hard work. Please support the original author,(tanu_sam

 Chapter 195 - Misunderstood Heroes?

    The duchess was on run and even if she was a goddess as Persephone had said, he wouldn''t make someone like her his. He had no wish for becoming hero by saving her. His job was to catch her and drag her back to the hell that she had dig for her.


    "Any news on her?" Killian questioned him.


    "None," Callum answered. " It''s as if she is a ghost."


    The Duchess had means and resources of hiding. And if she didn''t want to be found, no one would be able to find her. Her late husband had left enough money for her to last.


    "Where were you?" Killian asked. He didn''t know that Callum had already arrived. If he had known, he would gave thrown Nash on the next plane and sent his ass back with Callum. This way he didn''t have to deal with a melancholic version of Nash.


    "At santiago''s," Callum murmured. "He has a gotten a cute wife. A kid on way."


    "Lucky bastard," Killian muttered. He got the girl he had wanted and was about to become a father. What else could he ask for? He even found his siblings. And he had every way of uniting his family.


    "I wish I could say the same." Callum''s voice trailed off. "He has complicated his life with all the secrets and lies. If both of them didn''t clear their shit, their marriage will be in shambles."


    "What does this have to do with us?" Killian asked him. "If they didn''t want to save their marriage, what your or I can change?"


    Callum looked at him for a long moment. He was pondering what Killian just said. After what seems like eternity, he replied,"He is family, Killian. Not just Santiago, even if your marriage was falling, I would do what it takes to show you what you are losing. He clearly likes her a lot. Perhaps, more than just like. And I could easily see in Persephone''s eyes care for him. They are about to have a kid soon. As much as their life had nothing to do with us, I can''t help but think about that kid in her belly. We lead the life of orphans, Killian. Not one to rely on. No one to care about us. No where to go. But Santiago''s child would have a family and yet wouldn''t have one if they didn''t save their falling marriage. I don''t know about you but I wouldn''t be able to see this. The little guy on the way is our nephew or niece."


    "You know what Callum?" Killian said. "It''s already hard for me to deal with a melancholic Nash. I don''t think I can handle a lecture of Dr Facci''s exclusive philosophy classes."


    "You are overreacting because you know I am right," Callum murmured.


    "Of course, I do," Killian scoffed. "But what are you going to do? Play fairy?"


    Callum suddenly smiled at Killian. "Not a bad idea, Kill" He hugged Killian''s shoulder. "Since you are just going to watch the scene, I will have to take the reign of this matter in my hands. Even if I have to play fairy to ease the misunderstandings in their life, I will. Not only this, I''m going to solve Nash''s love problem. If Santiago''s sister really reciprocate Nash''s feelings, then I am going to get compel Nash to put his shit together."


    "Callum, get a love life," Killian groaned hearing his reply.


    "As if you guys are not miserable enough."


    ¡­


    Callum was smoking out on the patio when he saw a very worried Persephone coming his way.


    "Big bro, Santiago cut my phone without saying a word. But he seemed to be shouting at someone," Persephone let out. "Could it be that he is in danger? I had a bad feeling about it. Can you please call him? He is not picking my phone now."


    Callum consoled her and took out his phone to call Santiago to ease her worries but they instead increased when he didn''t pick his call either.


    "He will come back," Callum reassured her. "He is Santiago and no one can hurt him easily."


    "He will be fine right?" Persephone whispered. " I am so scared, Callum"


    "Don''t worry. He will be fine," Callum tried to joke to lighten up the heavy mood. "He won''t die soon. Heavens and hell didn''t want him and so they sent him to torture earth."


    Persephone smiled tightly. "He is not invincible."


    "Of course, he is not," Callum agreed.


    Persephone couldn''t stop worrying since the time she had heard shouts and shrieks over the phone. She didn''t know where he was or why he was there. What was worse than her worry was why she didn''t understand this sudden worry for him?


    As much as she said that she didn''t care about him, at the end of the day she knew she cared more about him than she let on.


    "Persephone, do you know why he is the way he is?" Callum questioned her.


    "Isn''t he because he loves to play the big bad ass villain?"Persephone glanced at him and asked in confusion.


    "Persephone, what are Villains if not misunderstood heroes?" Callum questioned.


    "I don''t know what you are saying."


    Actually she did understand what he was trying to tell her but still she wasn''t able to understand these words in Santiago''s context.


    His words sounded more like a quote taken out of a romance book, polishing the blackness of Villain''s characters with big fancy words.


    If she pondered on these words, she found that Calllum''s words actually made sense in a way.


    She didn''t remember who had said that everything in this world isn''t just black or white.


    This novel is a contracted work with W e b n o v e l. c o m (remove spaces). If you''re not reading ''The Villain '' on W e b n o v e l, it has been stolen.. It''s very heartbreaking to see pirates profiting from my hard work. Please support the original author,(tanu_sam

 Chapter 196 - Only Up To Her

    Most things in the world aren''t black, aren''t white, aren''t wrong or aren''t right. The wrong thing could be right in its own way and the right could be wrong if spun around.


    The other meaning of what Callum said could be inferred in a way that Santiago was neither an evil nor a good character, he was just a grey character trying to be the Villain and was succeeding to a certain extent.


    "What if he was a hero?" Callum then asked her. Before Persephone could open her mouth to answer, he continued, "If he was a hero, all his deeds which are called sins would be justified just because is a hero. A hero''s deeds are never called sins. Doesn''t matter if he killed thousands to avenge one life. He is still the hero. Why? Because we gave him the name of a hero." His soft gaze fell on her pale face as he added," Santiago called himself Villain because he believed he didn''t deserve redemption or he was beyond redemption."


    "Isn''t he Villain, Callum?" Persephone finally questioned him. She, until this day, didn''t understand why he called himself the Villain. Was it because he was the one? Of was it because it was the name he had given to himself.


    "He is not good. Nor he is evil. He is not a hero. And he is not a Villain either. He is just¡­ " Callum gulped as he failed to form the word. She was intently looking at his face waiting for the answer.


    "He is what?" She whispered.


    "He is just¡­ Santiago," Callum finally found the single word to describe Santiago. "He is just Santiago. Not a hero. Not a Villain. Neither the proponent of good nor evil."


    "Did he ever hurt you, Persephone?" He further asked her.


    Callum knew the complication Santiago''s heart faced with Persephone. This girl wore her heart on her sleeve even though she had her guards up. She loved and cared fiercely. And so did the hate.


    But Santiago wasn''t like her. He had trouble expressing emotions. He could neither hate nor love openly as her. He had lived this life for just one goal-- to destroy Lorenzo as he did.


    If Alessandro Marino had not hidden Lorenzo had assisted him in all his black deeds, Santiago would have never touched him. Not that he didn''t dare but because he had no business starting fights wherever he goes. His whole life was flipped in a single day by Lorenzo and he needed somebody to blame to silence the ghosts in his head and he did blame. He blamed the root cause of the sudden change in his life. Lorenzo. The man who deprived him of love, family, respect, home and the things a man needed to live.


    It was a coincidence that Persephone Marino stumbled upon his path. It was a beautiful coincidence if one would ask Callum. She was needed in Santiago''s life to calm his thirst for revenge. But to quench his thirst, someone had to pay a price and unfortunately, the price was paid by Persephone.


    When everyone was talking about the price Persephone paid, no one was recognizing the gift she had received from God.


    She found the boy who she had loved with every fibre of her being. She found her Santiago. Her faith. Her freedom. Her lover. Her best friend.


    If the price was big then so was the result.


    Life is all about to give or take.


    She could either cry for all she lost or she could smile at what she found.


    It was all up to her.


    It was all up to the choices she would make.


    It was all up to what she wanted.


    ¡­


    "He broke my heart," Persephone whispered, staring at the pale moon in the sky.


    Her hate for Santiago was paling at this instant. Not because of what Callum had said but because of this indescribable wave emerging inside her heart.


    "And you hate him for this?" Callum inquired.


    "Yeah."


    She hated him for many things and if one ask what they were, she might not be able to tell them. That''s how complicated her life was.


    "I know what he has done to you," Callum began saying. He sadly smiled as he added, "I still remembered how I was telling him how wrong stealing a bride would be."


    It was only Callum who was saying from the beginning that Persephone shouldn''t be involved as she was an innocent party in the whole chaos.


    "He said she would thank him for saving her from marrying a douche like Nicolas Scuderi," Callum shook his head and laughed at Santiago''s stupidity. But who knew that stupidity was the best thing he had ever done.


    "He claimed to hate you because you were Alessandro Marino''s daughter. I was worried that he would hurt you. I know my brother that he will force himself on you," Callum added. "Yes, sometimes his mind works differently. But still, he wasn''t capable enough of hurting you especially when you remind him of his sweet childhood."


    The reason why they think Santiago found himself helpless and vulnerable before she was because she reminded him of Persephone of his past.


    It could be true. It could be false. But it was right that Santiago fell for Red, not for Persephone of his past.


    Red was the wild, scheming, indecisive, calculative and desperate woman he had stolen and protected.


    And Persephone was the angel, his ray of light and the only happy part of his dark days.


    And I was worrying in vain because three days later you were fucking like bunnies all love the island," Callum chuckled, remembering Nash''s rage.


    This novel is a contracted work with W e b n o v e l. c o m (remove spaces). If you''re not reading ''The Villain '' on W e b n o v e l, it has been stolen.. It''s very heartbreaking to see pirates profiting from my hard work. Please support the original author,(tanu_sam

 Chapter 197 - Story Of Red And Villain

    "And I was worrying in vain because three days later you were fucking like bunnies all love the island," Callum chuckled, remembering Nash''s rage. He had snitched immediately how the woman who they had kidnapped was living lavishly in Santiago''s Ocean Villa, the place where Santiago fed her and well¡­ " Never had I ever imagined that Villain would be whipped by a woman who he claims to hate. It was funny actually now that I recall the incident from months ago. "


    "Then what happened to her?" Persephone questioned. She was talking in the third person as if she wasn''t that person. And was listening to a story that didn''t feature her.


    "Then, she ran away from Villain''s abode," Callum said, looking at the sky and smiling. He had her where he wanted. He wanted her to listen to another version of the story and then be the judge of it. " And Villain went berserk, flipping cities overnight for her. And in the end, he found her hurt and took her to a castle."


    Persephone was found drugged by the police at that time and Santiago had mercilessly punished that small gang for touching his woman. It was only that gang was wiped out but the criminals of the whole city which later became the basis of PM Joseph''s rebellion against the crown. Luckily, he was murdered by the duchess.


    "He must have punished her for her mistake, "Persephone looked at him and asked in curiosity. Running from Santiago? It must not be so easy.


    "Was he even capable enough of hurting her?" Callum scoffed at the question.


    Does forcing her to work in a kitchen even sound like punishment? It was just to engage her in work and not let her mind run wild. But what happened in the end? She was kidnapped from the kidnapper. Most bizarre thing to happen in the history of kidnapping.


    "He wasn''t?" Persephone''s eyes widened.


    "Nah" Callum smiled. "As if he could finally punish her, he lost the woman again."


    "No way!" She reacted in horror. It means she was kidnapped from the kidnappers.


    "Yes. The kidnapping which was supposed to be week-long prolonged when they both get lost in the forest with no one else but them, fighting for survival against a whole team and worse with the whole city in lockdown."


    Callum didn''t know exactly what happened between her and Santiago when they were staying in that ranch or what Villain told them was complete truth. But he knew that the time they spent there together protecting each other changed the dynamics of their relationship.


    "What happened then?" Persephone questioned him. She was desperate to now find the whole truth. It was her life and she had no idea about such things that happened in her life.


    "They returned safe," Callum said.


    "Did they fall in love or confess?" Persephone immediately questioned him. Two people who spent the fight for survival in a dangerous place, they must have developed some kind of feelings for each other, right?


    All the pictures and videos that she had seen on Villain''s laptop were shot by him or someone else without her notice. She looked pretty happy or curious in those pictures. She could just look at those pictures and tell that she didn''t look afraid or sad because she was kidnapped.


    She looked as if she was on vacation with great food and beautiful clothes.


    She couldn''t believe that there were no feelings they both shared. There had to be something between them. The chemistry they shared or something like that?


    "The dense Villain sent her back and she forgot everything," Callum huffed.


    Persephone sighed. "He is an asshole."


    She was once again reminded how because of Villain she didn''t remember a single thing now. Well, she remembered most things now but nothing about the time she had spent with him. Her muddled memories were clear now.


    "He really is," Callum didn''t disagree b


    "So, he married me not because he wanted to avenge himself but because he can''t see me marrying Nico?" Persephone knew that she was just shooting in the dark but who knew if it was true. He didn''t seem to like Nicolas a bit.


    "Obviously," Callum said as a matter of fact. "But he won''t agree. Because he is still telling himself other stories."


    "He has been burned pretty badly," Persephone sighed.


    Yes, she was feeling bad for the same man to who she said a lot of things that day.


    "He has burned into ashes, Persephone and then comes to life. His heart was charred by Lorenzo. He thinks he doesn''t deserve anything good in this world. Including you."


    As much as he knew Santiago, he must be thinking of separating from Persephone because he wouldn''t want to drag her into his world. Of course, he knew how Santiago''s brain worked. But now that he had decided to play fairy in his and Nash''s life, he would not stop until they got their shit together and begged their girls to give him a chance.


    "Callum, why are you explaining to me? You don''t have to explain in place of him," Persephone clearly told him. She didn''t want Callum to polish his character.


    "Because I have decided to play fairies in their lives," Callum said with a look of distress. "I can''t see them rotting in self-pity and chanting how they don''t deserve their girls."


    "Ah, baby, why is your daddy the most complicated man!" Persephone caressed her tummy and pouted.


    "You know what Callum?" She looked at him and said. " I have given him the divorce papers. We will separate after he deals with my father. I will not separate him from the baby. He could visit the little guy whenever he wishes. I will not come between them. But I am not going to wait for the man who thinks he didn''t deserve me or whatever." She paused and added, "Plus, I kind of still hate him.. Moreover, I will hate that man more who doesn''t even know what he wants. I deserve better, don''t I?"

 Chapter 198 - When You Commit A Sin, You Seek Redemption,"

    "When you commit a sin, you seek redemption," She then said. "And when you commit a mistake, you correct what you did wrong and earn forgiveness. But he didn''t know what he had done."


    Callum sighed. "Did you tell Santiago that you don''t hate him the way he thinks?"


    "What does it mean?" She looked at him in confusion.


    "Does he know that you hate him because he breaks your heart not because of the things he has woven in his head?" Callum questioned.


    "What will it change?" She asked him.


    "How will you know if you don''t try?" Callum smiled.


    ¡­


    The party ended some time ago. Guests had returned once it ended but she was still waiting for Santiago to return. He had promised that he would straight come here but he lied. And she was furious.


    "We are leaving," Persephone announced.


    As upset and worried she might be for his safety, she would still not wait here for him. She was going back and wouldn''t talk to him for the next seventy two hours.


    Just as she was about to open the door to leave, the bell rang and it was her who opened the door. She startled as she saw Santiago standing outside, panting with his hand on his stomach, gasping for air. There was a glaring white bandage on his head.


    "What happened to you?" Persephone asked in horror. At this moment, she had forgotten how upset she was with him. Or how she was not going to ignore him. "How did this happen?"


    "I''m fine, Red," Santiago smiled at her caressing her cheek.


    "You don''t look fine to me," She retorted and look at him to find more injuries on his body but luckily she didn''t find any except for his reddish jaw. He must be hit by someone here.


    "I fell down," Santiago gave the excuse. " Nothing special."


    "Santiago, it didn''t look like you just fell down," Persephone said. "It looked like you were in a brawl."


    She had heard on the phone shrieks and shouts and had been restless and worried since then. It wasn''t wrong that he had been in a fight. It was just that he didn''t want to tell her how he and his brother had almost killed each other.


    His pregnant wife didn''t deserve more stress than he had already caused.


    Behind Persephone, he saw a clueless Callum and confused Emma and Killian who were entering the living room. They must have heard Persephone''s worried voice.


    "Red, you can scold me later at home," He tenderly looked into her warm eyes and said. "Now I have something to do first."


    First thing first, he would complete the task he had been busy with all day. It was also the reason why he was late. Well, everything was going great but then Salvatore Marino had to come and mess up everything.


    No, he wouldn''t say that he was shocked to see Salvatore Marino there. Nothing in this life shocks him anymore.


    "What''s happening here?" Killian immediately asked.


    Ever since the time Emma had informed him how Santiago looked worried and anxious while looking for him, he had a hunch that it had to do something with him. And when Persephone said that Santiago would meet her here before the party ended but didn''t come, increased his suspicions even more.


    Santiago took her hand in his and made her sit on the couch and walked to Killian.


    "What happened to your face?" Killian couldn''t help but ask. It looked as if he had been in a fight.


    "It''s not important,"Santiago replied. "Killian, listen to me very carefully."


    Santiago''s tone was worrying Killian but he was trying to strengthen his heart and wait for him to complete what he had to say.


    After what seemed like eternity, he heard Santiago say "I found Alicia."


    His brain buzzed as Santiago''s words registered in his mind.


    "What did you say?" He whispered. Unknowingly, his eyes moisturized. "Repeat what you just said."


    His ears were not ringing, right?


    He heard Santiago saying something about Alicia?


    Not just something but that he found her?


    He found his Alicia.


    "I found your sister, Killian," Santiago said once again. "I came to tell you yesterday but you weren''t here. You don''t know Killian how anxious I was. I was worried that she would disappear right from my eyes and when you would come, I would have nothing to say to you." He laughed at himself. "And so, I told my guys to not take their eyes off her house. She had to be here until I told you."


    He paused and then whispered, starting into his eyes,"Sorry. It took me a while to come here, my friend."


    Killian hugged Santiago and asked in a hoarse voice, "Tell me, she is fine? She didn''t have a hard life? Does she still look the same?" He broke the hug and slapped his forehead. "Oh, how could she look the same?"


    He turned his head and found Emma crying and smiling at her. He went near her and hugged her tightly in his arms. "Em, I found her. She is alive. She really is alive. I finally have a family."


    Emma nodded at him. "Congratulations, Kill."


    "She is fine, Killian," Santiago replied." She has a baby girl and when I told her that you were alive. And how you are still looking for her all over the world. She burst into tears. She urged me to take her to you. She was more restless to see you than you."


    "Where is she?" Killian asked her. "Take me to her. Please, Santiago. Please. Take me to her. I want to see her. I won''t want to lose her."


    "Killian, calm down," Callum spoke as he patted his shoulder. "Santiago will bring her to you."


    Santiago nodded. "She is waiting outside in the car. I will just bring her."


    "I will bring her," Killian immediately said. "No, I might end up overwhelming her. I will wait for you to introduce her."


    He appeared very nervous looking at Santiago at this moment.


    Santiago glanced at Persephone who had a bittersweet expression at this time and murmured,"Come with me."

 Chapter 199 - "You Are Dangerous, Percy"

    "Salvatore hurt you?" Persephone asked Santiago when they exited the door.


    He glanced at her in surprise. "You knew?"


    "I had my doubts," She smiled bitterly. "I am sure he didn''t agree to let Ellison come with you. He had done an amazing job at keeping her away from this dark part of his life."


    "You are right," Santiago murmured. "He didn''t agree with Alicia coming with me to meet Killian. But he couldn''t stop her from meeting her brother. And I don''t think they will be on talking terms anytime soon. But now she has Killian to be cared by, she has nothing to worry about."


    "Santiago?" Persephone paused in her footsteps. "You believe that she should separate from Salvatore?"


    Santiago looked horrified. "Of course not, he must clear up all the mess he had made. He must do all the things it takes to win her heart back. I can see they are in love and they have a child together. They must not separate at all. And I don''t think Killian would ever control his sister''s marital love especially when he wasn''t a part of her life for a long time."


    Persephone smiled as she took a step ahead. "You can control who Valencia can love but he can''t? I don''t understand your logic sometimes."


    With this said, she walked to where Ellison was waiting for Santiago with Emy.


    Behind her, Santiago was standing rooted to his place.


    ¡­


    "Hi," Persephone smiled at Alicia.


    "Hello," Alicia smiled back as she came out of the car.


    "Hello, little miss," Persephone grinned at Emy. "Would you like to come with Aunt Percy and let your mama go to your uncle? I have lots of chocolate at home." She extended her arms and asked, "Would you come with me?"


    Emy looked at her mama who was nodding at her. Taking her mom''s permission, she stepped down from her mom''s arms and held Percy''s finger to go with her.


    "Are you ready, Alicia?" Santiago asked her with a smile.


    Alicia gave out a tight smile. She didn''t know what to say. She was just numb.


    Following Santiago, she entered the house that was about to change her whole life. When she entered the door, her gaze fell on a man whose build was very similar to her husband and eyes identical to her daughter''s. The same chocolate eyes.


    She didn''t need to ask before recognising her own brother. She felt her feet walking on their own as if they couldn''t stop today. She stopped just a few inches away from Killian as if drinking his image. Trying to find some familiarity but she didn''t find any. She didn''t even remember how he even looked back then. But she had her parents'' picture and he just looked like their father.


    She threw her arms around him and cried in his embrace.


    "Alicia, I finally found you," Killian whispered, his throat was tight as if he could utter a word. He felt his cheeks damp as he buried her in his chest.


    This was his sister.


    He had waited many years for this day.


    Ever since he had known that his sister could be alive, he had imagined this scene a thousand times in his mind.


    He had always believed that one day he would find her.


    But he had never imagined that she would accept him this easily.


    "I have always thought, what if you don''t need me anymore? The thought of not being accepted by my sister always scared me. But not anymore. I have searched heaven and hell for you, Alicia. We are not orphans anymore. We at least have each other."


    She let out a choked sob but nodded her head in the end.


    She wasn''t familyless. She has a big brother now.


    "I''m so happy," she whispered in the end.


    ¡­


    "Salvatore Marino, you sure have the guts to hit my husband," This was the first thing Persephone said as soon as her call connected.


    Salvatore heaved out a long-suffering sigh. "I thought he was going to hurt her. I didn''t know he was taking her to meet her brother." He paused for a moment and then added, "I swear Percy I didn''t know her brother was alive. If I had known, I would have made them meet a long time ago. I''m not that cruel."


    "I still can''t understand why the hell you married Belle? Do you know that you are destroying her life too?" Persephone shouted at him. She decreased her volume when she saw Emy wobbling her lip, about to cry. "No. No. Baby. I''m scolding my big brother. I am not scolding Emy. Our Emy is a good child. I will give you more chocolate if you won''t cry."


    Hearing about more chocolates, Emy smiled at her and turned her attention to television once again.


    "You are not allowed to give my daughter chocolate. It''s late at night and she is still watching television. And I''m serious about not feeding her chocolate," Salvatore told her.


    "She is my niece too. I''m allowed to spoil her once in a while," Persephone retorted.


    Salvatore sighed. "You are right. But don''t feed her too many sweets. She will keep Ali up at night."


    "Don''t change the course of conversation," Persephone muttered. "I expect answers."


    "You wanted to know why I married Isabelle? And why am I destroying her life? She knows that the marriage is not but a sham and I married her for Alicia. She was so close to solving the mystery named Alicia Palmero," Salvatore told her. "That woman is not who she looked like. She is dangerous, Percy. I needed to stop her from disappearing and there was no option other than to bind her with me. She was hell-bent on destroying everything I spent years trying to achieve."


    Persephone was not surprised. Isabelle didn''t look like an easy character.


    "Is it true that she is Edward Kingsley''s daughter with Elena Moore?" She asked.


    "How did you know?" Salvatore quickly reacted.


    Persephone scoffed. "I have my ways, Salvatore."


    "You are dangerous, Percy," Salvatore couldn''t help but utter.


    "If you know I am dangerous, then why did you touch Santiago?" She growled. "He is my husband and father of my child, Salvatore. I hope you will remember it perfectly this time. And of all people, you have no right to judge him."


    "I''m sorry," Salvatore said. He couldn''t understand what was happening in her life. But it seemed she had everything under control now. He hadn''t seen a fierce Persephone for a long time. And all he could say was he didn''t need to worry about her.


    "I need a way to contact Edward Kingsley anonymously," He heard her say. "Let''s not pretend to be who we are not, brother. It''s time we all work together. You, I and Santiago. We have a common goal. There is no point in fighting against each other." Before he could say anything, she said, "I''m not asking to be neat friends, just allies for this time. We are going to take down a gigantic monster. Think before denying


    "Sure," he said in the end.. "Ask your husband to contact me."

 Chapter 200 - Stupid Pregnancy Harmones

    "Killian must be very happy," Persephone wondered out loud. She was applying moisturiser on her hands, sitting on one side of the bed.


    "Very," Santiago smiled as he recalled Killian''s happy expressions when he discovered Emy was his own niece. He was staying in the master room as Callum was occupying his room.


    Persephone tried to apply the moisturiser on her feet but she felt difficulty in bending.


    Santiago immediately moved to help her. He took cream on his finger and gently massaged her feet.


    She let out a moan as his hand rubbed a sensitive spot and he had to control the urge to kiss her right there.


    "This feels so good," She couldn''t help but utter.


    "Really?" Santiago''s voice was hoarse as he was staring at her.


    Her eyes were closed, face devoid of makeup, lips appear shiny and soft as he had noticed her applying something there.


    She nodded her head, refusing to open her eyes.


    "I can massage your feet regularly if you ever feel uncomfortable," He found himself saying.


    A beautiful smile stretched on her face as she heard him offer his service. "Sometimes I don''t know which is the real you. The brooding Alpha. The heartbreaking jerk. Or the sweet and kind you."


    "I don''t know either," he murmured, resisting the urge to take her in his arms.


    "Santiago, have we ever met before all of this?" Persephone questioned him in a soft voice. Her voice was soft as if she was on the verge of falling asleep.


    "We did, "He whispered. "You were very young back then. I don''t even know if you remember."


    Persephone didn''t open her eyes but she did ask the question. "What were we like back then?


    She believed that they had met before. The day they got married, she had found some old sketches in her room. All the pages included sketches of a pair of blue eyes.


    Those distinctive blue eyes which were tattooed on her heart too.


    It couldn''t be a coincidence that Santiago''s eyes were identical to those sketches.


    And let''s not forget her obsession with blue eyes.


    "We were very close," Santiago smiled, recalling the first time they met. "You appeared like an angel that time. The first time you talked to me, you asked if my injury hurt. Although I said no, you still insisted on kissing my knee to free me of pain. And magically, it didn''t hurt after that."


    "I was in that basement you found me that day for several months and every day when your mom will be occupied in her studio, you would sneak out to talk to me. Eventually, we became friends and then best friends," He added. "I still remember how you would bring me food."


    "Did you love me then, Santiago?" Persephone questioned him.


    "Do I love that angel? The light to my darkness. Only beautiful and sweet memories of my childhood?" Santiago asked himself. As if he suddenly had all the answers. "I did. I still do. I always wanted to be best for her but I couldn''t be."


    "Then, why did you hurt me?"


    "I never meant to hurt you," He whispered. "I wanted revenge so badly. I dragged you to hell, Percy. I was guilty. I know that you were emotionally attached to me. But I had always known that you were meant to go back to your world. You had no future with me. I could hide you for one day, one month or perhaps for one year but I couldn''t hide you my whole life."


    Santiago had always known how attached she had gotten to him. He wouldn''t lie that he felt nothing for her. If he didn''t care about her, he wouldn''t have sent her back.


    Staying with him meant, end of her life. The life which had yet to begin.


    "Even if we would accept the connection and the chemistry we shared, it still wouldn''t have brought us anything but harm. So, I sent you back to your father."


    Clearing her memories was a cruel step but only he knew how important it was for her back then.


    "I had to make you forget me. Still, I couldn''t bear you not remembering me. I approved of the hypnotism as long as you forget the month you spent with me because it would be easier for you."


    Hell, if he knew the hypnosis would have side effects on her. Instead of forgetting him, she forget everything.


    "I never mean to deprive you of your right and choices. However, if depriving you of these two things meant your survival, I would choose your life a thousand times over any other thing."


    Perhaps, he now understood why she hated him.


    "Your father would not hesitate to kill you just to get answers from you. But when you lost your memories for a short time, he had no one to blame but himself. I just wanted to choose a path which will ensure your survival and so I did what made you hate me."


    "If you sent me back, then why did you come back? Why did you marry me?" Persephone couldn''t help but ask.


    "To fulfil your wish," Santiago smiled. "Your fifth wish was to be free."


    It was Persephone''s turn to be shocked.


    He did all this for her?


    Why?


    "I laid the trap and made Alessandro reach me and offer me her daughter''s hand," He told her. " I know Sophia loved Nicolas but the man was hell-bent on marrying you for some reason but he liked Sophia and so I pushed him to marry her and so I get to marry you in the end. Everything went as I had planned."


    "I had planned to take you away from here," He further added much to her astonishment. "We will divorce and you will live the life you always wanted. Away from the cold and weary New York."


    "You wanted to give me freedom?" She found the words to utter.


    "I do," Santiago smiled.


    "You have a strange way of expressing everything," Persephone uttered.


    "I don''t know how to communicate. It''s my fault for letting you think what comes to your mind and not being able to clear your doubts. I do things my way. They might complicate in the beginning but everything turns well in the end," Santiago said, smiling at her. "I have signed the papers you placed by my pillow that day. I never mean to curtail your freedom, Percy. You can do whatever you wish for. No one can stop you. You are Persephone now. You don''t belong to anyone. You are your own person."


    Persephone sadly smiled. "Santiago, what would you do if I never wanted a divorce?"


    "Then, we would have just stayed married, raise our child together. And I would have pampered you and the little guy to death. As simple as it."


    Persephone opened her eyes and saw a look of certainty in his eyes. He wasn''t lying. He was telling her the truth.


    She couldn''t stop herself from throwing her arms around his neck and cried.


    "Why are you crying?" He was restless seeing her in tears.


    "Stupid pregnancy hormones."


    Santiago patted her back and consoled her. "Don''t cry. Don''t cry." He caressed her tummy and murmured,"Rock star, you aren''t allowed to make your mom cry."


    Hearing him say that Persephone laughed too and wiped her tears.


    She was so overwhelmed.


    She didn''t know where this confession took them.


    But it broke the ice between them.


    Something changed today and nobody knew.


    However, it was still not enough for their happily ever after.


    ....


    End of Volume 2 ????

 Chapter 201 - Pregnancy Hormones

    The climate was turning colder day by day and Persephone was finding it hard to endure the brutal cold weather. It had been a long time since she returned from Emma''s house and weeks since she and Villain had the big revelation.


    Once again, Persephone was standing before the mirror in her bralette and barefoot. She was caressing her protruding belly. No one could understand her excitement seeing her belly growing every day except for her.


    She was so lost in studying herself in the mirror that she failed to hear the knocking on the door.


    Outside, Santiago was getting anxious with each passing minute. Was she alright? Why wasn''t she opening the door? Not able to wait or hold on, he turned the doorknob and entered the room.


    Persephone, who was still in her bralette and silk pyjamas, jumped in shock as she heard someone clearing his throat.


    "What are you doing here?" She asked him.


    Santiago didn''t know where to look. "You weren''t opening the door. I was afraid that something happened to you."


    Persephone scratched her head. Although she and Santiago often have conversations, still she wasn''t used to him in her room. She didn''t notice when this man had grown a way too overprotective for her. No, maybe this overprotective behaviour was for his Rockstar in her belly.


    She couldn''t understand why he would insist on calling her little bean Rockstar?


    As if the bean in her belly liked the name Rockstar given by his/her daddy better than the one she gave, she would always feel movement in her belly whenever Santiago would call out Rockstar.


    As much as she wanted to break his sexy jaw for being so smug, she didn''t want to disturb whatever was between them.


    It could be said that both of them were at a truce and she didn''t wish to disturb this hard achieved equilibrium.


    "I just took a bath¡­"She found that she had no answer to give right now.


    Only now, Santiago looked at her from up to down and furrowed his brows. "Where are your warm clothes? And why are you still barefoot?" He walked inside the room and began looking for her indoor slippers. He kneeled on the ground and put the slippers before her feet. "Here, wear them."


    "It''s so cold. Why are you still underdressed?" He asked her with furrowed brows.


    "I said I just took a bath," Persephone stressed. She wore her slippers and walked ahead to remove curtains to look out of the window. "Look, it will snow again."


    Santiago saw that her lips were pursed in displeasure. "You don''t seem happy with snowfall?"


    "Who likes dull winters?" Persephone turned to look at him. "You do?" She asked when she saw him smile at her.


    "Why?" She couldn''t understand how someone could love winters.


    What was so good about winters?


    "I was born in Boston," Santiago told ber. My mom loved the snow and her love for snow was so contagious that all her children liked the cold climate. And I am no exception."


    "Oh.." She pursed her lips. She didn''t like New York in winters. If she could, she would fly to some hot island at this time of the month.


    "Wear some clothes, Red,'' Santiago almost begged her.


    Did she not know what she was doing to him?


    She was killing him.


    Did she think he would do nothing if she would stand in front of him in nothing but a bra and silk PJs?


    Dammit, how badly he wished to run his fingers on her belly.


    It looked so smooth and beautiful.


    She might not know but it was every man''s wet dream to see the woman he loved, pregnant and barefoot.


    And she was right before him but he couldn''t touch her.


    "Why do you call me Red?" She walked to him and asked.


    He was barely controlling himself now.


    She was intentionally prancing half-naked before him, wasn''t she?


    "You don''t want to know," He said with a weird feeling. He so badly did not want to remember the scene when he first started calling her Red.


    "Why is it so?" Persephone asked.


    "Trust me, Red," His voice turned hoarse. "You are not ready to hear."


    Seeing her insistence, he explained, "You had long black hair on your head when I started calling you red. "


    Persephone who had now an idea gaped at him. "You are shameless!"


    Santiago didn''t say anything. Of course, he knew he was shameless. If he wasn''t shameless, he wouldn''t be imagining bending the pregnant woman and taking her right here.


    Instead, he removed his gaze from her face. He couldn''t look at her without wanting to stare at her stomach, caress or kiss it. A lick could do too. This was how desperate he was.


    "Am I making you uncomfortable with my dressing Santiago?" Persephone whispered. There was a mischievousness present in her eyes.


    He could tell that she was up to no good.


    "You are not," He still told her. Of course, it was a lie. Only if he could tell the things he wanted to do to her.


    "Then, do you think that I am intentionally seducing you?" Persephone whispered sensually, not breaking eye contact.


    Santiago gulped and eyed her big boobs. They had grown a lot in all these months. Her hips were now wider and sexier. She was filled at all the places, no longer skinny at all. But she was still so small, he was afraid that he would break her. She barely reached his shoulders without heels.


    Persephone didn''t know why but she was feeling hot and she wanted to touch him. It was perhaps her raging horny pregnancy hormones that were making her jump on him. Lord save him from her attack.


    "I told you once that you don''t need to dress up to seduce me¡­" Santiago said, his voice abnormally hoarse. Sweat trickled down his forehead.


    ....


    Click to see Persephone and Santiago in my imagination


    Author Note: Of course, we will not start the volume with screaming and yelling

 Chapter 202 - The Kiss Of Seduction

    "I told you once that you don''t need to dress up to seduce me¡­" Santiago said, his voice abnormally hoarse. Sweat trickling down his forehead.


    "Of course, you do not remember."... He scowled at his choice of words.


    She glared at him. "Whose fault is it?"


    She was frustrated, not with herself but at him. He could either take the step or get the hell out of here.


    She was twenty weeks pregnant woman with sexual needs. And her husband/ baby daddy''s aloof attitude didn''t help her urges.


    She was dying of frustration now.


    Lord help her.


    "Of course, mine." Santiago sighed. "Wear some thick clothes first, okay?" He went to bring her an oversized thick sweater but she threw it at his face.


    "Santiago Vitello, you can either kiss me or fuck off," She yelled at him.


    Santiago looked at him with wide eyes. For a second, he was struck. He didn''t know what to day or do.


    It was only when he saw her standing on the edge of the bed, dragging her by his collar, slamming her mouth on his, did he know what just happened.


    She bit his lips to have his attention. His arm wrapped around her waist and another pulled her closer as his lips moved in sync with his.


    She leaned as her body went pliant against his chest. He sucked the moan escaping her throat.


    Her nails dug in his back as she felt his mouth sucking on her neck and collarbone.


    This time, he initiated the kiss. It started slow but in the midst, it turned heated, powerful and intense. She felt the rush soared through her blood, through her belly, and all the way to the tips of her toes.


    A throaty moan left her mouth and he responded by sucking hard and calming her tender boobs.


    Her hand reached to play with her hair but as she felt her bralette peeling off bed body, she gulped and moaned simultaneously. She pulled his hair when his hot tongue licked over her nipple.


    It was supposed to be a simple kiss, nothing more but a drunk Persephone was reminded of it when his finger had entered her core.


    She was drunk on him. This energy that passed between them.


    And now she believed it was too late to stop him.


    He would stop if she asked him to but by God if did, she was going to bury him in her backyard.


    She bit her lips when another finger accompanied the first one to stifle the moan escaping her throat.


    His mouth was working on her boobs and fingers in her core.


    He was ruthless. He wanted her to ask him not to stop. He knew how badly she wanted him, yet he wouldn''t give him what she needed.


    As she was on the edge of coming, he suddenly stopped.


    "What?!" She barked at him.


    Was he even serious?


    Pulling out when she felt a bit relieved?


    He opened his mouth to speak but he heard her yelling at him,"Don''t you fucking say that it was a mistake. It shouldn''t have happened at all. I am telling you if you said this,I''m going to bury you in our background and marry the man who would give everything what his pregnant wife wanted."


    Santiago suddenly laughed at him. Pregnancy was a weird experience even for him.


    "How would I know my pregnant wife wants me to make love to her?" He asked with amusement.


    "Who the hell wants you to make tender love?" She narrowed her eyes at him and burst out. "I want you to fuck me. Simple."


    "Whatever, you say, Signora," He whispered and pulled her leg gently.


    And Persephone knew from his tone that she got what she wanted.


    ...


    Santiago glanced at the woman sprawled on his naked chest with her eyes closed. Her soft breasts were rubbing against his chest and her wild curls were covering her bare back.


    "What''s the time?" She murmured, not wanting to open her eyes. She was too comfortable and didn''t want to move.


    "It''s almost time for dinner," Santiago murmured back, removing a lock of hair from her face.


    "What?!" She moved up with a jolt. "We spent whole day rolling in sheets?"


    Santiago pursed his lips at the choice of her words.


    "Wear something. We will have dinner first," He moved and helped her dress up.


    "I want sea food for dinner," Persephone demanded.


    "How about we have sea food tomorrow? Boys will have already cooked for the dinner," Santiago tried convincing her. But only if it was this easy.


    "How can you be so ruthless?" She glared at him. "Do you think being pregnant and hungry at the same time is easy feat?"


    "Of course not," Santiago said. He caressed her face and pecked her nose. "We can order take out if you are craving sea food."


    "Why can''t we go out?" She asked instead.


    "Persephone," Santiago groaned. "If you''re demanding seafood I hopes that you will be allowed to leave house in such severe cold, you overestimated yourself."


    She pouted expressing her dissatisfaction.


    "I don''t like staying inside all the time," She told him. "I feel suffocated and restless here."


    "Then, how about you accompany me?"Santiago suddenly asked her.


    Persephone turned her head to look at him in a proper way. She pinched his chin and asked," Accompany you where? Santiago Vitello, were you planning on leaving me alone on the bed in the morning after taking away my virtue?


    Santiago gaped at her. This was not what he meant. He was just called by King Leonardo to come back as soon a possible as he had something to discuss with him which couldn''t be discussed over phone due to the confidentiality of the matter.


    "I swear I wasn''t. I was called by my boss to come back for some confidential task."


    "Your boss? How come I never know you have a boss too? What on earth is your profession?"


    "Just think I am special assistant of my boss. All the sensitive missions are completed by me."


    "Before you think something wild once again, it''s completely legal. I have an official job and title."


    "Title?" Persephone asked him with furrowed brows. "What the hell?"


    "My grandfather had a title before he came to USA."


    "Santiago?"


    "Yes?"


    "I need some time to digest all the new information."

 Chapter 203 - Mrs Vitello, Welcome Home

    It was almost evening when Santiago and Persephone''s flight landed in the capital city of Maisean empire. She was feeling giddy as soon as her feet touched the ground.


    "Behave,"Santiago gave her a look when a grown up pregnant woman was practically bouncing in the air.


    "I can see the ocean from here,"She grinned as she pointed at the view out of the car window.


    Santiago smiled and ruffled her hair,"Yes, you can see the ocean right from here."


    "I have a very good feeling about this trip, Santiago,"Persephone suddenly said. She felt a flutter in her stomach and gasped in disbelief looking at Santiago. Taking his hand, she placed it on her protruded belly and yelled,"Look. Look. Your Rockstar is agreeing with me too. Seems like he/she loves his homeland too."


    Santiago didn''t say anything but his lips stretched to form a wide smile as he heard her words. He pulled her gently and his arms and put her head on his chest.


    Fuck the future. Who wants to think about their future when he could enjoy this beautiful present?


    No one knew what their future had to offer. If they would stay together or separate. It''s all about the future. He didn''t want to sadden his heart by dwelling on it.


    "I wonder when we will know the gender of the baby?"Persephone sighed out.


    Actually, they tried ultrasound three times in the course of two whole weeks to know the gender of their baby but each time, the little guy would be showing its butt . Apparently, the little guy was troubling it''s mom and dad.


    "Valencia said it''s most likely to be a boy,"Santiago said suddenly. Actually, he believed that it would be fine if they had a boy. Not that he would love his daughter any less. But he didn''t know anything about raising a daughter. Boy, he could handle it. If the little man troubled his mom, he would just spank his butt.


    But a girl?


    He would be in bigger trouble if he had a girl.


    For example, Emy. She was spoiled rotten by Killian. He would give her everything, she put her hands on.


    Atleast, Killian knew a thing or two. But he? He didn''t even know how to pick her. He was afraid that he would pick the delicate girl.


    "Boy is good,"Persephone murmured looking out of the window. "A little baby boy with dark hair and blue eyes. I think I quite like this idea. Junior will get a brother to play with."


    Persephone used Junior to address little Santiago.


    "He could be a ginger baby with green or blue eyes,"Santiago said.


    "No, I don''t want a mini Ed Sheeran,"Persephone refused.


    Santiago sighed. "Percy, we can''t get a customized baby. Green eyes, blue eyes or brown eyes. Red or black hair. We will love him equally."


    "You are right,"Persephone nodded. "Parents are supposed to love their child despite all the conditions."


    After a while, he heard her say,"But I really wanted a baby boy with blue eyes and dark hair."


    He looked at her giving puppy eyes and a pout forming on her lips.


    He suddenly sympathizes with his baby boy. ''Son, you don''t have a very reliable mom.''


    ¡­


    When the car stopped, Persephone was stunned to see a magnificent ranch style house in the middle of other Mediterranean style houses. This house seemed like an anomaly in this area but it was a magnificent anomaly.


    It wasn''t a very huge house. But it was enough for a family to live. A family of five could comfortably live inside the house.


    This house wasn''t like other houses in this neighborhood. Among the Mediterranean and other styled houses, there were only these ranch style houses. In all honesty, this type of house was only famous in the Capital city.


    "This is so beautiful," Persephone turned to look at him and then at the house in awe. She was struck by the beauty of this place. If this country was a piece of heaven, then this house was a fairy''s abode in heaven. " Your house is so beautiful."


    Santiago shook his head. "This is not mine."


    "You rented it?" She asked him, quite curiously.


    He shook his head as if saying no.


    "Then?" She looked at him in confusion. She wondered whose beautiful house was this.


    "This is yours," Santiago wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her gently into his embrace. "A gift to you and the baby."


    Persephone was stunned. She didn''t know what to say. She was expecting this huge piece of news. Just last night, he asked her to come with him and today, he was already gifting her a whole house?


    Who was this man? And what had he done to her Villain?


    The sky was dark and the whole house was lit by lights. She took a step to enter the threshold but her feet slipped and she was about to fall when Santiago''s arms wrapped around her and eventually carried her in the legendary princess style.


    "Why are you so clumsy?" He couldn''t help but ask her.


    "I''m tired," She acted spoiled and circled her arms around his neck. "I have been up all day and night. You can''t expect me to be full of vitality. I''m about to crash now."


    Before Santaigo could reply, a middle aged woman appeared, dressed in a conservative knee length sky blue colored dress. Her hair was put in a tight bun, not even a tendril was out. Her posture suggested that she was a strict woman but when she smiled, her delicate features gave off a very warm feeling.


    "Mr Vitello, welcome home." The middle aged woman greeted Santiago with a genuine smile not that of the polite smile that one gave to their employers. She then looked at Persephone in Santiago''s arm and a look of surprise appeared on her face when her gaze fell on the visible baby bump. The look of surprise was replaced with a motherly smile as she greeted her.. "Mrs Vitello, welcome home."

 Chapter 204 - Equilibrium

    "Miss Lara, thank you for coming on short notice," Santiago said as he walked to the couch and gently put his wife down. "I can see you did a pretty good job here in my absence."


    The interior of the living room was changed and matched with his taste. The lawn was nicely mowed and the old haunted house was transformed into a traditional style ranch house with modern equipment.


    "Thank you for giving me this opportunity," Lara was genuinely touched by his generosity.


    "Miss Lara, you will have to show me the entire house," Persephone smiled at the woman who she believed was the housekeeper.


    "It will be my pleasure," Lara said with a huge smile. "Congratulations to you both "


    Persephone shyly murmured a thank-you, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She didn''t know where she had met this woman but she looked familiar yet very unfamiliar to her. But she didn''t sense any hostility coming from her and so she let her guard down and asked for a home tour.


    "The house tour has to wait," Santiago said, becoming a villain of someone''s happiness in an instant.


    "How can you do this to me?" Persephone gaped at him.


    Santiago didn''t pay attention to her. He knew his wife was naturally dramatic. Instead, he looked at Lara and said, "Is Dinner ready?"


    "Yes, the dinner is ready. Where would you like to have dinner at the dining table or your room?" Lara inquired with a smile.


    "At the dinner table please."


    ...


    "The food is yummy here, "Persephone mumbled as she took a bite of fresh bread.


    All the delicacies prepared by Lara were Greek cuisine. She had not known until now that she really liked this cuisine. Everything cooked was according to her taste and preference. She couldn''t help wanting to eat everything placed on the table.


    "What are you behaving as if I was depriving you of food?" Santiago asked her with a strange look.


    "You see Villain, Romeo or Emmanuel can''t compare to the delicacies my dear Lara can cook."


    Persephone didn''t understand when she became close to Lara. But all she understood was that she liked that woman a lot. She could cook a lot of amazing food and was very warm and kind to talk to.


    Santiago shook his head in resignation. "Eat slowly. No one will take your food. Here, try these stuffed tomatoes and peppers too."


    Persephone opened her mouth and waited for him to feed him the dish he was talking about.


    "This is good," She nodded her head in appreciation.


    "I will ask Lara to cook all this food for you again," Santiago assured her.


    "I don''t trust you, "Persephone threw him a glance.


    "I swear," He pinched his neck. "You have been following Val''s diet. I will not be petty enough to not let a pregnant woman eat what she likes."


    "By the way, why is our stuff placed in the same room?" Persephone couldn''t help but ask him. She was pretty surprised to see Lara asking the maid to bring their luggage to the same room. Does this mean they will now stay inside a single room?


    Sex could change many things between them. She literally didn''t know about it.


    "Just yesterday, you were complaining how I was gonna leave you to wake up alone after taking your virtue and now you are saying why are staying inside the same room?"


    "It''s not what I mean," She said, avoiding his eyes. "I didn''t know it would change everything between us."


    Santiago gripped her chin by his index finger and made her meet his eyes. "Say the words, Percy. You will get what you want. If you want me out of the room, you just have to say the words."


    "No," Persephone immediately said. She placed her fork and knife on the table and wiped her mouth. Leaving her chair, she instantly moved to hug him through his chair. "I don''t want you out. I don''t like when you don''t come home. I don''t like when you intentionally stay away from me. I don''t like that feeling at all."


    After wiping his mouth with a napkin, he tugged her forward and made her sit on his lap. His hands moved all the way from her chin, to her neck to her breast and finally to her belly as he exhaled against her ear. "You know what, Red?"


    Persephone closed her eyes and hummed in reply. She was slightly ticklish at this proximity.


    "I don''t like staying away from you either," He whispered against her ear. He once again carried her in his arms in princess style and walked to their bedroom.


    Persephone giggled, pecking his chin. "Where are we going?"


    "Why question when you already know the answers?" He mused.


    Persephone giggled once again. "You are right."


    Just like this, two months passed with Persephone and Santiago cocooned inside their bubble. For the whole two months, Persephone had more sex than she had in her entire life.


    Santiago was supposed to be in the Capital City for one week. But one thing after another happened and he couldn''t leave for New York. Currently, he was so swamped with work in the Palace that he had no time to even have a moment to breathe peacefully. Just because he was busy with work it didn''t mean he had no time for his wife.


    No matter how busy he would be with work he would go back to his home every night and sleep with her in his arms. Some nights she would be wide awake waiting for him and other nights she would be complaining about her troubles falling asleep.


    position and so maximum times, she would prefer waiting for him to come back.


    They didn''t know what direction their relationship was heading. If there was even a relationship between them.


    So many questions yet no one was in a hurry to find answers. They were pleased with this position of equilibrium.


    ...


    Author Note: Things are changing for the better. I''m so glad to write Romance once again.. Last volume was full of angst and now we will have doses of fluff.

 Chapter 205 - Two Months Later

    At thirty-one weeks pregnant, Persephone was as round as a ball. She was a petite woman, to begin with, and now with a huge baby bump, heavy breast and wider hips, she actually resembled a ball.


    But hell if she cared.


    "Persephone, are you missing home?" Lara suddenly asked Persephone that day.


    In the beginning, she used to address Persephone by calling her, Mrs Vitello. But since Persephone found it quite strange, she insisted that Lara call her by her name.


    Lara reminded her of Penelope with her warm temperament and caring nature.


    It wouldn''t be wrong to say that Persephone liked this lady a lot.


    Persephone was relishing the joy of watching the beach at her favourite spot on the whole property. This part of the lawn had a beach view. And she demanded that they rebuild this place into a stylish patio. And it was clear to Santiago that she was quite pleased with the result.


    He would give in to almost all of her demands as long as she was happy.


    "Am I missing home?" Persephone repeated the question. Her brows knitted as she was considering the answer.


    Lara hadn''t seen Persephone in such an intense thought battle until now. She had been a jolly and cheerful woman. Always scaring the life out of Santiago with her pranks. At thirty-one weeks of pregnancy, she was literally blooming. Her face had a shine she didn''t notice when she first saw her.


    She was more unbridled and beautiful now. It wasn''t that she wasn''t beautiful before. But there was something different about her now. She now shined like a brilliant sun, always spreading its light with her laughter and pranks.


    "Would it be wrong to say I don''t miss home?" Persephone asked her. "I mean I love my family a lot. And I love to talk to them. But am I ready to go back to New York? I don''t think so. I don''t know why, Lara, but I feel that I am finally home. I finally found the equilibrium of my life. I don''t wanna go anywhere."


    It wasn''t easier for Persephone to find what she wanted in life. Actually, she was always clear about what she wanted; freedom and peace.


    Never had she ever fathomed that she would find freedom and peace in this form. She had paid a huge price for this freedom and peace and she would be damned if she let it go snatched without a fight.


    "Did you talk about this with Mr Vitello?" Lara questioned. "Did you tell him that you don''t want to go back?"


    Lara felt that this couple needed to communicate more often to express their thoughts perfectly.


    Suddenly, Persephone''s smile faltered. "I wish it was easier. He has his life there. I can''t just ask him to leave everything in New York and shift here for me." Especially when she had no idea if they would be together in a few months.


    And where would she go if he decided to settle down in New York? For the harmony of their baby''s life, they needed to settle down in the same state and country.


    "Actually, it''s quite easy," Lara said as she pushed the glass of juice in Persephone''s direction. "You both are nearly inseparable and are so happy together. If you think you can protect this happiness by clearing your misunderstandings, I think you should talk to him. As for work, he is busy here too. I don''t think he will say no to you."


    Perhaps, Persephone wasn''t aware but Santiago had a lot of work here in this country. He was a rich man and had several small and big businesses here and there.


    Persephone smiled and nodded her head. "You are right. I will think about talking to him once he has time. He is too busy that I believe he didn''t even have time for himself. I just don''t want to trouble him since his hands are full."


    "He worries a lot about you, Persephone," Lara couldn''t help but sigh out. "You need to scare him less. I''m afraid one day he will have a heart attack if you continued your pranks."


    Persephone pouted her lips. "What did I do, Lara? I just wanted to swim."


    Lara shuddered thinking about that night when Santiago found Persephone in a pool failing to swim.


    "How would I know that I would panic once I step into the pool?" Persephone questioned.


    "You scared Mr Vitello big time that day," Lara couldn''t help but remind her. Only she knew how badly that man was shaking even an hour after he put his big baby( Percy) to sleep.


    Persephone snorted as she was reminded of what he did after that episode. "I hate him for emptying the pool. Do you know how my heart hurts to see the empty pool? Just ask him to fill water in it."


    Lara smiled but didn''t make any promise that she wouldn''t want to fulfil. Even her children weren''t as mischievous as Persephone, a twenty-five years old woman.


    "Hey, Juliet!"


    Persephone turned her head to see a smiling Romeo coming her way. She rolled her eyes at him. He was still calling her Juliet instead of Miss Persephone like before.


    She had no idea why he insisted on calling her Juliet but she never stopped him as it was easy to irk Santiago this way. And she found pleasure in irking Santiago.


    Whenever Romeo would call her Juliet in Santiago''s proximity, the former would be ordered to call her Mrs Vitello.


    "How are you? And where is your tail?" She grinned at the young handsome man. By tail, she meant Emmanuel who never left his side.


    Lord knew why Emmanuel feared that his boyfriend would be stolen. The boy was guarding him like his most precious treasure. Both of them worked for Santiago but Emmanuel was still completing his degree.


    She wasn''t told what the so-called work was but her husband assured her that it was legal. And he didn''t partake in any kind of illegal work in this country.. He was a reputed man here, he had sworn.

 Chapter 206 - Heart Of A Child

    "Busy with studies," Romeo shrugged. "He had exams scheduled this week. And insists that I should stay away from him till his exams end as I distract him."


    Persephone and Lara ended up laughing. They could imagine Emmanuel dramatically reuniting with Romeo after the end of his exams. Romeo might appear a bit proudish but he was very petty when it came to Emmanuel.


    "What would you like to have?" Lara asked him. Romeo and Emmanuel were frequent visitors. Moreover, she knew Romeo since he was a baby.


    Romeo shook his head. "I''m here to see Mr V. He has a new job scheduled for me."


    She just hoped that these boys knew what they were doing.


    "Well, your Mr V is in his study, barking orders at some poor fella. I wonder who is at his mercy today, "Persephone sighed out.


    She wouldn''t want to admit but she was now worried about seeing Villain swamped with work. It was Sunday and the poor man didn''t even have the chance to have his breakfast. But he has enough to ask Lara if she had her meal on time or if she had taken her medicine.


    ¡­


    On the other side.


    "Yes, Nash. Now I can hear you?" Santiago said, his brows furrowed as he glanced at the screen. "I get it. When will you be returning?"


    Actually, Nash never made it back. He was still stuck in New York. However, this time not for his lady love but for work. He was doing Santiago''s job in New York when the latter was handling the mess King Leonardo had made.


    Who asked King Leonardo to announce his marriage with a commoner like Giselle and that too with a questionable background?


    "Perhaps, in a month," Nash muttered. "I can''t believe His Majesty used this tactic. He is basically being a romantic hero." He added with a scoff. "I am tired of reading the headlines ''King Leonardo''s Cinderella'' and what not! How on earth did he manage his people with his decision? Worse, how did he convince Giselle to marry his stubborn Royal ass? If I was her, I would dump him and never return. Fuck, she is hot as hell why would she still cling on to him?" Nash paused for a moment and then cursed out again. "Fucking hell, did I just call another woman hot in front of my brother-in-law?"


    "Who the fuck is your brother-in-law, Nash?" Santiago growled.


    "Jeez. What crawled up to your stubborn ass, San? I''m talking about Cameron. Not you," Nash muttered. "You know what brother if your baby brother snitched on me, I would be left bachelor with no cure for my dick."


    "Nash, if you don''t want me to punch the hell out of you, then shut the fuck up," Santiago cursed back. "And you talk about my sister like that see how I kill you."


    "Come on, Santiago. I didn''t talk about your sister at all. Moreover, Valencia refused to acknowledge yours as her brother which means I don''t need your blessing, my friend. But don''t worry, I will send you wedding candies. So what if you don''t get to be the best man?"


    Nash was now intentionally infuriating him. Who asked Santiago to shove his leg into his love life? He was muddle-headed then. That''s why he didn''t understand at that time what he was losing. He would rather get punches and kicks from Santiago than lose Valencia.


    He had recently gotten to know about Santiago''s weakness. It was that he couldn''t stay mad with the three of them for a long time. Santiago might appear a big bad villain but he was nothing but a coconut. Hard on the outside, soft from inside.


    This, he would first win Valencia and then the Vitello brothers.


    As for Valencia''s son, he quite liked him.


    Apparently, both the Santiago''s could be controlled by one woman -- Persephone.


    So, as long as he got Persephone to like him, he would get the little guy''s blessing in pursuing his mommy.


    "You know what Santiago?" Nash suddenly said with a chuckle. "Sometimes, you don''t need to win a woman''s brother to get her, you just need to win her son. And that is what I am going to do. I will get a son with my woman. Wouldn''t I be the luckiest bastard if I married your sister?"


    "It wasn''t King Leonardo who wanted to marry Giselle," Santiago couldn''t help but murmur. "But Princess Beatrice. She found out the truth regarding Giselle being her birth mother and is now threatening her father to marry Giselle, not Sabrina Hawthrone. I tried to persuade her saying it was a bad decision forcing her parents to marry when they don''t want to marry in the first place. But she didn''t understand. "


    "I can understand that the little girl wants her mother," Nash sighed out. "The heart of a child is fragile. He needs both of his parents equally."


    Santiago was quiet for a moment and then agreed. "You are right."


    However, he didn''t tell anyone how princess Beatrice said she was choosing the lesser of two evils. He couldn''t see love for Giselle in her eyes.


    Princess Beatrice''s empty eyes had scared Santiago that day. What if one day his own child looked at him? She made him realize that he didn''t want to be an absent parent in his child''s life. He wanted to be there for his child at any step or hurdle.


    It was his promise to himself that he would never leave his children. No matter where his life took him to, he would always be there for his child.


    They further discussed more issues and how troublesome it was to work with Salvatore Marino while taking down Edward Kingsley and Alessandro Marino.


    Although he was unhappy with Salvatore Marino and his unconventional methods, he was more pleased with the fact that Persephone trusted him enough with the evidence she had collected against Alessandro Marino and Lorenzo. She didn''t know how greatly she had helped him.


    For the first time in life, he was genuinely happy with his life.

 Chapter 207 - "I Dont Want To Go Back"

    Santiago heard a knock on the door and put Nash''s call on mute as he stood up to open the door. It had been a few hours since he had been cooped inside his study.


    When he opened the door, he was surprised to see Persephone standing at the door holding a tray full of food, smiling silly at him.


    He had an urge to pull her chubby cheeks but he knew she would pinch him back if he did.


    "Why are you holding it?" Santiago instantly took the tray from her hand and made her sit on the couch. "Do you know how heavy it is? And why aren''t you resting?"


    He wondered what hell she was planning for him by beginning food specifically for him. Or she came with another difficult demand of hers once again.


    "You didn''t have breakfast," Persephone told him instead. Couldn''t a wife be worried about her husband''s well-being once in a blue moon?


    Santiago had a look of realization as he muttered a sorry and then added. "I forgot."


    "Santiago, how can someone forget to have breakfast?" She gaped at him in disbelief. "I wake up every morning only because I know that I will get good food to start my day with. I couldn''t imagine forgetting food one day."


    Santiago''s chest rippled as a bout of laughter threatened to escape and pecked her forehead. "My fault, Signora."


    Extending his hand, he disconnected his call with Nash and occupied the couch next to her and let her feed him food today. It was always Persephone rendering services from everyone but today it was her, who was willing to feed him with her hands.


    And suddenly he felt blissful.


    "Are you really very busy with work?" Persephone asked after a while


    Santiago nodded his head, avoiding speaking as he was chewing on the food.


    Ever since he returned to the capital city, he had been swamped with work. He had many projects started at the same time. If he could, he would solve King Leonardo''s problem first and then focus on his own work here. But no, the King suddenly had to become a romantic hero and ruin the peace of his life.


    "Are you working overtime so we can go back to New York?"Persephone then questioned him.


    Santiago paused for a moment but then nodded his head. It was right that he wanted to leave for New York as soon as possible. Persephone was already in Thirty-first weeks of her pregnancy and within two months she would be ready to give birth. And he didn''t think she would want to give birth here in this foreign land.


    "Can Nash or Killian not handle your work in New York?" Now she raised another question. Her beautiful brows were marred by a frown.


    He could sense that she wanted to say something but was hesitating.


    He just hoped that Persephone didn''t ask to go to New York starlight away. If possible, she agreed to give birth here as Don Marino was of the view that she had a miscarriage in that accident. It was the reason why he had not tried to kill her again.


    Santiago nodded his head. Nash and Killian were looking after the task in New York on his behalf.


    "Then, you don''t need to work overtime," She softly said. "I suggest you take care of your health. I don''t want you to fall sick. If you are sick, who would take care of me?"


    Her question was raised in such a sweet and innocent tone that he couldn''t help but want to kiss her soft lips.


    Although his wife was in her third trimester, he couldn''t keep his hands off her. And he believed that she couldn''t do without it too.


    "I thought you would want to go back soon," Santiago said as he took a sip of water. "If I don''t over time, it may take up a few more months here. I don''t want you to go into labour here alone."


    "How would I be alone?" She asked instead. " You and Lara both are here. She is more experienced in taking care of me and the later baby. And you are here too. I am sure l will not be alone. Moreover, Valencia could come here too. It''s Santiago''s vacation in a few days, I am sure she would like to come here for a vacation. What do you think?"


    "Are you sure?" Santiago questioned her.


    Persephone nodded her head.


    Valencia''s arrival could be arranged. This way, Nash wouldn''t go after her like he had planned. And his nephew could keep Persephone happy too.


    "You don''t miss your family?" Santiago once again asked her.


    Why was everyone asking her the same question today?


    "I do," Persephone sighed out. "But not enough that I will cross oceans to meet them. A phone call is enough."


    Santiago nodded and she started feeding him.


    "Moreover, I believe that it''s safer here than New York. I don''t know why my father is quiet after the accident but I believe it had either to do with you or Salvatore,"Persephone couldn''t help but say.


    She understood that this man had the habit of believing the worst of the situation. So she would like to clarify certain things here.


    "Santiago?" She called out his name a bit loudly.


    "Hmm?" He cautiously glanced at her.


    "I like being here," She closed her eyes and uttered out loud. It was now or never. "I don''t wanna go back."


    Santiago stared at her as if he didn''t know what to say. Or as if he was at a loss for words. Or as if he had words but he was afraid of choosing the wrong ones.


    "I told you many times that I don''t like weary New York. It might be a destination to many but to me that place is like a cage, always wanting to clip my wings," Persephone said, a sad smile tugged on her lips. "I finally learned to fly high and I don''t want to go back to how it was before.. I hadn''t tasted what freedom and peace was like but now that I have, I wouldn''t wish to undo it."

 Chapter 208 - "You Are Body Goals, Mi Amour"

    "I told you many times that I don''t like weary New York. It might be a dream destination to many but to me that place is like a cage, always wanting to clip my wings," Persephone said, a sad smile tugged on her lips. "I finally learned to fly high and I don''t want to go back to how it was before. I hadn''t tasted what freedom and peace was like but now that I have, I wouldn''t wish to undo it."


    "You know, Persephone, this is your home and I would never want you to leave it if you don''t want to," Santiago replied.


    "Remember your words, Santiago," Persephone couldn''t help but remind him. "You told me today once again that it''s my home. In the future if you ever asked me to go back to New York, I will throw your luggage out. And one can come into Persephone''s heart twice but one can''t come into her home if thrown once."


    "Are my words clear?" She looked at him strictly and said. She literally looked like a strict teacher at this moment.


    Santiago smiled and nodded his head. "Yes, ma''am."


    Persephone was naturally happy with the outcome. So, she rewarded the good boy with a wet kiss on his cheek.


    "Now can we please refill the pool?" She asked with a wide smile.


    Santiago''s face darkened as he was reminded why the pool was emptied in the first place. "Don''t even think about it."


    "How can you do this to me?" Persephone screeched. If she could she would have thrown a tantrum by stomping on her feet.


    "No pool until the kid is at least taught how to swim," Santiago mercilessly replied.


    "I look at the ocean everyday in hopes that our baby boy will have your blue eyes." She tried buttering him up but only if it would work.


    "You are hopeless, Percy."


    Baby with blue or green eyes. It didn''t matter to him. As long as he arrives healthy. But what would happen if the baby came with her green eyes?


    ¡­


    "Would you like to attend a dinner party with me?" Santiago asked Persephone later. They were inside his study. He was resting on the couch and on his arms she had placed her head while his hands protecting her belly.


    "As your wife?" She asked with a slight hesitation.


    "Yes, Mrs Vitello." Santiago rolled his eyes. She was a tease, wasn''t she?


    Persephone let out a giggle as she heard his reply. "Yes. I ordered a new maternity dress and it arrived yesterday. It is very pretty.I finally get to flaunt my baby bump and my new dress."


    "Aren''t women supposed to whine about how fat they have gotten, how swollen their feet are, etc?" Santiago glanced at her and shared his worry. He could see that Persephone had put on way too much weight in the period of two months but he never said it out loud.


    How could he say to his pregnant wife that she had gotten fat when she would say that she wasn''t fat, just extra healthy?


    It can''t like he had any problem with her weight. She was more soft and cuddly now. But with extra weight, she looked way too tiny than before.


    Persephone giggled again and patted his chest. "You see Mr V, I got a baby here." She pointed at her swollen tummy. "I won''t get this chance to flaunt it again. I want to enjoy my time being pregnant. So, what if I am fat? You may not know but I body goals, honey." She tried to flip her hair but failed and he ended up laughing at her cute antics.


    How could he not adore his big cute baby?


    "You are body goals, Mi Amour," Santiago assured her.


    Both of them paused for a moment but next moment they went back to cuddling as if nobody said anything wrong.


    "Since we are not going back to New York, can I set the room next to our bedroom as our Rockstar''s nursery?" Persephone inquired, lightening the atmosphere once again.


    "I don''t see any reason of saying no." It didn''t matter where they would be in future but he would like it if his child had his place in this house.


    "Good. Good." Persephone murmured and suddenly stood up while grabbing his hand. "Let''s go."


    "Where?" He asked her quite surprised.


    "To get things for the nursery. Hurry up. We don''t have time,"Persephone said.


    Why would she wait for another Sunday if they could do everything today? And it was a pleasant day today, perfect for shopping and going out.


    Moreover, she was carving an ice cream and this darn Villain had refused to let Lara buy anymore ice creams as she had her quota of ice creams of the week.


    "We can order online," Santiago tried to negotiate although he knew the result all too well. "Can you even walk?"


    "I can walk," She showed him by walking back and forth in his study. "I want to select everything personally by touching it with my own hands. What''s the fun of ordering everything online?" Seeing that he wasn''t budging, she gave him her best puppy eyes. " Please let''s go today. I don''t know when you will have time next time. I don''t want to wait for another week. Look, even the baby is saying it''s the perfect day. Don''t be callous, baby'' papa."


    Tell him, how could he say no to her.


    Dear baby, don''t learn your mama''s techniques.


    ¡­


    "This is so pretty!" Persephone pointed at the baby crib. It was ivory white in color. She just knew that she wanted it. It was love at first sight. No one would understand this feeling like she did.


    Currently, there were in a famous mall in capital city wandering through a baby store.


    "Would you like to see more of our exclusive collection?" The shop attendant asked her. She was extremely polite and respectful towards her.


    Santiago looked at Persephone for an answer but he wasn''t surprised that she shook her head. If she liked it in a single glance, then it means she really liked it.. And there was no meaning in selecting others if she only liked this one piece.

 Chapter 209 - Papa Loves You

    "Should we buy some baby clothes?" Santiago asked Persephone this time. They were almost done with all the things for the nursery. It took them more than two hours to finalize every single item but hell if it didn''t bring him happiness. All the exhaustion of weeks evaporated as he shopped with his overexcited wife.


    Persephone tiptoed and kissed his chin and clapped to express her joy. "You are smart, husband. Let''s go."


    It seemed her husband finally learnt how to shop.


    "We aren''t choosing anything blue," Santiago couldn''t help but clear his stance. All the blue things chosen by Persephone were giving him a headache already. Although all the things were pretty, still it had a sufficient amount of blue in it. "We have enough blue things already."


    "I swear I didn''t choose blue as the nursery theme. It''s white," Persephone said, pinching her neck. "Only sheets, a mattress and a few other things are blue."


    "Red, we still aren''t sure about baby gender," Santiago sighed out. How could they forget that they didn''t know if it would be a boy for sure and she was going crazy choosing everything blue and white? And he didn''t have the heart to tell her this every single time.


    "It''s a boy," Persephone assured him. She could feel it in her gut that it was a boy. And her guy was never wrong. So, she wouldn''t hear anyone who would say that it was a boy. She added "He kicks me frequently. Only a fat big boy will have such an endless power of kicking. If it was a girl, she would have been too lazy like me to bother kicking."


    "Let him come and I will spank his butt for troubling you, "Santiago smiled, ruffling her hair.


    "You can''t hurt my prince at all," She said, glaring at him. "I will spoil him with my endless love. We will learn to surf together. I am so excited. Come soon, baby." Understanding what it meant, she shook her head. "No. No. Don''t come soon. Come on right time. We are in no hurry to meet the little guy."


    "You can''t spoil our child," Santiago reminded.


    "Oh try stopping me," She flipped her hair and slowly walked ahead to check the clothes.


    When they were selecting baby clothes in the baby store, his gaze suddenly fell on a delicate silver bell bracelet a shop attendant was showing to a customer. It was exquisitely made with dangling tiny bells, crescents and stars. It reminded him of his rockstar.


    "What are you looking at?" Persephone asked him."Oh a bell bracelet," she said following his gaze. She turned to ask him, "It''s pretty. But isn''t it too girlish?"


    Santiago nodded and returned his gaze to what she had selected. Thank you, it didn''t have much blue. The clothes they selected were gender-neutral.


    "Do you still have the bracelet I gave you?" Santiago suddenly asked. Seeing this bracelet, he was reminded how he had gifted her one before thinking it was something she wanted.


    "When you asked me to marry you?" Persephone raised her brow and questioned. She remembered he gave her a bracelet on the night he demanded her to marry him.


    Santiago smiled remembering that moment. "People propose with a ring, look at me, I propose you with a baby bracelet."


    Persephone snorted at his audacity. "You demanded that I marry you. If you would have asked nicely, I might have agreed but your stubborn ass doesn''t do anything nicely."


    Perhaps, she wouldn''t have agreed but what''s the harm in saying that?


    "Sorry,'''' He murmured. "I couldn''t see you with that Nico bastard anymore. Seeing his arms around you, flaunting you as his fiance burns me like acid. I know my way of asking you was a bit wrong. No, it was absolutely wrong but I don''t know how to do it. I asked you in a way I know."


    Persephone didn''t hold that episode against him. She knew if he didn''t do what he had done, they wouldn''t have been here.


    "If you hadn''t used that way to marry me, perhaps we wouldn''t be here," She found herself saying. "I would still be confused. And our baby might not have a father with him. Now that I think about it, you weren''t that bad actually."


    He smiled while wrapping his arms around her waist as he pulled her closer to his chest, he whispered "Still, I''m sorry. And thank you for our Rockstar. I didn''t know I needed him until he came. He has become my whole life, Percy. He means so much to me. "


    "See baby, I told you your papa loves you but you didn''t listen to me." Persephone didn''t reply to him but looked at her bump to chide the baby inside.


    And the baby suddenly kicked so hard that the clothes in her hand fell on the ground and she held her tummy in shock.


    Santiago laughed at both of them. "I think now I believe you that he is a boy. But I still want to spank his butt for scaring you like that." Turning towards the shop attendant, he pointed at the bracelet that had caught his eye and asked her to pack it up.


    "I still want to buy the bell bracelet. My heart is telling me to just buy it, "He told Persephone. " And since we have purchased so many things today, what harm could buying something I liked do?"


    "You are just obsessed with these bracelets," Persephone rolled her eyes but asked the shop attendant to add it to their cart. If he likes it, just buy it. Even if their baby didn''t like to wear it in the future, they would just keep it safe with his things.


    "We spent a lot today," Persephone sighed as they came out of the store. She could visualize that she had burned a hole in his pocket once again.. She was used to being a spendthrift and so didn''t see price tags when purchasing something.

 Chapter 210 - Meeting Old Acquaintances

    "Our rockstar deserved every single penny spent on him," Santiago said, dismissing her thought of being a little too much of a spendthrift.


    "Santiago, how rich are we?" Persephone suddenly asked him. Although it was a bit late in asking, still it was better late than never.


    "Not crazy rich like the CEOs your novels feature but enough to afford a comfortable lifestyle as long as I work hard," Santiago replied to her. If his new projects bring great returns, they wouldn''t have to worry about their whole life. It would be enough to last him a lifetime if they spend economically.


    "Thank god, otherwise I will feel guilty for making you poor," Persephone sighed in relief.


    Santiago rolled his eyes. His woman was unapologetically dramatic. Then again, her dramatic behaviour makes her cute.


    They were out of the store facing each other when he heard her call him.


    "Santiago?"


    "Yes?" He looked at her and waited for her to speak.


    "Now that we are rich," Persephone said, closing her eyes and folding her hands. "Please buy me ice cream. Butterscotch with lots of choco chips in it."


    "Not happening," He clearly declined. He could see her whole purpose of coming here was to get ice cream. She didn''t play fair and he knew she would make him submit to her demand.


    "You can''t do this to me," Here she was again. Crying to make him guilty. Not only just crying, making the passersby misunderstand the situation.


    "Persephone, it''s not good for you, "Santiago tried negotiating.


    "Ah, baby, look your dad doesn''t love us anymore." She started crying, gaining the sympathy of passersby. They began looking at him in disgust. Hey. Hey. He was innocent. They just didn''t know his wife was creating the whole drama for ice cream.


    "Young man, you can''t abandon your pregnant wife. Look at her pitiful condition. Don''t you feel bad?" A middle-aged woman chided him.


    "How shameful!'' Another commented while snorting at him.


    It didn''t end just here. He found Persephone winking at him and then started crying again, cursing him in colourful words.


    "You are going to be the death of me, "Santiago groaned.


    "Ice cream," She reminded him with a smile.


    "Yes, ma''am."


    ¡­


    "Can you not eat like this?" Santiago said. He was feeling uncomfortable seeing her licking the spoon.


    "Like what?" Persephone questioned innocently.


    "Like you are orgasming," Villain groaned.


    Persephone grinned at him. "Am I making you uncomfortable somewhere?"


    Santiago took her hand and put it on his hardness under the table and murmured, "Guess."


    Persephone licked the spoon seductively and gave him a squeeze below the table and murmured back, "Dirty, Santiago. Dirty. I will not fulfil any of your restaurant fantasy "


    Santiago rubbed her lip with the pad of his thumb and took the ice cream smeared on her lip on his thumb and licked it before standing up. "Eat. I will be back in a moment. Don''t move from your seat until I come."


    Persephone blinked her eyes and asked. "Where are you going?"


    "Where can I go like this?" Santiago deadpanned.


    Persephone burst into laughter.


    ¡­


    When Persephone was enjoying her ice cream in peace, someone else was gazing at her with apparent hate. Irene had never thought that when she would come out with her friends, she would see this woman who she hated with every fibre of being once again, doing all sorts of lovey-dovey with her man.


    Yes, Santiago Vitello Aka Vito Giovanni was her man. She had claimed him. Her father had promised her to marry him. He might be a bit older in age but he was hers. Hers only. This bitch Juliet can''t touch him.


    "Irene, what are you looking at?" Anne, Irene''s friend, also the girl who once stayed in the ranch asked. Following her gaze, she saw Persephone deep in an argument with the waiter.


    "Holy smokes, isn''t it Jules?" Anne''s boyfriend asked. "Damn, she is still as hot as ever."


    "Who would have thought we would come across her of all people here?" Anne could not help but say. "Let''s approach her."


    Before Irene could say anything to stop them, Anne''s boyfriend jumped to reach Persephone.


    "How can I not order anything?" Persephone growled at the waiter. "It''s not like I am not paying you "


    "I''m sorry, ma''am. Our manager asked to not take any order from you," The waiter smiled apologetically.


    "How about I pay double the price?" Persephone negotiated.


    "I''m sorry, Ma''am," The waiter said. Even he was feeling bad for this pregnant woman but since it was her husband who had denied taking any order of junk food from her, he couldn''t do anything but offend her.


    "Damm this Villain," Persephone muttered under her breath.


    "She can''t order but I can?" Roy, Anne''s boyfriend, said taking the seat opposite Persephone. He grinned at her and waved his hand enthusiastically. "Hey, Juliet. We met again. Where is your dashing and dangerous man?"


    "Sir?" The Waiter was put in a tight spot.


    "I want you to order what she asked you to bring earlier for me," Roy said and the waiter was left with no option but to take his order.


    "Hi, Juliet," Two pretty and young girls came and took their seats with Roy. One girl smiled at her."Remember, it''s Anne? Roy''s girlfriend."


    "Of course, she does, babe," Roy rolled his eyes. "How could she forget the wonderful time we all spent in the ranch together? Although we were stuck because of a nationwide lockdown, we still had a great time together. Especially the newlywed couple," Roy completed his piece with a naughty wink.


    "Speaking of the time spent there, where is your husband? The hot dashing hunk?" Anne said with bubbling excitement.


    "He went to the washroom, "Persephone smiled, understanding they were talking about Santiago.


    Although she didn''t recognise them, she still talked to them to gather information.. Of course. They were after all talking about the ranch life she had no memory of

 Chapter 211 - Some Huge Misconceptions

    "I heard someone brought the ranch we stayed in," Irene, the girl who didn''t seem to like her, said. She had been throwing daggers at Persephone when she thought she wasn''t looking her way. But who was Persephone if she couldn''t even decipher if she was liked by a certain person or not?


    Roy nodded sadly. He was reminded of the sad news he had heard a few weeks ago. "The couple who used to run the ranch passed away not long ago. I heard everyone lost jobs once the Ranch was closed. I wonder what they are doing now?"


    He couldn''t imagine that the man who threatened them not to have orgies in the ground a few months ago was no more in this world. He had his wife share such a beautiful bond.


    Persephone suddenly felt bad for them. "What happened to them?"


    Although she didn''t remember who they were talking about, still she felt terrible hearing how they passed away.


    "Pandemic," Roy told her.


    It wasn''t just the Mayes couple who lost their lives in the pandemic. Many people in that part of the country lost their lives. If the political situation wasn''t so bad, if people cared more about their health than the death of the former prime minister, the situation would have been different. The King did what he could for his people but it was the people who didn''t appreciate his efforts.


    The prime minister was dead and so were the people who participated in agitation especially when the pandemic was on rise.


    "It''s such sad news," Persephone expressed her heartfelt sadness. She wondered if other people were doing good. "Then, what about the ranch? Is it still there?"


    Irene nodded in reply. "Someone acquired the ranch and several acres of land surrounding it not long ago." She paused and then looked at her friends to share a confidential piece of news in a low voice. "I heard from my dad that they are going to rebuild the whole province and make that place into an environmentally sustainable site. He said that the place after rebuilding will attract a lot of tourists across the world. And it will also give a lot of people jobs who aren''t educated and skilled."


    "Wait," Roy looked at her in disbelief. And then added, "Could the rebuilder be the same man who is rebuilding the island Persephone?"


    Persephone choked on her drink as she heard him. "Island what?"


    She swore that she heard her name being said.


    "Island Persephone," Roy said as it was his favourite topic to talk about. He was an architecture student and how could he not love to talk about one of the most magnificent sites his country was building. He thought that since Persephone didn''t know about the current trending topic, then why not tell her?


    "It was private property a few months ago," Roy told her with overwhelming excitement. "But now it''s being rebuilt to be used as a huge tourist site. Well, the third fourth of the island will have sites to visit in a year or two. And the rest of the area will be the private property of the owner. It''s said that it has a gorgeous ocean villa and private beach. I heard that the island is literally the paradise on earth."


    "This project attracted investors across the world," Irene said like a business student that she was.


    "Our country will have our own Disney. But in water," Anne squealed in excitement.


    "This project must cost a lot of money, "Persephone couldn''t help but add. Such a huge project must involve a lot of capital investment too.


    "Several Billion," Irene muttered. She knew a plain Jane like this woman couldn''t understand how many zeroes that the word billion had in itself.


    Again, why would Santiago Vitello see a woman like her? He could have any socialites here?


    Why would an American woman like her even know?


    Persephone was shocked and impressed by the knowledge of the whole project. She wondered if an island such as that even exists or if it''s just a topic of myths.


    She was immersed in thoughts when she heard Santiago''s voice, "I left you alone for a few minutes and you got people to buy you food? Red, are you trying to kill me with your antics?"


    Never had Santiago ever fathomed that this silly wife of his would charm people to buy her junk food. She clearly knew that it wasn''t good for her yet she insisted on eating all these unhealthy things.


    Persephone pouted her lips and glared at him. "This is your fault for ordering the waiter to not serve me food."


    She would see him at home. If she didn''t punish him for ordering the waiter to not give her food, she wouldn''t be punished.


    Irene heard a low and mellow chuckle. Her face turned rosy as she turned her gaze to see Santiago smiling.


    It was a shame that such a beautiful smile wasn''t for her.


    Why he was that bitch''s?


    Why couldn''t he be hers?


    Santiago paused in his foot steps when he saw some familiar people sitting across Persephone.


    "Mr Vito?" Roy stood up. He wasn''t ashamed to say that he was still afraid of this man. Well, who wouldn''t t be? His demeanour spoke don''t approach him.


    Only someone like him could be his Majesty''s Right hand.


    "Mr V will do," Santiago said. Vito was an alias be used earlier and since his identity wasn''t any secret now he didn''t like to be called Vito. He turned his gaze to look at Persephone. "Did you have a good time?"


    He could see that she was enjoying her time with all these people. He didn''t know if she remembered meeting any of them, but he didn''t have anything to hide now. As long as he asked him any question, he would do his best to answer.


    Persephone nodded her head at him and said, "We talked about some tourist sites."


    Santiago caressed her cheek and signalled the waiter for the tab.


    When he saw that he didn''t add the bill of all other food items Persephone ate, he furrowed his brow in confusion.


    "You forget to add these," Santiago said, pointing at the empty dishes on the table.


    "Oh Mr V, it''s added in my tab," Roy told him.


    "I can''t have someone pay for my wife''s food," Santiago said asked the waiter to add it in his tab.


    Irene frowned at him. She had believed all along that they were faking to be a couple. But now that she saw Persephone''s hand, she found a sparkling diamond on her finger, glaring at her.


    It was a wedding band. And there was one on Santiago''s ring finger too.


    She suddenly felt breathless. How could they do this to her?


    This man was supposed to be hers and hers only.


    "I need to use the washroom, "Persephone said to Santiago and bid goodbye to them. He held her hand and helped her stand.


    Irene gasped as she saw Persephone''s bulging belly. She wanted to stop them but no words left her mouth.


    "This is what happens when you spend your honeymoon cooped up inside your room," Roy commented and Anne burst into laughter.


    "They are my favourite couple," Anna said won''t loud with a smile. "I am so glad that they still love each other too much."


    ¡­


    Persephone was washing her hands when she felt someone standing close to her. This flowery nauseating perfume belonged to the Irene girl. She turned her head to see Irene staring at her, unblinking.


    "I see you are still clinging to him," Irene commented with apparent hate.


    "And I see, you are still eyeing someone''s husband," Persephone rolled her eyes at him.


    "You¡­." Irene pointed her finger but kept it down as she eyed her protruding belly. "If you think you can trap him with this child in your belly, you are wrong. He doesn''t belong to you. And this baby in your belly won''t make him yours."


    "If he doesn''t belong to me, then who does he belong?" Persephone questioned her with a smile forming on her lips. "You? The girl he didn''t even bother looking at?"


    With this said, Persephone left the washroom and saw Santiago waiting for her.


    "I told you I will meet you in the parking lot. Why did you come?" Persephone couldn''t help but ask him with a frown?


    "Don''t be angry," Santiago said, pulling her into his arms. He eased her frown and pecked her lips. "I was afraid that you might slip or worse forget the way home. So, I came to take you with me."


    Persephone laughed. "I won''t forget the way home. I finally found a home and how could I forget the way to it?"


    Santiago gazed at her intensely, not knowing what to say.


    "Santiago?"


    "Hmm?"


    "She said you don''t belong to me," Persephone couldn''t help but tell him.


    Suddenly, Santiago ended up laughing.. "Ah, baby she has some huge misconceptions."

 Chapter 212 - A Visit To Royal Palace

    "Santiago, how do I look?" Persephone asked for the nth time.


    Santiago looked at her calmly without an ounce of frustration. She was looking extremely gorgeous in her pink maternity dress just like she had once told him.


    It had been a week since they went shopping for a baby''s nursery. Today, they were going to attend a dinner ceremony organized by His Majesty King Leonrado. It was an important event for him and was glad that she was by his side.


    "You look gorgeous,"Santiago murmured, taking her hand and helped her walk to the car.


    "How long would it take?" Persephone asked with a yaw. Although she was usually sleepy around this time of the evening, yet today she was exceptionally alert. It could be because she was going to meet a real King of a country for the first time ever.


    She has always wanted to meet a real royalty and it seemed her wish would be fulfilled soon.


    Lara had given her a list of dos and don''t. She said it was her good luck that she could see the king, his fiance and the royal prince and princess.


    More than her, Lara seemed excited about her visit to the palace.


    Again, she couldn''t understand the reason behind Lara''s overwhelmed tone.


    After an hour , they reached a gloriously lit palace.


    ''Ah, it''s the Royal Palace, Residence of the King?''


    "This is beautiful," Persephone gasped as Santiago took her arms to go inside.


    "Not more than you," He replied and smiled at the man who approached him as soon as he entered the ballroom.


    "Mr Vitello, if you don''t mind me saying, you are exceptionally praised by His Majesty. I must say you have shown your capabilities once again," The man said as soon as he saw Santiago. He was basically bootlicking at this time.


    "Mr Harrison, you praise me too much," Santiago said, humbly accepting the compliment.


    "May I ask, who is this beautiful lady?" Mr Harrison asked with a harmless smile.


    "This is my wife, Persephone Vitello," Santiago introduced. "And, dear wife, this is my Mr Harrison, our project partner."


    "Mrs Vitello, it''s a pleasure meeting you," Mr Harrison was generous in compliments. "I must say I have seen a lady as beautiful as you till this time."


    Of course, it was an exaggeration but he had to compliment Vitello''s wife to get in his good books.


    Persephone smiled shyly and accepted the compliment humbly. "It''s a pleasure meeting you too, Mr Harrison."


    They moved and a few more people came and talked.


    Suddenly, the announcement was made that the King was appearing.


    "Come with me. We will meet the king now," Santiago said after a while.


    Persephone smiled and came with him. Her mouth was hurting from all the smiling. But she was used to it.


    She wouldn''t have believed if she didn''t see with her own eyes that this gorgeous hunk was the King of this land. He had to be in his mid to late thirties. He looked young but his mannerism and temperament was that of a royalty.


    Just like she was taught, she properly greeted the royal family.


    "I hadn''t thought you would come with your wife," The kind said, amused. He turned to look at Persephone. "But it''s good to see you." His gaze lingered on her belly as he added, And congratulations to both of you."


    "Thank you," Persephone smiled politely. She felt weird under his gaze. It was as if he was trying to tattoo her face in his brain.


    "Your Majesty, I thought you would be happy to see me married and starting a family," Santiago said with a modest smile.


    "Who said that I am not?" King Leonardo replied informally. "I''m just disheartened that I wasn''t invited to your and Killian''s wedding."


    "I apologise," Santiago said humbly. He chose not to pierce King''s facade in front of everyone.


    "Then, how about you right your wrong now?" King Leonardo said, a smirk present on his lips. As soon as his gaze had fallen on Persephone when he had entered the ballroom, he had planned the future of his dynasty.


    "I beg your pardon, Your Majesty?"Santiago could see the wicked wheels turning inside the King''s brain. But he would be damned before he let him succeed in whatever his wicked brain was planning.


    "What about a marriage alliance?"King Leonardo said and Persephone paled all of a sudden.


    She knew where this conversation was heading. No, she wouldn''t let this happen. She was about to open her mouth to say something when she felt Santiago squeezing her hand.


    "A marriage alliance?" Santiago furrowed his brows, expressing his confusion.


    "Yes, what do you think about a marriage alliance between our families?"King Leonardo said. He saw Giselle shaking like a leaf yet smiling politely like a good queen should.


    "Your Majesty, Princess Beatrice is already five years old. And my son has yet to come to this world," Santiago replied with a smile.


    "Princess Beatrice won''t be my only daughter, "Santiago was replied. "If I had another daughter, I hope you would think about this prospect."


    "Your Majesty, I would be blessed to accept your prospect. However, I can''t as I can''t control the heart of my son. I believe children''s matters should be left to them,"This was how Santiago politely declined the sudden marriage alliance.


    King Leonardo wasn''t shocked. He would be shocked if Santiago had accepted it. He had expected this from him already.


    He had nothing to worry about. If not Santiago, there was Nash and Killian left. And who would be a better option for a marriage alliance than Killian and Emmaline Palmero''s children? Call him anything, but he wouldn''t stop until he secures the future of his daughter or future daughters. Sons could be supported by the Royal family as long as they were alive but such wasn''t the case of daughters.


    And his children would marry the powerful household of the Maisean Empire.


    Vitello Household would rise in the years to come and he could see it happening right before his eyes.

 Chapter 213 - Good

    "Thank you,"Persephone whispered once they were seated at their table. "I couldn''t imagine the consequence of our baby being a daughter in my womb. Santiago, I would never want our child to be stuck in a marriage alliance. No matter how much wealth one is offering , you aren''t allowed to accept it."


    "Of course, Red, "Santiago murmured, kissing her knuckle. He had seen Persephone suffering because of one marriage alliance.


    His baby had yet to come into this world and people were already scheming?


    It didn''t matter if his baby was a boy or girl. He would protect either of them with every fibre of his being.


    "I need to go to the restroom,"Persephone said. At this stage of pregnancy, she need to visit washroom frequently.


    "I will assist you, "Santiago said, helping her stand up.


    Although the palace was the safest place in this whole country, he still would feel restless without him by her side.


    "No, "Persephone shook her head and whispered. "You keep an eye on this crazy king.Lord knows what wicked plans he is creating in his head. I hope I never see him again."


    Suddenly , Santiago burst into laughter. "Oh, baby. You never liked him."


    However, she didn''t pay any attention to his words.


    Persephone was muttering curses under her breath as she came out of the washroom. How dare this king take advantage of her husband''s generosity?


    While muttering to herself, she forgot the way back to the ballroom and walked to the other side. But she felt as if she had walked down this path before.


    Giselle was calming her nerves by smoking when she saw Persephone deep in thought coming her way.


    Since she was standing behind the pillar, Persephone hadn''t seen her yet. She let out a chuckle when she heard those innovative curses. King Leonardo still couldn''t make her like him.


    Only if Persephone knew the affection he had for her.


    "It''s you, "Persephone murmured when she saw Giselle stubbing the cigarette. she recognised this exceptionally beautiful woman as King''s fiance.


    "Nice to meet you again, Percy," Giselle said with a wide smile. She shouldn''t like this troublesome woman but damn she loved this adorable and chubby version of Persephone.


    How could someone not like such a cute woman?


    If she could, she would love to pinch her cheeks.


    "You know me?" Persephone asked with a shocked expression.


    Giselle chuckled and nodded her head. She now understood why Persephone was looking at her as if she was seeing a stranger.


    Persephone didn''t rembered her at all. She wondered how did she lost her memories.


    "How could I forget you?" Giselle said with a sigh. "Tell me, how was the journey from being a captor to a wife?"


    Persephone frowned. She understood that Giselle knew more about her story than her.


    "Heartbreaking," Persephone said without lying. "But I never felt more alive than now."


    "Villain is a charmer," Giselle said with a smile. "It''s really good to see you again, Percy. I didn''t think I would see you again."


    "What''s your name?" Persephone inquired as she let her guard down in her presence.


    "Giselle. But you used to call me Gissy," Giselle said. "I heard the Scuderi family nearly extinct back in New York."


    Persephone looked at her clearly this time. Under the yellow light, she could see Giselle''s brown eyes filled with indescribable pain. "Yes. Only Nicolas and Ginevra survived. He is now married to my younger sister."


    "Did they have a painful death?" Giselle asked suddenly.


    "A humiliating one," Persephone answered with straight face.


    "Good," Giselle suddenly smiled. She literally felt good hearing about that news.


    "Gissy?" Persephone called out her name in a bit of familiarity this time.


    "Hmm?" Giselle looked at her with calm eyes.


    "Why do I have a feeling that you don''t belong here? You don''t want a part of this lavish life. You are caged even under open sky," Persephone whispered. Why was she looking past herself in Giselle?


    "Perhaps, I''m," Giselle said, looking at the vast garden before her eyes. She was going to be a queen. And she doesn''t feel an ounce of excitement or happiness. "You are very lucky, Percy. You found freedom after all. In Santiago. I can see he loves you a lot. You were always very special to him. It was a shame it took him a while to realise it. If he had known it from the beginning, he could have saved you from heartache. Then again, without heartache, you won''t know the significance a person or a relationship holds in your life."


    "Why are you telling me this, Giselle?" Persephone asked her. Her words were deep. A way too much deep for a woman who was going to be the most powerful woman of this land.


    "Because I want you to protect what you have found. Don''t look at your life with the lens of good or bad. Just accept it if it''s what you want," Giselle told her. "You are lucky, Percy. You found what you wanted. Not many know what they want much less than attain it. "


    Persephone smiled but didn''t say anything. Her heart was beating faster in her ribcage. She wanted to leave. She made him uncomfortable.


    "He won''t stop until he makes Santiago agree to the marriage alliance," Giselle said after a while. "Dark horses are those allies he would never wish to lose. They are burdened by his benevolence. But you aren''t. If you don''t want your children to be dragged in palace politics, keep them away from politics and power. Don''t let him near your children." Looking at her belly, she added,"This one might be a son. What about the next?"


    Giselle wasn''t just saving Persephone''s children from King Leonardo but hers too.


    Bea hated her yet she couldn''t help but want to protect her from any marriage alliance she didn''t want.


    ...


    Author Note: Kindly Vote for ''The Kiss of deception" Help me win this WPC!!

 Chapter 214 - Return Of Dead

    "I have been looking for you," Santiago said, panting. "You scared me, Red."


    His gaze then fell on Giselle and nodded in acknowledgement. The latter smiled and walked away.


    It had been more than half an hour since she left his side to go to the washroom and hadn''t come back.


    Although he knew that this palace was the safest place in the whole country, he couldn''t help but worry about her.


    What if she fell? What if she fainted? All these thoughts were troubling him.


    Now that he saw her alright, he felt he could breathe now.


    They returned to the ballroom and bid goodbye to everyone once the pastry ended.


    "What were you talking about?"Santiago had said when he opened the car door for her. It was quite late and now they were going back home.


    "Nothing special," Persephone whispered. "Just discussing the crazy king and his wicked schemes."


    Persephone still couldn''t help but remember the words Giselle had told her. She couldn''t understand one thing why King''s fiance would try to warn her against his schemes?


    All she could say was that her first encounter with King Leonardo was very memorable. However, not in a good way.


    If she could, she wouldn''t meet him again.


    "Red, he might not be a good man but he is an excellent king," Santiago said, sliding next to her. He could understand the thoughts running in her head. "And a good king can''t be a good man."


    For someone like King Leonardo who saved his country from the brink of destruction several years ago knew better than anyone else that goodness couldn''t take him anywhere.


    He has to be shrewd and devious all the time. Recognising the chances and turning them into profit.


    King Leonardo could see his future. He knew the position Santiago would hold in the country''s economy in the years to come. So, he was trying to use this opportunity in his favour.


    But Santiago didn''t reach where he was today just like that. He couldn''t be schemed against so easily.


    "I am telling you once for all, Santiago, my child will have nothing to do with the Royal family," Persephone said seriously. "I don''t care if you work for him or not. But he will not come anywhere near the king."


    Giselle said Santiago was indebted to King Leonardo and she could understand why. Still, no child of hers could pay for his father''s debt.


    King Leonardo might have Santiago once. This favour would be repaid by Santiago only. Not by her children.


    "I understand," Santiago sighed out. He could see where she was coming from. His debts would be paid by him solely. "I promise you, Persephone, No one could force my children to do what they never want to do. They will have the reign of their lives in their own hands. I will support them no matter what."


    She took his word for face value. If he said that he would always protect his children, it meant he would protect them, no matter what.


    "Thank you," Persephone whispered, hugging his arm. She felt relief hearing him treasure her.


    "It''s something I have to do as a father," Santiago said. "You don''t need to thank me."


    He shouldn''t be thanked for doing his duty.


    Persephone placed her head on his shoulder and waited for the car to reach home. She was surprised when Santiago stopped in the car hallway. She asked him why he stopped the car hallway when he got out of the car but he merely smiled at her.


    A while later he came with two cups of ice cream. She was surprised by his gesture but happy nonetheless.


    "Butterscotch ice cream with lots and lots of choco chips?"Santiago smiled.


    Persephone laughed in enthusiasm. He guided her to follow him and stopped when she saw a bench placed near the beach view.


    Night beach view was surreal.


    And enjoying ice cream while relishing the beach was a joy she didn''t ever experience.


    "Ah, you are being romantic," Persephone said as she occupied the seat next to him.


    Santiago smiled and passed her the cup of ice cream.


    "I thought you would like a romantic husband once in a while?" Santiago asked, raising his brow.


    Persephone chuckled at him. "I like any type of husband as long as he brings me ice cream."


    Santiago caught his heart in a dramatic manner. "Ah, you hurt my romantic ego, Wife."


    "Romantic ego?" Persephone laughed at his cheekiness. "What''s that?"


    "Just like people have manly or womanly egos. Similarly, I have a romantic ego that''s just hurt by you, " Santiago replied. "Well, you can just kiss me to lessen the pain that I felt when my ego crumbled."


    "You are crazy, Santiago, "Persephone said, hitting his chest shyly.


    Santiago burst into endless laughter seeing her flustered.


    "Have you thought about baby names?" Persephone asked him as she took a bite of her ice cream. It was a topic she has not discussed before.


    "Let''s call him Arthur?"Santiago suggested and Persephone turned to look at him with a wrinkled nose. Of course, she didn''t like his suggestion.


    "Nah, it''s a medieval name," Persephone said. How could she give her boy such an old name? Instead, she suggested, "Let''s call him Lake."


    It was Santiago''s turn to give her a dirty look. "Why not just call him Pond or perhaps tap water."


    "You are no fun, Santiago," Persephone groaned. Lake is such a beautiful name. Seems like Santiago had no taste of good names.


    "Landon?"


    "Too American."


    "Sullivan?"


    "Too fancy."


    "Archie?"


    "Too short."


    "Why can''t we just call him Caro?"Santiago seriously asked. Why was choosing a name for a baby such a difficult feat?


    [Caro means dear]


    "Imagine the horror he would experience in school for getting named as Caro," Persephone shuddered as she imagined the scene where everyone would be teasing her baby calling Caro. "Don''t even think about it."


    Santiago sighed. "If it was a girl, I would have just called her Eleanora."


    "Too bad it''s a boy," Persephone snorted.


    ¡­.


    Santiago placed Persephone''s asleep body on the bed. She fell asleep in the car on the way home. It was past her bedtime and naturally, she would be asleep by this time.


    He felt his phone ringing in her pocket as he removed her shoes and arranged the blanket on her body.


    Seeing that it was Killian calling him, he left the bedroom to take a call in his study.


    "Killian, I wonder what happened that you have to call so late," Santiago said as soon as he picked up.


    "Santiago, Lucian Marino might be alive," Killian immediately said.


    "What did you say?"Santiago felt as if he had heard wrong.


    "You heard me right, " Killian said, panting. "Before Richard Costa''s death, he had tried talking to Don Marino but his call wasn''t connected. However, he left a voicemail for Don Marino saying Lucjan Marino is alive and it was him who poisoned him. He also said that the demise of the Scuderi family might be related to Lucian too."


    "But we know that it wasn''t Lucian who killed the Scuderi family but someone else," Santiago said. He had heard from Killian that it was his person in New York who killed Scuderi, giving him a slip. "And how can a dead return, Kill?"


    "Santiago, just like us, "Killian replied. "In people''s eyes, we were dead too. But look at us? Rising from ashes. We were normal beings and still survived. It was Lucian. One of the best geniuses the world had produced. If we can survive, why can''t he?"


    Santiago was quiet for a while and then he sighed out. "Killian, it wouldn''t be peaceful in New York anymore. Make arrangements for Valencia, Santiago and Cameron to send here. I don''t want them implicated in any sort. I can see a war getting started. If you don''t mind, you can try talking to Emma and Alicia to stay here for a while. They would be safer here. We have to protect our families."


    If their families would be safe, they would feel less anxious. New York was no longer safer for them. It was better if they all came here to stay with them.


    "I will try talking to all of them," Killian said. He paused for a moment and then asked, "I heard you attended a dinner party at the palace today. How was it?"


    Santiago snorted. "His Majesty being himself once again."


    "I wonder what he did to get on your nerves," Killian mused.


    "He suggested a marriage alliance between our children,"Santiago said bitterly. "As much as I know him, he is probably thinking of ways to trap your children now."


    Killian laughed. "Too bad I have no kids."


    "You have a niece, Killian, don''t you?" Santiago reminded him.


    "Shit, "Killian cursed out. "I will not let him succeed in any of his schemes.. And I didn''t find Emy after great difficulties just to give her up."

 Chapter 215 - Sides To Take

    "Killian, I don''t understand why are you sending me away from you?"Emma asked with teary eyes.


    Everything was going fine between them but since the last few weeks Killian had been pretty much distant to her and she was going crazy thinking what she had done to make him indifferent to her.


    "Em," Killian''s voice aggravated with a resigned touch to it. "I''m not sending you away from me intentionally. Try to understand me. There are some things I can''t explain to you. Even if I want to, I can''t tell you everything." He paused for a moment and caressed her cheek tenderly with his palms. She closed her eyes and a tear leaked from the corner of her eye. "Wait for me, okay? I will be back to you soon."


    "I will be waiting for you," replied Emma with a teary smile. She liked this man a lot and was willing to wait for him. Even if she had to wait for her whole for him, she would.


    "Thank you, Em," whispered Killian as he dipped his head to kiss her lips. They had been married for a while but they hadn''t taken that step yet. Since they got married first, they thought why not start dating now? So what if they didn''t get to know each other before? At least, they could get to know each other now. They had all the time in the world after all.


    Emma''s hand slid into his hair as she kissed him with the same intensity and force, "I will miss you, Kill."


    "I will miss you more, baby, "Killian murmured against her skin. Then, he withdrew his hands from her and picked up her suitcase and placed it in his car trunk.


    "I didn''t think that the first time I would go to your country, it would be a solo trip," Emma said with a helpless expression on her face. It didn''t take a genius to put two and two together. She knew something was up with her husband and that was why he surprised her this morning by demanding that she move to Maisean Empire straight away.


    "I''m really sorry that I can''t come with you right now," Killian smiled as he slid into the driver seat after opening the door for her. "But it wouldn''t be a solo trip. Valencia, Cameron, Junior Santiago, Alicia and Emy are going too."


    However, it didn''t help Emma at all if not increase her anxiety.


    "I have made your living arrangement there. If you need anything, I am just a call away," Killian further said while driving straight to the airport.


    The rest of the people would meet them directly at the airport. It could be said that none of them was a hoot about this sudden trip dumped on their head except Junior who was so excited that he was going to meet his Red that his suddenly new Uncle had made his bride, snatching his girlfriend from him.


    "I would be living alone there?" Emma remembered how she was so lost in her misery that she didn''t ask where they would be living. She couldn''t stay with Persephone as she was heavily pregnant this time and needed time with her husband especially when they were going on the right track. She wouldn''t want to disturb them.


    "Em, it''s no longer safe for you people here," Killian shared his problems. "If it was, I would have never sent you away from me. I finally found Alicia and Emy and so I don''t want to lose them again. And you are my wife, it''s my duty to save you. So, I''m sending you to a safe place. New York is going to undergo a lot of changes in the months to come. There is no guarantee of anywhere here."


    Emma didn''t say anything. She has been born and raised in a family associated closely with Mafia Famiglia. She knew it better than how it worked. And how everyone would try to save their loved ones or family each time, a regime was going to be changed.


    What does this mean? Marinos were going to fall? She shuddered at the thought. Not just one family but several others would be implicated. Mafia families were just like a kingdom that needed a king to run it. Without the boss or Don, they couldn''t function.


    After Don Marino, who would be the next Don?


    Edward Kingsley? Don Marino''s greatest nemesis?


    No, he would kill their people ruthlessly. He hated Don Marino and everyone associated with it.


    ''''What about Sophia and Carino?" questioned Emma. "Who would protect them?"


    "It''s time to pick sides, Emma," replied Killian with a small smile. "Sophia is not Salvatore''s responsibility anymore. Even if he wanted to protect her, she would never leave Nico. And Nico would never choose anyone but Don Marino. As for Carino, she would rather die at the hands of that monster than leave him."


    "We are taught to follow and obey our husband. It''s a prerequisite for being a virtuous wife," Emma said. This was the mantra that had been instilled in their minds since young.


    "That''s dumb," Killian said with a frown. "Those men fear that if their women started raising questions, they would have a lot of explaining to do. And explaining involves logic. And nothing they do has logic in it. Killing unnecessarily and mercilessly. For what? Instilling fear in their mind?"


    Emma didn''t say anything for a long while as she was lost in her own thoughts. Killian wasn''t wrong. Explaining involved logic and logic would change their point of view. Perhaps, this was the case why her mom was able to see what kind of man her father was and yet she was insisting on worshipping him.


    She was so lost in their thoughts that she didn''t realize when they reached the airport. Killian parked the car and got out to bring out her luggage and went in to find Valencia, Alicia, Cameron and two kids by their side. And also a monkey Killian had hoped that he would see him.


    Of course, it was Nash. Who else would be so cocky to flirt with a woman who was not even talking back to him? But did it stop Nash''s enthusiasm? Not at all. If anything else, it made him more determined to win his darling back.


    His darling was just like a coconut with a hard exterior and soft insides just like that brother of hers. She would crack up one day, right?


    "Hi bro!!" Alicia waved her hand as soon as she saw Killian coming with Emma and luggage. She gave a stiff but polite smile to Emma.


    Killian hugged her tightly. "You brat! Take care of yourself! Don''t forget to take your meals on time. If you feel bored just annoy the hell out of Santiago. I''m so happy there is someone who could keep him on toes apart from Percy, of course."


    Alicia flipped her hair proudly. "You know what bro? I like fiddling with these coldies. I have experience dealing with them. Such a shame it couldn''t be used in my resume."


    "What do you need the resume for? If you don''t like your cafe anymore, just tell me what do you want to do next? I will support you in all your explorations."


    Killian wasn''t kidding with her. He was very much sure about it.


    Alicia rolled her eyes. Her brother was just too serious. And sometimes very uncool.


    "It''s nice to see you, Killian. Emma." Valencia said, ignoring the blabbering Nash.


    Emma smiled and made small talk.


    Killian patted Cameron''s back taking Emy from his arms, "Kiddo, you take care of ladies. Turning to Emy, he said," And you my munchkin, uncle will miss you."


    Emy so liked Killian that on seeing him every time, she would kiss his face repeatedly to show that he was her favourite human. She extended her hand and demanded, "Chocolate?"


    Killian sighed and put one small chocolate candy on her palm but not before kissing her palm.


    "Bro, stop spoiling her," Alicia groaned.


    Killian obviously didn''t pay any attention to her whining.


    Alicia looked at Santiago who was quietly standing beside her mom and asked with narrowed eyes, "My dear, why are you so quiet?"


    "I''m trying to show everyone that I am mad but no one is paying me any attention," The little boy said in a grumbling tone. His eyes were squinted and his mouth formed in a pout while his arms were folded over his chest. His posture screams that he was insanely mad. More mad now that no one was paying any attention to him.


    "Why are you mad, Captain?" Nash couldn''t help but ask him.


    "I''m going to meet my girlfriend but I was given no time to bring her any gift from America," Santiago said, grumbling.


    Everyone ended up laughing.


    "It''s not like she won''t be returning to America. This is her home, Kiddo. She will be back very soon," Killian said with a smile.


    Santiago shook her head. He bitterly told everyone, "She won''t ever come back. She told me that she is very happy at her new home. And she would live there with her baby and Uncle San."


    Of course, no one took a kid''s words for face value.

 Chapter 216 - Fight Over Wife

    "Sit inside the car or standstill," Santiago said in a warning tone. "You are making me dizzy."


    Persephone narrowed her eyes at him, stopping for a moment and then started pacing around again.


    How can he not see that she was excited? And extremely so?


    "Red, you will be exhausted until they come," Santiago told her in exasperation.


    It was only when Persephone was tired did she listen to him. However, much to her joy, the people she had been anticipating to see appeared with luggage.


    If not for the huge bump she would have run to hug all of them.


    "Oh my God, look at the glow," Valencia said, hugging her. "You look so gorgeous and healthy."


    Persephone squealed. This had to be the first time that Valencia said that she looked healthy. She turned to give Santiago a look that said ''look you can''t force me to eat vegetables anymore.''


    "Emma. Ellison, " Persephone hugged them together. They greeted her back with equal gusto.


    "Hey boyfriend," Persephone gave Junior Santiago a high five. "You look so handsome. I''m so glad to see you."


    The boy showed a shy expression but put it aside by hugging her legs. "I''m so happy to see you too, Red." He showed her a smile showing his perfect whites.


    Santiago groaned. "That would be Aunt Percy for you, kid."


    Of course, Junior didn''t pay any attention to him aside from greeting him as his mom had taught him. He wouldn''t embarrass his mom by being a brat.


    Cameron, who was given the job of picking Emy appeared last.


    "Hey, Percy." He waved his hand at her as he found hugging such a heavily pregnant woman awkward. And nodded at Santiago in acknowledgement. He wasn''t a hugger, to be honest, and shaking hands seemed too formal.


    "Hey, Cameron," Persephone enthusiastically waved back. She walked to him and pulled his sleeve to make him bend a bit. He was just as tall as his big brother. He raised his brow in confusion but she surprised him by ruffling his hair.


    "I always wanted to do this. But I never got a little brother," Persephone explained to him. "Now that I have you, I am gonna do this to my heart''s content."


    Cameron rolled his eyes at her but felt sweet in his heart. He had always liked Persephone not in that way but in a way one calls people family. So, he would always give in to his antics.


    "Give me Emy, " Ellison said, taking her sleeping baby from him. "You help Santiago with luggage."


    Ellison, Emy, Valencia and Emma left in a car that Santiago''s driver was driving while everyone else went in the one he was driving. They were going straight to his house where Lara had arranged lunch for them. After that, they would drop Ellison and Emma at Killian''s house which was just in the neighbourhood.


    "This is gorgeous," Cameron looked out of the window in awe. "No wonder you never came home." Before he could stop the words from escaping his mouth, he fired them. He met Santiago''s eyes in the mirror and sighed in relief when he saw that he just smiled at him and didn''t get offended.


    "No matter how beautiful a place is, it''s never more beautiful and happier than home," Santiago said after a while.


    Persephone, who was engaged in a conversation with Junior, didn''t notice the moment that passed between the two brothers.


    "Then, why didn''t you come back?" Cameron asked in almost a whisper.


    "I had my reasons, kiddo," Santiago replied back. Cameron hadn''t thought that his whisper would be heard by him. But after getting the answer, he just nodded with a stiff smile and turned his eyes to look out of the window. They were driving on a highway road and they could still see the vast ocean as far their eyes could take them.


    It was a beautiful sight.


    No wonder Persephone liked it too.


    "Red, this place is so gorgeous," Junior said with a look of astonishment. "It''s like paradise."


    Persephone grinned at him. "I know right. I love this place a lot. You should see our home. It''s so beautiful. Your Uncle Santiago bought me the most stunning house ever."


    "He is not my Uncle," Junior was quick to say with a frown. "And I am not going to call you aunt. That will not be okayish. I will call you Red like I always do."


    "He doesn''t like you calling me Red," Persephone told him.


    "Why is it so?" Junior said with a furrowed brow.


    "Because Red is our secret code. It is something he came up with. So he only wants himself to call me Red," Persephone explained to the boy.


    "How unoriginal," Junior said with a snort. "And how petty too! My mom said we should always share with everyone. Why can''t he share the nickname with me?"


    "Because she is my wife," Santiago replied to the boy. "When you have a wife, you can give her all the names you want. But you are not allowed to call someone else''s wife with a nickname, especially mine."


    "You stole my wife," Junior accused him without flinching. No, he wasn''t scared of this big badass man. He couldn''t understand why his Uncle Cam was intimidated by this man. He was just a normal man, no superman.


    Of course, Santiago didn''t fight with the kid over his wife. After all, Persephone was his wife and he didn''t need to engage in a verbal battle with a kid.


    ¡­


    Just like Persephone all the other three ladies were in love with this house immediately. And how could they not love it? It was located in such a beautiful location. Clear blue sky and magnificent vast ocean in the background


    "I can now understand why you didn''t want to come to New York just yet," Emma said with an eye roll.


    Persephone just smiled and took them inside.


    ...


    Author Note: Now should we go back to angst and drama? Isn''t lovey dovey enough already?

 Chapter 217 - Heart Attack

    After freshening up, they arrived at the huge lunch Lara had arranged on the patio as it was a beautiful day, worth enjoying.


    Later, Santiago dropped Emma and Alicia at Killian''s house that was just five minutes away from his own.


    A housekeeper was there to welcome them. She greeted the ladies and took them inside. It was already dark and they were retiring to bed as they were tired from travelling.


    When Emma and Alicia were in the living room alone, it felt like one could cut the tension between them with a knife.


    "Thank you," Emma murmured as Alicia walked to withdraw the curtains.


    Alicia snorted at her and gave her a dirty look. "For what? Spending another day without killing each other? I think I am doing a pretty good job not murdering you."


    How could she forget Emmaline Costas? This wickedly yet beautiful barbie doll was her teenage nightmare. How could she forget that this woman forced her to drop out of college?


    "Look Alicia, I know you don''t like me," Emma said with exasperation. "And you are tolerating me because I am Killian''s wife. Thank you for not spilling out to Killian that we are the arch enemies that no one would wish to have. I couldn''t imagine his stress when he would have once he gets to know his wife and the sister he loved the most are enemies and had a bad past."


    "Emmaline Costas! Do you at least regret what you did to me?!" Alicia asked her. Her eyes blazing with indescribable hatred. "I was a teenager who grew up without an ounce of love. You know how difficult it is for a girl like me to attend college? I worked my ass off in high school and got a full ride into college. But what happened in the end? I dropped out. You sure were banned from campus but your minions made my life hell. You only cut my hair but they cut my confidence and killed my soul."


    Emma suppressed the sob from escaping her throat. "I''m sorry, Ellison. I couldn''t recognize the woman I was then. I regret it. I regret it a lot. I feel ashamed for what I did. But what could I do? I had loved him with every fibre that constitutes me. I had made sacrifices beyond words for him."


    "But he didn''t love you, " Alicia whispered. She couldn''t hear this woman say that she loved her husband. No, she couldn''t hear anyone say that she loved her husband. She was very possessive and territorial. "You had no right to love a man who doesn''t belong to you."


    "He doesn''t belong to me now," Emma whispered, wiping her tears. "But he did once upon a time. We were engaged, Alicia. Not for a year or two but more than a decade. He was unfaithful to me that''s why I left him on the altar. You are right, he does love me. He never loved me."


    Alicia''s wide eyes looked at him in horror. She felt her legs wobbly as she clutched her chest in pain.


    "Alicia!!" Emma shouted when she saw how Alicia fell to the ground. She patted her mouth. "Say something."


    But the latter didn''t say anything but just clutched her heart in extreme pain. Her forehead was sweating and her eyes were fluttering.


    "Alicia, please say something," Emma cried. She didn''t know what was happening to her.


    "It hurts," Alicia whispered as tears trickled down her face. "Take care of my Emy. Please."


    At this moment, Emma knew that something was not right with Alicia. She shouted at the housekeeper to call an ambulance. And in the next ten minutes, an ambulance was out taking Alicia. Since she was the only one at home along with the housekeeper and other servants, she asked them to send Emy to Persephone''s house straight away. And called Santiago on the way.


    "What happened to her?" Santiago asked as soon as he saw Emma.


    "Doctor said it''s a heart attack," Emma whispered. She was trembling badly.


    "Heart attack," Santiago repeated the words as if he couldn''t believe them either. "How does it even happen?"


    Instead of telling him, she burst into tears. "It''s all my fault. I shouldn''t have provoked her."


    "Emma, will you at least tell me what happened?" Santiago said. He couldn''t understand how a woman who was laughing with them a few hours ago suddenly had a heart attack. And now Emma was saying that it was her fault.


    "Alicia and I share a bad past. Before you ask, what does it mean? She and I know each other from before," Emma told him, wiping her tears. "No one knows. And she didn''t tell anyone either because she was trying to protect Killian and my marriage. When Alessandro Marino sent Salvatore to college in Nevada, she was a freshman there and he liked her and I was jealous. I made her life hell."


    "Emma, please tell me you didn''t tell her anything about your relationship with Salvatore? Or Isabelle''s?" Santiago demanded immediately.


    "I told her that I left Salvatore on the altar because he was unfaithful to me and I regret what I did to her and ashamed too," Emma said looking at his tensed expressions.


    "Emma, Salvatore and Alicia are married and have been for years," Santiago dropped the bomb.


    Emma was so shocked that she forgot breathing for a moment. "What?! How is it even possible? He was engaged to me? And now married to Belle? Wait, does it mean Emy is his daughter?"


    Santiago nodded his head. Emma collapsed on the chair. "He not only betrayed me but her too. She has been in the dark all this time."


    He was about to say something when the door opened and a doctor came, "Who is the patient''s family?"


    "Is she alright, doctor?" Santiago asked.


    "Does Miss Palmero have any history of heart disease? We need to study her medical history.. For now, all I can say is that it was the biggest mistake on your part to provoke a patient who seemingly had a heart disease."

 Chapter 218 - Meaningless Without Her

    "Her reports showed that she is a heart patient," Santiago told Emma in disbelief. He couldn''t understand how Alicia had heart disease. It didn''t make any sense to him. She had to be the most bubbly girl he had ever met.


    Then again, people with wide smiles often have the deepest scars.


    When the doctor enlightened them that they needed to see her medical reports to start the treatment, he had no other option but to contact Alicia''s bodyguard Ace who didn''t come with her here. He was the only person he could contact when Salvatore''s number was unreachable.


    It wasn''t only Santiago but Emma too was shocked beyond words. She glanced at Santiago and asked in a weak voice," What will we say to Killian?"


    She couldn''t tell Killian that she caused his sister a heart attack. Though it was not her intention to hurt Alicia yet it didn''t change the fact that she was in the hospital because of her.


    Santiago rubbed his temple in frustration. He didn''t know what to say to Killian or even how to tell him.


    "We will wait for the doctor to tell us about her condition before telling Killian," Santiago said. Even if they informed Killian just now, he still wouldn''t be able to come here. Thus, it was better to wait before telling him.


    On the other hand, Persephone was sitting in the living room watching Santiago and Emy playing with each other. Although she appeared smiling, she wasn''t her usual chirpy self. She tried standing up as she saw Valencia coming her way.


    "Val, did Santiago tell you what happened to Alicia? Why did she send Emy here?" Persephone immediately questioned her.


    Valencia smiled to reassure Persephone. She was told that she wasn''t allowed to tell Alicia''s real condition to Persephone as the latter had the tendency of overthinking every single thing and stressing over it. Moreover, at thirty-two weeks pregnant, it wasn''t fine for her to stress.


    "He said it''s nothing serious but she may have to stay a night at the hospital, " Valencia lied. She was worried sick about Alicia but for Persephone''s sake, she was trying to appear nonchalant but only if it was that easy after hearing the news.


    "Why?" Persephone looked horrified. "Why does she have to stay at the hospital? As much as I know, she hates the sight of the hospital."


    "She ate the wrong food on the flight and had good food poisoning," Valencia told another lie. " She has a weak immune system and gets sick easily."


    Alicia hated hospitals religiously.


    Persephone had a look of understanding on her face. She looked at the clock on the wall and it showed that it was time for the kids to go to bed.


    "Why don''t you watch TV with Santiago?" Valencia asked her. "While I will put Emy to sleep." While taking Emy in her arms, she gestured to her son to sit with Persephone.


    Persephone nodded and sat back on the couch. She saw Junior taking the seat next to her after putting back all his toys in his room.


    "What happened?" She asked him. She could see that he was looking at her face as if he wanted to say something.


    The similarity between him and her husband was scary sometimes.


    "Uncle Cam said this country has a real Prince and a princess," Santiago said in a tone that implied he wasn''t believing what his uncle Cameron had told him. "He was surfing the internet and found the information. But I don''t believe him because mom says the internet is not always credible."


    Persephone chuckled, placing her hand on her tummy. "Cameron wasn''t lying to you. And the internet is not always wrong. It is a pretty useful invention if you use it judiciously. Coming to the point, the country indeed has a prince and princess."


    "Really?" The boy inquired her in disbelief. His wide blue eyes were making him seem ridiculously adorable.


    Persephone nodded her head. "Princess Beatrice and Crown Prince Nero are twins. And they are very smart and beautiful," She told him about the royal twins.


    "Have you met the prince and the princess?" The boy was in awe. He didn''t know that princes and princesses exist in real life.


    Persephone again nodded her head. She grabbed her phone and showed him the picture of the Royal twins. They were available on the internet.


    "Red, she has red hair too just like you, " He pointed at the similarity.


    Persephone shrugged. She had noticed it the first thing when she had met Princess Beatrice at the party. Maybe because Redheads are rare and whenever she saw one like her she would always notice. Princess Beatrice was a beautiful redhead too. But the princess'' hair was curlier compared to her.


    Thinking of the royal twin, she found the princess more fascinating than the crown prince who acted more like an adult. He was fawned upon by everyone whereas the princess was sitting there like an accessory.


    But Persephone knew that there was more to the little princess than people were seeing. The princess was quiet but that arrogant posture couldn''t be ignored. At such a young age, she had learnt the arrogance and elegance that no socialite would ever be able to pull off. Truth be told, it wasn''t learnt but innate.


    "Would you baby be Princess?" Santiago questioned much to her horror.


    "No!!" Persephone immediately shrieked.


    If she had a daughter, her baby wouldn''t be a princess as Santiago was no king. But the poor soul could be forced to marry the prince and become his princess. And that was not going to happen or one could say she wouldn''t let it happen.


    "What happened?" Valencia asked immediately. She had just put Emy to sleep and when she entered the living room, she heard Persephone''s shriek.


    Santiago, who too was confused, looked at his mom with a blank expression. "I don''t know. I asked if her baby would be a princess like Princess Beatrice, she suddenly yelled. I swear mommy I didn''t do anything else."


    "I''m sorry, Junior," Persephone apologized. "I was startled for a moment."


    Nobody knew how intimidated she was by the royal family. She didn''t want her baby anywhere around them.


    She had been trying to shake off this bad feeling in her gut by talking to Valencia and Lara but with each passing second, it didn''t lessen instead increased. She didn''t know why but she felt as if something wasn''t right. She didn''t want to dwell on this negative feeling but she couldn''t help her think about Alicia once again.


    And Santiago. He was still in the hospital. She wondered if it was really a food poisoning case or were they trying to make stories for her?


    ¡­


    Salvatore was occupied with work as usual but these days had been a bit hectic than before. He wanted to call Alicia before leaving for lunch at Marino house. But then he rejected the idea as he remembered where she would be now. She must be tired of the long flight.


    He agreed with Santiago''s idea because he knew that was safe for his family. If Alicia would be away from him, his enemies would not touch her. Or she wouldn''t neglect her own health worrying for him.


    His Ali could be a bad worrywart!


    As he exited his den, he saw Ace standing there, cold faced. He patted his shoulder and asked in concern, "What happened? You don''t look well."


    "Boss, Santiago Vitello called," Ace said. His eyes are painfully boring into Salvatore''s. "Your wife has a heart attack and she is admitted to the hospital."


    Salvatore just stood there blank-faced. For a couple of moments, he didn''t understand what Ace had said or perhaps he did hear but his mind wasn''t able to decipher the meaning. When the intensity of the course hit him, he shook Ace. "What the hell are you saying?! I saw her this morning!! How is it even possible? Didn''t the doctors say she was doing better than before?"


    Ace averted his eyes because he didn''t know what to say. The reason why Salvatore would never complain about Alicia''s pranks and antics was that he knew she was sick and needed to be happy and stress-free all the time. So, as long as she was happy, he would let her do anything. Since he could not spend much time with her, she would be travelling all over the world with him or her team of bodyguards, shopping to her heart''s content.


    Another reason why she had no idea about him being a Marino was her weak and frail health too. He has been protecting her from all the dangers lurking over her head for as long as he had found her in his own way.


    Salvatore ran his hand through his hair like a mad man screeching. "I''m going to be with her. Get me a goddam jet or arrange anything. I need to be there."


    "Boss, you can''t do that. Your father''s men may get suspicious, " Ace said. "You waited for your goal all these years. Now you are just a step away from it, please don''t do this."


    "Ace, what the fuck would I do with defeating him if the person I loved the most in this world is not with me?! It would be meaningless. I need to be there as soon as possible."


    ¡­

 Chapter 219 - A Mad Man

    "Where is Ali?" Salvatore demanded to see his wife as soon as reached the hospital. "How is she? I need to see her."


    Only he knew how he spent seven hours in a flight without taking the reign of the jet from the pilots.


    Emma, who had been sitting on the same chair since the beginning outside Alicia''s room, glanced up to find an apprehensive and trembling Salvatore Marino.


    For years, she had wondered what even made Salvatore Marino tick.


    What could change the look of annoyance and indifference on his face into a real emotion?


    An emotion that was real, not something he wanted people to believe.


    And today, when she finally found the answer, but right now she didn''t know what to do with it.


    She understood today that this man she had once dreamed of spending the rest of her life with was a liar and a cheat. A manipulative bastard who would play with everyone''s emotions for his own goals.


    Salvatore''s eyes met Emma''s empty eyes and he paused in his moment. His worried gaze shifted to that of angry ones. His anger suddenly knew no bounds.


    "What did you say to her? Salvatore growled at her, inches away from tearing her apart. "What the fuck you even said, Emma? Why is she lying in the hospital bed?"


    It wasn''t the first time this woman had tried to hit his wife. But he thought she learnt her lesson. However, he was wrong. His wife was once again lying on the hospital bed.


    Emma answered him by connecting her palm against his cheek.


    The sound of a slap stunned Santiago who was coming carrying medicines that he had purchased from the pharmacy. He was astonished to see Emma grabbing Salvatore''s collar.


    Instead of going ahead, he stood there. He knew that he shouldn''t say anything between them. One must reap what he sowed. And Salvatore had to shoulder the consequences of his actions.


    "Salvatore Marino! Don''t you feel ashamed? A bit of regret? Or perhaps even some self-consciousness?" Emma growled at him. Her brown eyes were flaring with anger she had suppressed until this very day. It wasn''t only Marinos who could show anyone their anger, she could do too. And she was doing better than Salvatore Marino. "You are pointing your finger at me for being the cause why Alicia is lying on the hospital bed but have you ever wondered if you had any part in it?"


    How dare he say that she was the reason behind her heart attack? She might have told Alicia about Salvatore''s betrayal but she wasn''t the cause behind her heart attack. It was him. He did it all to her heart.


    "You played her, Salvatore," Emma shouted at him. She was so damn angry at this man that she couldn''t explain in words. "Played with her heart and life. She loved you with all of her heart and look, what you did to her. What did you even give her in return for immeasurable love and the beautiful daughter she had given you?"


    Alicia gave him her all and in return received a heart attack.


    "For years on end, I blamed her for something she had no hands in. What had I not done to her in jealousy?" Emma cried in agony?" She was the girl who came out of nowhere to destroy my life and relationship when in reality we both had no idea that we were getting played by a man who apparently was too cowardly to even decide what he wanted in life."


    She broke down into tears remembering all the things she had done for a man who never deserved it. "I didn''t know she had no idea that we used to be engaged. She had no idea either that you were about to marry me and are now married to Isabelle." She looked at her in agony. "What have I done? And what have you done?"


    She hadn''t regretted today more than any day meeting Salvatore Marino.


    What if they really had gotten married that day?


    She would have snatched a husband from Alicia and a father from the girl she had grown to love a lot?


    "The doctor may have saved her this time but what about the next time?" Emma questioned him. "From the moment she opened her eyes, she hadn''t said a word to anyone." She laughed at herself as she added," Made me swear to not say a word to Killian. Haven''t asked if her daughter was doing good without her. You broke her soul, Salvatore. You broke her."


    "You don''t know what I am going through, Emma," Salvatore said instead. This was the best he could say in reply. She didn''t expect such a low blow from him. "You don''t even know what I and Alicia had been through. I never wished to hide anything from her. But she has been delicate since the beginning and I can''t afford to make her sick again." He looked at her in impatience and added, "I couldn''t say things even if I wanted to."


    "It''s still not the excuse you can use to get over with after cheating on her," Emma shouted at him.


    "Emma!" Salvatore yelled at her. His pupils moved in a strange manner as his nose flared and he clenched his fists to stop himself from launching into attacking.


    "I never cheated on her." He made himself clear. He could not hear anyone accusing him of cheating on the only woman that mattered in her life. "I get it that we were engaged for almost a decade. But so what? I made sure several times that it wasn''t what I wanted."


    He said in a tone that implied as if he was talking with a brat who couldn''t understand basic things.


    "But it was expected from us," Emma told him. "We were told to get married because it was the right thing to do according to our families."


    And he never said in clear words that he didn''t want this wedding.


    "See that''s why you see us in a relationship when it was only you invested in a relationship," Salvatore made her believe for a second that he was right and she was wrong. "Never me. I want no part of it." Emma looked at him in disbelief. This was the excuse he was using after cheating on her. "I married Belle because she was a threat to Alicia. I needed to put her in place and so I arranged the whole faux marriage." He shrugged as if it was the most common thing to do. " She knew about it too. I had something against her and so she couldn''t escape easily."


    "You are ruthless, Salvatore," Emma said in utter astonishment. "This is not you! This cruel man! This is not you!"


    Salvatore scoffed hearing her words. "You don''t know me well enough to recognize what I actually am. You never read through me, Emma. You can''t!"


    "Will Alicia forgive you, Sal?" Emma asked him. "After all you have done to her? Even if she does, Killian never will!!"


    She was even afraid to tell Killian that the man his sister talked about to him with utter adoration was him. Salvatore Marino. He would Kill Salvatore for breaking his sister''s heart. He wasn''t going to forgive him for betraying Alicia and Emy.


    "She is mine, Emma," said Salvatore callously as his green eyes bore through hers. "Get it through your empty head." He repeated once again as he burst into a peal of dark laughter making her shudder. "Mine since the moment I laid my eyes on her. I had loved her the moment I saw her in your house."


    He had a dreamy look in his eyes as he talked about her despite the fact that his aura was giving off sinister vibes.


    "Remember the time when you brought me to your house for the first time?" He asked her with a wicked smile and soft eyes. "She was there with her father. I knew then that she was mine. And so I found her again. Not her brother or anyone. But I found her in Nevada away from New York."


    He pointed at himself as he further said, "I have been protecting and loving her when she had no one. You can''t take her away from her. Remember my words. She is mine. Get it in your head. And even if she doesn''t forgive me, she will be mine."


    With this said Salvatore turned to enter Alicia''s room, leaving behind a wide-eyed Emma.


    Emma collapsed on the chair when she felt someone sighing next to her. She knew it was Santiago as she had seen him standing behind Salvatore all this while. She didn''t knew if he noticed anything wrong with Salvatore but she did. She didn''t recognize the man anymore.


    "He is not normal, Santiago," Emma said. " He is a mad man. A psychopath.. I don''t knew know that person at all."

 Chapter 220 - Waterworks

    Persephone was half asleep when she felt someone pulling sheets off her body. She didn''t need to ask who it was as she could recognise this scent anywhere. Feeling a dip in the mattress, she moved towards the source of warmth.


    "Go back to sleep," Santiago murmured as her back hit his chest.


    "Hug me," Persephone demanded.


    Santiago placed her head on his arms and put his hand on her stomach, caressing her in the process. Persephone changed her position facing him. She saw his eyes were closed and he was still dressed in his clothes.


    She wiped his tensed frown on her forehead. She wondered how many secrets he might be keeping from her but she knew that she needed to trust him. There are things they couldn''t share and she understood it more than anyone.


    Santiago caught her wandering hand and kissed the inside of her wrist.


    Persephone, who couldn''t fall asleep now, smiled at his cute gesture and snaked her arms around his neck before putting a wet kiss on his eyes, nose and lips.


    She didn''t notice how a smile bloomed on his face when she closed her eyes and buried her head in his embrace.


    She didn''t know when she fell asleep again. But it was nearly afternoon the next day when she woke up. After freshening up, she went out of her room to find Cameron and Santiago playing in the garden. Lara was playing with Emy and her dolls.


    "Lara, where is Santiago?" Persephone questioned her with furrowed brows. She remembered that Santiago came home and it wasn''t part of her imagination.


    "He has to leave immediately," Lara informed her. "And Miss Vitello left with him. They said they would be back in a few hours."


    "Did they go to see Ellison in the hospital?" Persephone suddenly questioned.


    Lara smiled at her. "They didn''t tell me anything more than that they would be back in a few hours."


    Persephone''s happy mood fell as she lay down on the couch. She didn''t feel like walking. She was feeling down for no reason. Switching on the TV, she began watching some local soap operas. She has grown badly addicted to these soap operas.


    Lara, who came with a plate of food, started to see Persephone crying while watching TV.


    "Percy, what happened to you? Are you in pain?" Lara questioned as she saw the latter start crying even more seeing her.


    Emy, who was playing with her dolls, wobbled her lips too, seeing Persephone uncontrollably crying.


    "Ah, sweetie, don''t cry," Lara began consoling Emy who was on the verge of crying.


    "What happened, Percy?" Cameron, who was playing with Santiago in the garden, came inside only to find Persephone crying when Lara was consoling another crying girl. He couldn''t see Persephone cry as his thoughts always went to the time when he had seen her giving up on her life. That deadly scene was still etched in his mind.


    "Are you hurt?" Cameron asked her once again.


    Persephone managed to shake her head and wiped her tears by the sleeve of her top. She even wiped her running nose with her sleeve.


    "My heart hurts," Persephone said while sniffling. Pointing at the TV, she cursed while crying," Angela is refusing to marry Marco, the guy who loves her so much and choosing to marry the jerk Male lead Guissipie. How can they torture my lucky second male lead? What do they take the second male lead for?" More tears trickled down her cheeks as they all saw a very beautiful woman on TV wearing a white wedding gown leaving an insanely handsome man for a narcissistic one. "Angela! You bitch! Can''t you see how much Marco loves you?!"


    "Jesus Christ!" Lara couldn''t help but scold her. "You are crying for this dumb woman? How many times have I told you not to cry for unnecessary things?"


    Persephone paused crying for a moment as she looked at a very angry Lara and blinked her eyes when the latter''s anger didn''t subdue, she burst into tears once again.


    "It''s not my fault," Persephone sobbed. "I am an emotional mess! I can''t keep my emotions in check. I don''t want to cry but they don''t stop at all."


    Lara''s expression softened as she hugged her and rubbed her back. "It''s okay. Crying is not bad. But you must tell us if you are in pain. We are here for you. So, you have to tell us if something wrong happened. You don''t have to be strong, Percy. It''s alright if you are not feeling well. You are nourishing a life inside you. It''s not easy at all."


    Now, this was Persephone''s cue for more waterworks. Poor Cameron and two other kids didn''t know why she was even crying but seeing her uncomfortable was making them uneasy too.


    "My back hurts," Persephone began with more tears. "My legs are cramping. I can''t stop the pain. My ankles are swollen. I can''t walk. I cannot sit."


    "Hush, you will be alright. I will massage your legs for you, "Lara was talking to her as if she was a baby. To be honest, Persephone was like a baby to her. A baby who was growing a baby inside herself. She has gotten too attached to this girl that she couldn''t bear to see her in pain.


    "Cameron, go bring a hot water bottle, "Lara said to Cameron while pointing at the kitchen. " Ask Mrs Rosa where it is placed."


    Cameron nodded, running towards the kitchen as Lara massaged her legs.


    "Now are you feeling well?" Lara asked.


    Persephone nodded her head.


    Half an hour later, Valencia and Santiago returned home. When they saw Persephone laid on the couch with Lara massaging her legs, they passed for a moment.


    Santiago saw dried streaks of tears on her cheeks and furrowed his brows. Taking large strides, he reached her. He put her head on his lap and caressed her cheek.


    "Why were you crying?" Santiago asked with a frown.


    Persephone opened her big glossy green eyes but didn''t say anything. But she knew if she opened her mouth only a sob would come out.


    "What happened, Red?" Santiago asked her softly. "Why were you crying?"


    "She is hurt," Junior said, looking at him. "Her heart hurts."


    "Heart hurts?" Santiago gazed up at him in confusion.


    Junior nodded his head. "Her heart hurts because of Mr Marco."


    "Mr Marco?" Santiago repeated the name. He couldn''t bring himself to ask his wife who this Marco was because he had promised that he wouldn''t force her into something she wanted. If it was Marco she wanted, he couldn''t possibly stop her, right? Even though it was hurting him the most right now.


    Junior nodded his head once again. "He is a very handsome and ethical man."


    Valencia, who couldn''t understand how her son know about this Marco guy Persephone was crying for asked, "How did you know Mr Marco, love?"


    Junior blinked his big blue eyes at her. "We saw him on TV. Percy was crying because Miss Angela refused to marry Mr Marco for some bad Mr Guisippe. Mom, we will watch that show regularly when we go home."


    It was Santiago''s turn to be bewildered. When realization finally dawned on him he blinked his eyes only to look at Persephone in utter amazement. "You were crying for that dumb show again?"


    "Lara, my legs hurt again," Persephone cried, averting her gaze from his face.


    Santiago took a deep breath to deal with this crazy woman.


    "Percy, how about you eat something first?" Lara said in a tone of concern. "You haven''t had a bite of food in your stomach since last night."


    Santiago looked at the time and then at Persephone. "You didn''t even have food?"


    Persephone wobbled her lips as Emy did earlier.


    Santiago sighed. Taking her in his arms, he turned to his room. "Miss Lara, please bring food into the room. And cook something lighter."


    Santiago placed her on the bed again and started massaging her legs the way Lara was doing a moment ago. He had done it several times to learn the techniques.


    "How is Alicia?" Persephone asked him.


    "She is fine now," Santiago answered. "She will be discharged tomorrow. Valencia will be going back to the hospital to look after her as Emma returned with us to rest."


    "Was she seriously ill?" Persephone asked him.


    "Yeah," Santiago nodded. "But she will be fine now. All she needs is proper care and a nutritious diet."


    "Emy is missing her mom now," Persephone sighed. "I hope that Alicia''s health recovers soon and she can enjoy her vacation here with us. Who knows when she will return here to sightsee?!"


    Santiago tickled her nose. "Aren''t you too deep into the role of hostess?"


    "What do you mean the role of hostess? I''m the madam of this house. If they come to visit us, isn''t it natural that I will be the hostess?" Persephone glared at him. Narrowing her eyes at him, she asked, "Santiago Vitello, are you refusing to accept me as your wife?!"


    "Wait what?" Santiago looked at her in bewilderment. "When did I say that?!"

 Chapter 221 - Choices We Make

    Two more weeks passed with Persephone enjoying her days with Cameron and Santiago when Santiago was busy with his work and Lara with her work. Valencia often spent time at Killian''s house. She had met Ellison and Emma two times after the former was discharged from hospital. She didn''t know why but Ellison seemed to be too quiet these days. She wasn''t her bubbly self.


    She had almost a month before her baby would be in her arms. She was so excited that she couldn''t help but have the desire to decorate the nursery. But since she couldn''t move much, she would often order the boys to do things for her.


    Valencia had offered to shift into a rental house in the neighbourhood as she didn''t want to feel imposed on them but how could Persephone let her dose of entertainment move away from her when Santiago came home late at night?


    It was a rare day that Santiago was home in the afternoon.


    "Don''t you have work?" Persephone asked with a scowl. She couldn''t do things her way when Santiago was home.


    Santiago gripped her shoulders and made her sit on the bed. "Sit down. We need to talk."


    Persephone looked at him in confusion but she did sit on the edge of the bed. "What happened?"


    Santiago sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Red, I may need to leave for New York in a few days."


    "Why?" Persephone questioned him. "Santiago, if it''s not urgent, can you postpone your trip?"


    "You know it''s not possible. I have waited for this moment all my life," Santiago told her. He hoped that Persephone could understand what the trip to New York meant at this time. "The war is going to start, Percy. Salvatore has been preparing for it. I will get what I wanted and he will get what he wants from the war. I can''t back out now."


    "What about Sophia and mom?" Persephone whispered. "I have no idea what Salvatore is planning or what he is going to do with the proof he has against Alessandro Marino. But what about Sophia and mom? They needed to be protected too."


    Santiago understood what Persephone meant but he couldn''t protect Sophia and Carina as Persephone thought. Sophia was Nicolas Scuderi''s wife, a man whose loyalty ran with Alessandro Marino. Nicolas and Salvatore were enemies and there was no way they would ever join hands. As for Carina Marino, she would never leave Alessandro Marino. Even if he wanted to help Sophia and Carina for his wife''s sake he couldn''t.


    Seeing the expression on Santiago''s face, Persephone flinched. She knew what he meant. Smiling bitterly, she stood up to keep herself busy with some work so that she wouldn''t stress in this condition.


    "Red?" Santiago walked up to her. Hugging her from behind, he murmured. "Don''t be sad. I don''t want to promise you anything at times like this but I can assure you that I will try my best to keep your family safe."


    Persephone left herself to be hugged by him because there was nothing she could do except for trusting him.


    ¡­


    Thousands of miles away, Sophia was sitting in the living room, entertaining the woman. Their husbands were all high ranked in the famiglia. To make sure that her father accepted Nico as his consigliere soon, she was helping him by making relations smooth with the women whose husbands could Nicolas in his career.


    She was wearing a white-coloured knee-length dress from the latest collection. On her finger was a huge rock, indicating her position as the hostess of Scuderi households. She was wearing expensive and exclusive clothes, jewellery and shoes. Everything a woman desired to have in her life, Sophia had that. Yet, she didn''t have a moment of peace in her life.


    Did she think marrying the man she had been in love with would make her the happiest woman on the planet?


    How stupid she was.


    Still, there was no fire she wouldn''t pass for Nicolas.


    "A minute," Sophia said, placing her wine glass on the table as she saw Nicolas entering the hallway. She walked towards him with a huge smile stretching on her face. "Nico." She stopped near him.


    Nicolas looked behind her. It was one of those parties again. Sighing, he maintained the perfect smile on his face and kissed her lips. "Sophia."


    Taking her hand, he walked with her back to the ladies whose husbands were going to be great allies for him. He greeted the ladies with a mannerism of a gentleman.


    What woman wouldn''t like compliments from a charismatic man such as him?


    The party ended with ladies leaving for their respective homes with content looks on their faces.


    Sophia threw the diamond necklace that she was wearing on the dressing table as soon as she entered her bedroom. Nicolas dropped the charismatic smile from his face that was making him look like a gentleman. His cold face glanced at the frustrated woman and let out a snort.


    "You don''t have to do things you don''t like," Nicolas commented. "Why do you organise luncheons and dinners if you don''t like their attitude towards you?"


    Sophia looked at him with blank eyes. "Do you think I want to? I''m merely doing what''s useful for you. Because of my mistake, you are suffering. My father is punishing you by demoting your rank. I''m just doing what''s good for you and the family." Taking a deep breath, she added, "But when they look at me with the looks that say I stole my sister''s husband, I want to gauge their eyes out. I didn''t steal you from anyone. She didn''t even want you."


    Nico''s face darkened hearing her words. "I''m not a charity case, Sophia."


    "You know that''s not what I mean," Sophia said with a look of exasperation. They had enough of this conversation in the last few months.


    "Of course, that''s not what you mean," Nico said in a sarcastic tone. "I could never be good enough for Marino children."


    "What do you even mean?" Sophia sighed out.


    "Your brother thinks I can''t keep you safe," Nico said with a look of hate. "He said I should hand over you to him. Why does Salvatore Marino, the arrogant prince, think I can''t even protect my wife and family. Does he thinks I am as incompetent as him?"


    "Salvatore said this?" Sophia asked weakly.


    "He doesn''t but I can decipher the meaning of his words clearly," Nico growled.


    "Nico, you said the situation is not good lately," Sophia began saying. "Perhaps, Salvatore meant our wellbeing. He is still my brother. Although Papa doesn''t allow us to go back to the Marino family, I still can''t break all the relationship with my brother, can I?"


    "Sophia, you need to remember that you are no longer a Marino!" Nico told her. "If you think I can''t keep you safe, you are free to leave me anytime."


    "Nico, I don''t mean this," Sophia said with a pale face. "I will never choose anyone over you no matter what the consequences may be. I have vowed my loyalty to you, my husband. I will never leave you."


    Sophia may not know today what dilemma these words would be in. But one thing was clear, in this war, she has willingly chosen her husband. Whatever choices Nico would make, Sophia shall bear the consequences with him.


    ¡­


    "Mama?"


    Carina turned to find Salvatore standing a few inches away from her. She was ordering the gardener to plant new flowers as spring would be coming soon.


    "Salvatore, how come you are home today?" Carina smiled at him and walked to him.


    "I missed you and so I came to see you," Salvatore said as he leaned forward to give the older lady.


    Carina smiled and patted his shoulder. Not many knew but Salvatore was a mama''s boy. He would never complain about anything and would do everything in his power to make sure she was comfortable. There was only regret in his mind and it was that he couldn''t separate her mom from the monster she was obsessed with to spend the rest of her life with. He knew how badly he treated her in secrecy.


    "Mama, if I asked you one day to come with me, would you?" Salvatore asked, still hugging the elderly woman.


    Carina laughed at his question and broke the hug to look at his sweet face. But when she saw the seriousness on his face, the smile in her eyes dimmed. She wanted to ask what he had done or what he was going to do. Because right now, in her heart she knew that her son was doing something he wasn''t supposed to do. However, all she could say was, "Ah, what would I achieve by following my sweet son?"


    "A very precious granddaughter and a beautiful daughter," Salvatore said without batting his eyes.


    Carina stared at her son as she didn''t know what to say at this time.


    Perhaps, she had answers.


    Perhaps, she didn''t want to answer.


    Surely, she didn''t want to make a choice at this time.


    At one side was the man she had alleged her loyalty and every breath of life to and on the other side was her heart wanting to feel loved for once in this life.

 Chapter 222 - Lorenzo

    Days slowly turned into weeks with Salvatore engaged in the battle against his own father. However, this battle was going on in disguise. Don Marino had no idea until now that the mysterious forces his men were fighting against belonged to his own son.


    Perhaps, that was the reason why he was on the verge of defeat. His territories were snatched, properties looted and men held hostage. Worse, his confidence was shattering.


    Alessandro Marino wasn''t a genius like his sons. He was an average man riding on the coattails of a maniac.


    Everything his men believed was won by him was in fact the handiwork of Lorenzo.


    There was nothing he had achieved by himself. Not even a single enemy was defeated by himself.


    "Boss?" Chan, one of the people responsible for keeping Lorenzo alive in the cell, reacted in a surprised manner when he heard the voice of his boss. His boss hadn''t come here for a long time. He wondered why he was here today.


    "Is he conscious?" Salvatore questioned with a straight face.


    Chan nodded. "Boss, he has been mumbling gibberish since last night. But just like you ordered we are keeping him alive. He hasn''t had a breakdown episode since the last time he saw you."


    Salvatore let out an evil smile. "Set him free."


    It was time that he should free Lorenzo. He had no benefit of keeping him hostage.


    His lover had lost the battle and there was no person who could overturn the result.


    "Boss?" Chan was more than just shocked. Was the boss in his right senses? He was telling to free the man they had used their resources and time to steal from two dangerous groups?


    That day when Persephone Marino was exchanged for Lorenzo, Alessandro Marino hadn''t played fair. Just as Lorenzo was sent, the latter had made all the arrangements for the demise of the kidnappers and they would have succeeded in killing the kidnappers too if Lorenzo was not stolen from right under their noses.


    The mysterious group fighting against the kidnappers and Marino''s was no one else but Salvatore''s.


    "Set the bastard free," Salvatore burst out laughing. "I want to see if his lover will come to save him."


    Lorenzo had made huge sacrifices for Alessandro Marino. He had killed his own parents for fixing the damned alliance between Alessandro and his sister, Penelope. He had believed that if his parents were gone, the alliance between Penelope and Alessandro would be broken. But who would have thought that old Marino, the tricky bastard, would start doubting his son''s sexuality and arrange the marriage just ten days after the demise of the Moore couple?


    This had shattered the leftover sanity left within Lorenzo. His obsession with Alessandro Marino made him a maniac.


    Penelope gave Alessandro two children, creating a permanent place in Old Marino''s heart. As jealous Lorenzo was, he couldn''t do anything to the old man but as the old man died, Lorenzo left no stone unturned in convincing Alessandro to leave Penelope. And he succeeded. They killed Penelope with his own hands.


    After killing Penelope, he got Lucian killed too, the thorn in his heart.


    But Lucian''s death caused a void in his soul. No, it was not regret. He had known that there was no person on this earth more intelligent than him but when his nephew surpassed him, he was thrilled. He was impressed by Lucian but he started having him when Lucian did all those things against Alessandro.


    And the reason why he saw Lucian in Salvatore was because he wasn''t able to believe that a genius like Lucian could die just like that.


    He had removed all the obstacles in Alessandro''s path. He killed or defeated every single person who dared to pose a threat to Alessandro Marino including Lucian Marino.


    Lorenzo could commit all of these crimes easily escaping the law authorities because he was a mad genius.


    A kind of genius that was once seen.


    But what a shame that he was insane?


    A puppet controlled by a person he was obsessed with?


    Don Marino just had to show him a bit of affection and he would go taking bullets on his chest for his lover.


    Lorenzo had always known somewhere within him that a person like Alessandro Marino could never return anyone''s affection. Hell, he wasn''t even capable of caring for anyone except for himself.


    And Lorenzo''s doubts were cleared when he was used by his lover as bait to lure his enemies.


    He was devastated when Alessandro used him in exchange for his daughter.


    Yet after all the deception and betrayal he had received from that one person, he was running to him again.


    He would kill Penelope''s bitchy daughter for creating a rift between him and his lover.


    Yes, he would kill Persephone Marino after tormenting her just like he did to her little lover.


    That Vitello boy!


    Lorenzo somehow managed to run from the building where he was held hostage by Salvatore aka Lucian''s ghost.


    His sore bare feet touched the solid ground and he ran like the crazy man he was.


    His long and dishevelled hair blew with the wind.


    He must talk to Alessandro at any cost!


    He was a young man walking on the deserted road talking over the phone. Jumping on the young man, he snatched the phone. The Young man was so scared by the bloody appearance that he shouted for help and ran for his dear life.


    "Sandro!" Lorenzo called out in excitement as soon as he dialled the number that he remembered by heart. "He is coming to kill you! Lucian is alive! He is coming to end you! He knows we killed his mother and him! Sandro, beware! He will kill you!!"


    The phone fell from his grip as he saw a man dressed in black clothes standing before him with a gun in his hand.


    ....


    Author Note: I found a baby picture on pinterst and it''s so similar to Santiago and Persephone''s baby in my head.. I will attach it when the baby will come to the world. And that is very soon!!

 Chapter 223 - Never Be Ashamed Of You

    The phone fell from his grip as he saw a man dressed in black clothes standing before him with a gun in his hand.


    It wasn''t the gun that frightened him but the chilly look in his dark eyes.


    The man''s menacing dark eyes were set on him.


    "We meet again," The man said with a creepy smile and Lorenzo felt a shiver down his spine.


    Lorenzo turned to run back but as he swivelled, he saw another man pointing the gun at him. "Lorenzo, look at you? We promised you that we will give you the worst possible death. And we are here."


    He took a deep breath and turned to his left to run far away from these psychopaths but again, he saw a very laid back and indifferent man standing there with hands folded over his chest, blocking his way.


    "Come on, you think freedom is easy to earn?" Killian said with a scoff and punched his nose.


    "Aww, Kill. You got to punch him first," Nash pouted, visibly complaining.


    "You will get your chance, Nash," Callum snickered and kicked Lorenzo, making him fall on the ground.


    "Now call Santiago!"


    "Gladly, "Nash smirked, shoving Lorenzo''s head against the wall.


    ¡­


    Persephone was resting inside her bedroom when she felt a sudden jolt of pain in her lower belly. She had been feeling these irregular contractions since the morning.


    "Lara!" She shouted.


    Suddenly, an anxious servant came inside her room on hearing her shriek.


    "Mrs Vitello, are you alright?" The servant asked with a concerned look. They were treating Persephone as if even wind could hurt her. And why wouldn''t they? They were under serious orders to look after her.


    Persephone nodded her head. These contractions had been paining her for several days now. But since they were not regular, she knew it wasn''t true labour yet. Her due date was around one week away.


    Yes, she was excited to see her baby but not enough to meet a week ago.


    "Where is Lara?" She asked with furrowed brows. She called for Lara but why was she not here?


    "She went to the fair with everyone, "The servant said with a smile. " Little master wanted to enjoy the fair so Mr Vitello asked her to accompany everyone to the fair."


    Valencia, Cameron, Junior Santiago, Emma, Emy and Alicia all went to a fair in the nearby city. When she was confined to bed, they all were enjoying the fair. Persephone pouted her lips in dissatisfaction. She wanted to take those rides too!


    "Mrs Vitello, Mr Vitello called to pack his luggage. He said he suddenly had to leave for New York," The servant informed Persephone.


    Persephone, whose mood was not stable, to begin with, felt gloomy. Her face fell and she clutched the blanket tightly. He had told her several weeks before that he might have to leave for New York. He was needed there more than ever. He had already delayed his trip for her sake and he couldn''t do so.


    She asked the servant to pack everything Santiago might need there. As the packing ended, the door opened and an excited Santiago appeared. His blue eyes were twinkling with a kind of different happiness.


    He took large strides just to bury her in his embrace. She blinked her eyes as he tightened his arms around her body and kissed her head. He might have come running as he still was panting.


    "Persephone," He called her out by her full name. Something, he never did. Her name sounded like prayer from his lips. "They found Lorenzo. They captured him. Oh, baby, I will finally be free."


    Persephone realized what he meant. For someone who was obsessed with the notion of finding freedom knew first-hand what it meant to devote life to one goal. If her only aim in life was to survive and live with freedom, then Santiago''s only goal was avenging himself. For years, it was this flicker of revenge that kept him going.


    Revenge was that fuel that ran the wheels of Santiago''s life.


    And today, he finally found it.


    He could do anything with Lorenzo now that he found him.


    He would be free of this ridiculous notion that kept him alive until now.


    She was happy. She was very happy for him. Her eyes teared up but she tightened her arms around his shoulders and only gazed up when she heard the sound of the closing of the door.


    "Persephone, do you know how many nights I have dreamed of catching him and inflicting the same torture he caused on me?" Santiago said with moist eyes and Persephone felt as if someone squeezed her heart tightly


    "He took everything from me," He whispered as he placed his head in her lap. He was going to express all the hard feelings stuck inside his heart.


    "I will take the things that meant the most to him," Santiago whispered and she felt something wet against her stomach. Her fingers ran through his thick hair and tears trickled down her face too.


    "How many nights have I imagined meeting my parents? But none of the dreams come true. I couldn''t even see them when they died," He said in a broken and hoarse voice. He just wanted to meet them for one last time but it was unfortunate that he couldn''t even see them.


    "I was a weak and unfortunate boy," He added in the same devastating voice. "But I am not him anymore."


    Yes, he wasn''t the helpless boy anymore.


    "Don''t hate me," Persephone heard him next. "I will not do anything after ending him that will make you ashamed of me. I will leave that world behind. Just this once."


    "I will never be ashamed of you, Santiago," Persephone whispered. "Go, I will wait for you at home. Go to New York. I will wait for you at home."


    How many times had she told him that she wasn''t capable of hating him at all?!


    If she could hate him she would have done that a long time ago.


    And he believed that she could be ashamed of him?


    It wasn''t even possible!

 Chapter 224 - "Dont Cry, Red. Im Right Here!"

    "I don''t want to leave you in this condition," Santiago said, looking at her stomach. They were left with a little time until the baby comes.n


    "I have everyone caring for me here. But if you don''t go today, you will regret not going for the rest of your life," Persephone replied in a shaky voice. "I don''t want you to have any regrets. You will have to live with one more regret for the rest of your life, Santiago. Don''t stop today."


    Santiago nodded and pecked her nose. She was right. He had a pile of regrets already. It was time he ended them and he would do this starting from today. He picked up the bag already packed for him.


    "Let me see you off, " Persephone urged.


    Santiago agreed to her simple request and helped her to stand up on the floor. Clutching his hand in hers, she walked with him to the entrance.


    "Take care," Santiago said, kissing her temple.


    Persephone nodded, teary-eyed.


    He kneeled on the floor and kissed her stomach. "I will be back soon, Rockstar. Don''t trouble your mama until daddy comes."


    She bit her lips as another contraction squeezed the life out of her but she appeared smiling on the outside. She saw Santiago standing up and entering the car, and waved at him with a wide smile. She didn''t drop the smile until his car disappeared from her vision.


    "Ahhh!!" Persephone shouted suddenly, unable to stand on her feet and fell on the ice-cold floor. She squirmed on the cold ground.


    "Mrs Vitello!!" The servants who heard her shriek came running and were startled to see her crying on the floor. There was only two of them at home. "What happened?!"


    "Pain," Persephone managed to utter the words. "I can''t control it." She broke into sobs. "I''m dying."


    Two ladies tried to pick her up but they failed as another shriek was soon heard.


    "Call the ambulance," One of the two servants said.


    "It''s not time, " Persephone yelled as another contraction began and she gasped for breath. There was only one explanation to Persephone whose doctor had said that the baby would not be coming for a week or two -- they were dying.


    What scared her the most wasn''t death but the fact that she wouldn''t be seeing Santiago again?


    She had so much to tell him.


    Tears poured out her eyes uncontrollably.


    Why was this happening to her?


    She had the best four months of her life here. She wanted more of it. She wanted to say so much to Santiago. If she died now, would she be able to tell him what he meant to her? She wanted to tell him that she had forgiven him. That she had no hard feelings for her. That she loved him a lot.


    Sobs escaped her throat as she imagined a life where Santiago didn''t know about her feelings and she wasn''t there to tell him that she loved him the most in the world.


    She didn''t remember anything about him. Yet, she loved him. She didn''t need to remember her past to love him all over again.


    Suddenly, she felt herself raised in the air in someone''s strong arms.


    A soft and shaky voice was asking her to not cry.


    It sounded so much like Santiago.


    It sounded exactly like his voice.


    She hiccuped as more tears poured out of her eyes.


    "Don''t cry, Red," He said again. His ever so smug and confident voice was shaky and scared. "I''m right here. Don''t cry."


    When Persephone raised her gaze, she saw Santiago''s face urging her to not cry. She raised her hand to touch his face and she discovered that it wasn''t an illusion that would have shattered at her touch. He was really here. He came for her.


    Tell him that you love him. A voice inside was urging her.


    He wouldn''t let anything happen to you. Another one said.


    And instead of making a decision, she broke into sobs.


    "Why are you here?" She managed to utter the words. These were not the words she wanted to tell him.


    "I returned because I forgot my phone back at home," Santiago replied. He didn''t tell her that as the car moved away from home, from her, his heart squeezed inside his chest, his hands began to shake and his vision blurred for no reason.


    Then, suddenly he was reminded that he had left his phone at home. He asked the driver to turn the car back home. But when he alighted the car, he saw her crying on the cold floor in pain. Only he knew what he felt at that time.


    How could he see her squirming in pain?


    How he wished to experience pain on her behalf.


    "You will miss the flight," Persephone told him even when she could hardly bear the pain she was feeling.


    "You are telling me to leave you in this condition," Santiago glared at her. What was wrong with this woman? How could he go to New York leaving her in this ghastly condition?


    He would die before leaving her like this!


    Dammit, why did he even leave her?


    "Go, Santiago," Persephone whispered. Her eyes were bloodshot and her face pale.


    Santiago tightened his arms around her and held her head against his heart. "I can''t," he replied as he moved faster to reach the car waiting for him at the gate. Too bad the car would be going straight to the hospital rather than the airport.


    "You will regret it for the rest of your life if you do not go to New York, Santiago," Persephone cried.


    She didn''t know what she wanted?


    She wanted him to be with her and in New York at the same time?


    "If something happened to you and the baby, I would die, Red," Santiago said, begging her to let him be with her at this time.


    "You can''t give up the almost two decades of your life for me," Persephone sobbed.

 Chapter 225 - Finally God Listened

    "You can''t give up the almost two decades of your life for me," Persephone sobbed. He had spent almost two decades running for the notion of revenge. What had he not done to catch Lorenzo?


    Santiago stared at her sadly. "What would you think of me if I tell you that I feel like I have been running after something I don''t even need? Suddenly revenge doesn''t seem to move me. I don''t want to take his life at this moment. I want to bring another life to this world now. For once in my life, I will be selfish. I will think about no one else but only me. I want to be with you. There is no place I would rather be at this moment."


    "Percy, this is me choosing you and our baby above anything else." He closed the topic with these words.


    "I don''t want anything or anyone but you!"


    "If choosing you at this moment would bring me to regret all my life then so be it!"


    "I don''t care!"


    "I will not care!"


    Persephone cried against his chest but hell she didn''t even have the luxury of crying as she felt her pyjamas wet. "My water broke, Santiago!"


    This wasn''t happening!


    So soon!


    "Fuck," Santiago cursed out and ordered the driver to move faster.


    This was happening!


    So soon!


    ¡­


    "Please wait outside the ward," The doctor said as soon as he saw Santiago. They pulled Persephone''s stretcher into the labour room as soon as she appeared.


    Santiago had called Persephone''s doctor when they were arriving and with his influence, he had already made all the arrangements. If some were even left, his contact would make sure that his wife and child would be safe here.


    The bodyguards had taken their position inside the hospital. He was taking extra precautions for the safety of his wife and child. He couldn''t afford to take chances. He had heard stories of children getting abducted from the hospital. Even before the birth of his children, he had arranged a team of bodyguards for the security of Persephone and his child.


    Not only security, but he had touched almost every aspect. If something were to happen to him, he had made preparation for the wellbeing of Persephone and their child. They would never want for anything even in his absence.


    Someone might call him paranoid but this was the least he could do for his family.


    He was visibly shaken when Persephone was taken inside the ward. He was not embarrassed and shy to show anyone today that he was afraid. So afraid that he couldn''t express himself in words. In apprehension, he forgot to call Valencia who might be of some help. And now he was standing there all alone with no emotional or mental support.


    "How long has she been experiencing contractions?" A nurse asked Santiago looking down at the papers in her hand.


    Santiago looked at her in bewilderment. How would he know?


    The nurse had an urge to mutter ''typical men'' but somehow she managed to appear professional. This man whose identity she had no idea about was a VIP. The doctors were more nervous than him while taking his wife''s case.


    She came out of her thoughts when she heard her colleague saying that the woman brought inside was already dilated.


    "Sir, please brace. The baby may be coming sooner than expected," the nurse informed him.


    "Can I come inside?" Santiago begged her. He wanted to be near his wife at this time.


    "I can understand your trouble, sir. But due to the pandemic, our rules have changed. We can''t allow you inside. Please have faith in us. We will try to bring your wife and baby safely to you." The nurse smiled at her but Santiago couldn''t utter a word in reply.


    He just stood there frozen. He didn''t know what to do. What Persephone was going through? If she was in pain. If she needed him with her inside. He wanted to go inside but he knew he couldn''t help her in any way.


    Would she be in pain?


    He knew she was strong, stronger than him but everyone had weak moments, right?


    Four hours passed and he stood there frozen. His phone was ringing in her pocket but he didn''t have the sense to pick it up or silence it.


    He waited for a nurse or doctor to appear and say something but no one seemed to talk to him.


    Dammit, what would he do if something happened to her?


    He would die.


    Yes, he couldn''t imagine a world without her.


    He needed her like he needed oxygen.


    He didn''t realize when and how he started loving her so much. But he knew one thing that there was nothing he wanted more than her. Hell, he needed her. He couldn''t survive without her.


    He loved her. So much that he couldn''t express it in words.


    After what seemed like an eternity, the closed-door opened and a masked nurse said in a professional voice. "Congratulations, your baby has come kicking into the world! You can now meet your wife and baby!"


    Finally, God listened to him.


    His baby was here.


    Santiago didn''t bother to react to the nurse and ran to Persephone. The room smelled of blood, medicine and sweat. But it also smelled like hope and resurrection.


    A hope of becoming a better man for the tiny life his wife put her life in danger. It might be the occasion of the birth of his child but it was him who was resurrecting.


    "My wife. Is she alright?" Santiago asked the doctor.


    The doctor smiled behind the mask. "Yes. She is fine, just passed out from exhaustion. She is a very brave woman. Not once did she say that she didn''t want another baby."


    She pointed in the direction where Persephone was lying on the hospital bed covered in sweat and tears.


    Santiago smiled as he wiped the hair from her forehead and put a kiss on her cheek. She stirred a bit and opened her eyes, "Santiago, I am tired. Keep the baby safe, okay?"


    ¡­


    Baby Vitello is finally here. I can''t be more happy!


    And it''s really the rebirth of Santiago. His baby gave him another life.. I hope he values his life more now.

 Chapter 226 - Rockstar, Smile At Daddy!

    "Santiago, I am tired. Keep the baby safe, okay?"


    His face softened as he kissed Persephone''s sweaty face again. "I promise I will keep the baby safe. Go to sleep, love. I will keep both of you safe."


    Persephone smiled with closed eyes and drifted to sleep.


    As Persephone passed out, a nurse appeared with a wide smile on her face. She said, "Mr Vitello, would you like to see your baby girl?"


    Santiago blinked his eyes at the nurse.


    Baby girl?


    What on earth was happening?


    Before he even had the chance to say anything, a nurse appeared with the smallest creature possible swaddled in her arms.


    Once again, guys, what was happening?


    Where was his son?


    The nurse asked him to open his arms and she put the baby in his arms. When Santiago looked at the pink human in his arms, she was blinking those big eyes of hers that he believed were blue just like his own at him in sheer curiosity.


    As his own shocked and scared blues met hers, she opened her mouth. When he thought she could cry because she was in very unreliable arms, she gave him one of those rare smiles, making him believe that everything would be alright now.


    He didn''t know if newborns could smile but he saw her smile. It couldn''t be a dream. His daughter blessed him with her smile. And at this moment he knew that he would give her the world to have her smile at him one more time.


    Would it be wrong to say that his daughter resembled him a lot?


    Even if she didn''t resemble him, he would like to believe that she did because that''s his daughter.


    He gazed at the ceiling and then at her before bursting into laughter of joy. He laughed at the trick of fate.


    This baby wrapped in a blue baby blanket that Persephone had chosen wasn''t a son as they were anticipating. Aye, it was a girl. His angel. His sweet blessing.


    His baby girl would surely be mad at her irresponsible parents for choosing everything blue for her. But what could he do when it was her mom who was obsessed with blue? The blanket slipped from her head and his gaze fell on a head full of ginger hair.


    If she had his eyes, she had her mom''s signature hair.


    He softly pressed her against his chest wanting to feel her against his heart. It hadn''t been a few minutes since she arrived in this world and she already owned his heart.


    When Persephone was unconscious, the doctors asked Santiago for skin-to-skin contact with the baby. Although he was nervous, he still nodded because he didn''t want to be apart from her.


    He just met her and there was no way he would be away from her.


    It was impossible for him to be away from her.


    They remained attached for more than half an hour and Santiago didn''t feel tired staring at her.


    How could someone be so beautiful and precious at the same time?


    When the nurse took her from him as they had to run a few tests on her, he stood up to make a call. There was no way he would let her baby use the insanely blue nursery. She would have everything that belonged to her!


    He left the labour room since Persephone and the baby would be taken to another room now. He saw people running here and there in the hospital, busy with their shit. He did a dance of joy because he couldn''t handle the overwhelming happiness. Oh, Godz he wanted to play some music here in the hospital and dance and celebrate and shout and everything!


    ¡­


    When Persephone woke up a few hours later, the first thing she asked for was to show her the baby. She remembered looking at the baby''s crying face before passing out.


    "Are you ready to meet our angel?" Santiago grinned at her. Even after hours, he couldn''t handle the overflowing happiness.


    She nodded her head and Santiago squealed, kissing her lips making her look at him as if he had lost his mind. But she found her eyes teared up when she saw a baby swaddled in Santiago''s arms. He brought her closer to her.


    "It''s a girl," Santiago whispered in awe and Persephone, who was still assuming that it was a boy, blinked her eyes. Palming her head, she groaned. "She will hate us for choosing everything blue."


    She had no idea that her husband had now taken the matters in his hand.


    "Take her into your arms like this," Santiago helped her with the baby and Persephone was looking at her in amazement.


    "She is so pretty," Persephone cooed, breathing in her baby''s scent. "Just like her mama. And look, she has blue eyes."


    "She smiled at me," Santiago didn''t forget to flaunt.


    "Don''t be ridiculous," Persephone threw him a dirty look. "Babies don''t smile this early."


    "I''m not lying," Santiago swore. Cooing at the baby, he said, "Rockstar, smile at daddy."


    But he replied with a blink, much to his satisfaction.


    Persephone gave him a dirty look again. This man was already lying!


    Seeing Santiago''s downcast expression, the baby started crying. And the new parents were immediately stressed.


    "What should we do?" Santiago asked with a troubled expression. Why did no one tell that it was very difficult to see your baby crying?


    "Santiago, you made my daughter cry!" Persephone had the audacity to glare at him.


    "Hey! What do you mean your daughter?" He had equal contribution in making her. She couldn''t be just Persephone''s daughter.


    Before Persephone could retort, a nurse came and told them that it was the baby''s time to feed.


    "You are making me embarrassed," Persephone groaned as she saw that Santiago''s attention was on the boob that the baby was sucking.


    ...


    Author Note: I haven''t seen Santiago this happy until now. Awww, I want to pick baby too in my arms.


    Let me add a picture I found on pinterst. Check comments to see her picture.

 Chapter 227 - Godfathers

    "Don''t be ridiculous," Santiago said, not at all getting embarrassed by it. "Look at her sucking so fast. She weighs 4 Kg. Quite heavy compared to her peers."


    "4Kg?" Persephone furrowed her brow.


    "8 pounds and almost 13 ounces." How could he forget that American weight standards were different from the rest of the world?


    "Is she healthy?" Persephone asked him. She was only worried about her child''s health.


    Santiago nodded his head. His daughter was healthy and happy!


    "By the way, where is everyone?" Persephone inquired when she noticed how nobody came inside to meet her and the baby. She couldn''t imagine her family calm and quiet at the arrival of Vitello Princess.


    "Everyone?" Santiago furrowed his brow.


    "Don''t tell me..." Persephone looked at him shocked.


    "I forgot to inform them!" Santiago palmed his forehead. How could he forget telling everyone back at home that Persephone and he were blessed with a baby girl?


    "Santiago! How could you?!" Persephone looked at him, horrified.


    "Let''s not inform them for a while, please," Santiago pleaded. He didn''t want anyone else to intrude on his family moments. These moments were precious and he didn''t wish to share them with anyone. Happiness couldn''t easily come to him and now that it had, he had no interest in sharing his very own happiness with anyone.


    "Visiting hours are over. They couldn''t visit you anyway!" He stubbornly added. Softening his expression, he leaned over to kiss her forehead. This amazing woman had the energy to order him around even after pushing a baby out of her body. She was simply amazing!


    "At least inform them, "She softly said.


    "I will," Santiago murmured as he touched the baby''s cheek gently. " But let me spend every moment with you both first! I don''t want her to be away from my gaze."


    Persephone''s expression softened. Her baby was very precious. She could understand Santiago''s feelings way better than anyone. She felt the same rush of unfamiliar feelings as she glanced at her precious baby girl.


    Santiago opened his mouth to say something but before he could say anything, he heard his phone ring again. Way to ruin the tender atmosphere!


    Taking out the phone in frustration, he saw Callum''s name flashing on the screen.


    "I''m standing outside to pick you up at the airport," Callum said as soon as the call connected.


    "I didn''t come, Cal," Santiago told him tenderly looking at his girls.


    "What do you mean?" Callum stilled. Santiago was supposed to be here today.


    "Persephone is in hospital," Santiago informed him before he could ask.


    "Is she alright?" Callum''s voice grew worried.


    "We welcomed our baby a few hours ago," Santiago smiled.


    "Holy shit. I mean congratulations to both of you!" Callum was still in shock. What a day Santiago had!


    "Wait! I will Facetime with you now!" Callum said, now clearly excited. "I want to meet your son before those two rascals!"


    Truth be told, Callum wanted to flaunt to Nash and Killian that he saw the baby first. Yeah, they had their fair share of childishness too.


    "Ah, there seems to be a hitch in the initial plan," Santiago said, looking at the angel in his wife''s arm who was rubbing her mouth against her stomach now that she was full.


    "What?" Callum asked, strangely worried.


    "We have a daughter," Santiago said.


    Suddenly, Callum ended up bursting into laughter. "You are screwed, Vitello!"


    Callum started the face time and yelled when he saw Santiago''s face. "Show me the princess now! I must see her first!"


    Santiago turned the camera toward the little Vitello who was blinking her big eyes at him and smiled at her.


    "Oh, God! How beautiful! Can I please steal her from you guys?" Callum''s voice rang.


    "Don''t even think about it!" Santiago sharply said. Steal from her? Don''t even think about it!


    "Big bro! You have to prepare a huge present for your goddaughter!" Persephone''s voice was weak but full of love.


    "Wait! Goddaughter?" When did this happen?!


    "You don''t want to? It''s okay." Santiago said sarcastically.


    "Hey hey! Who said I don''t want her as my Goddaughter." Callum immediately responded. He had heard that godparents were supposed to bring presents. "Lord, can I buy her a yacht? "


    Persephone groaned. These super-rich uncles!


    Wait, until the rest of the uncles join the conversation too!


    "Wait! Let me ask for suggestions," Callum added another two for Facetime.


    "Why the fuck are you facetiming Callum?" Nash groaned. He was having a very beautiful dream but his ringing phone had to spoil.


    Persephone immediately closed her baby''s ears. Can''t have her listen to crude words on her very first day.


    "No, swear!" She shouted at the newcomer.


    "Hey, did I just imagine Villain''s Red''s voice?" Nash asked himself, scratching his itchy head.


    "You aren''t the only one," Killian grumbled, looking tired. Rubbing his eyes, he added, "Why am I seeing a newborn?"


    "Dear guys, meet my goddaughter. Vitello Princess."


    "Please tell me this is not what I am thinking?" Nash cried without tears.


    "This beautiful creature surely can''t belong to Villain." Killian was fully awake now. "A villain can''t possibly be given an angel?"


    Santiago''s lips twitched. "If you don''t want to meet my daughter, you are free to go."


    "Why don''t you cut the phone?" Nash reacted immediately, growling at Santiago.


    "Why should I?" Santiago cocked a brow.


    "Show off," Nash grumbled. But he melted when the baby yawned. "She is so beautiful. This is not fair! I want a wife and a baby too!" He took several screenshots of the baby through the video call. He was going to cry while looking at this perfect little family! Why must his darling torment him by not talking to him?!


    "Prepare a gift for your goddaughter. Don''t embarrass me." Santiago disconnected the phone after saying that.


    "They must pay tax for looking at you, Rockstar," Santiago said and the baby smiled at him.


    ....


    Author Note:


    Santiago is screwed, oh god. She could make her dad dance on her tunes

 Chapter 228 - Eleanora Penelope Vitello

    "They must pay tax for looking at you, Rockstar," Santiago said and the baby smiled at him.


    "Oh my god, she really smiled at you!" Persephone exclaimed. Looking at the baby, she urged, "Baby, smile at Mumma. Smile. Once. Pretty please. " But Persephone was replied with a wail.


    "You are showing your colours on the first day, Eleanora Vitello!" Persephone feigned scolding her.


    "What did you say?" Santiago paused. He looked at her as if he had just seen a ghost.


    Persephone glanced at him as if it was obvious. "I was so sure that we will have a son that we never discussed a daughter''s name which was my fault, to begin with. But didn''t you say that day if we were having a girl, you would like to name her Eleanora?"


    Santiago had told her jokingly when they were enjoying ice cream while coming back from the palace that if they were having a baby he would like to call her Eleanora.


    "But we can choose another one if you don''t like this name?" Santiago didn''t forget to tell her. Of course, he liked the name Eleanora the most.


    "I don''t mind," Persephone said. She smiled at the baby. "Right, Eleanora Penelope Vitello?"


    Instead of the smile that Santiago was getting, the baby replied with a burp this time.


    ¡­


    Later Santiago took a couple of pictures of Eleanora where her face wasn''t completely visible.


    And wrote such sweet captions before posting to share with his friend and family.


    Eleanora Penelope Vitello. The Light of our eyes.


    ¡­


    Valencia: Please tell me, Santiago Vitello, this is not what I am thinking! If it''s what I don''t wish to believe what it is, I will kill you! I swear I will kill you for real this time!


    Cameron: Ugh, bro. We are stuck in traffic and you are selecting baby names with Percy again. Wait, is it Percy''s hand in the picture? WTH!


    Emmaline: My eyes are playing another trick, right?


    Ellison: I get now why Valencia is freaking out. BTW congratulations.


    Nash: Show off. *forwarding the pictures to his darling and begging her to consider him once more*


    Callum: My goddaughter *heart in eyes*


    Killian: Stop flaunting! *saving the pictures to his gallery*


    ¡­


    Three days later.


    A car stopped in front of a gorgeously decorated house and moments later a tall and handsome man alighted first to open the door. A short woman appeared next grabbing the hand of the tall man. After getting out of the car, she moved to a side and the man leaned down to carry the swaddled baby in his arms.


    "Can you walk?" Santiago softly asked Persephone who nodded at him with a soft smile. Dropping a kiss on her forehead, he added, "Let''s go."


    As Santiago and Persephone reached the entrance of the house, they were stunned by how beautifully their house was decorated with pink balloons and flowers.


    "Welcome home, Eleanora!!" Everyone appeared and shouted with excitement, waking up the sleeping baby. Valencia, Emma, Ellison with Emy on her hips, Cameron, Junior Santiago, Lara, Nash, Killian and Callum were standing at the door for their welcome.


    Santiago and Persephone were so touched by their sweet gesture that they found it hard to express. They walked inside and were surprised to see not only the entrance but they had decorated the entire house.


    His Eleanora deserved this grand welcome!


    "Show us the baby," it was little Santiago who demanded to see the baby first.


    "Bawby bawby! Emy wants to see bawby!" Emma was jumping trying to see the baby in Santiago''s arms.


    He laughed in excitement and put Eleanora in the crib to let everyone meet her. She was swaddled in an adorable pink blanket with a kitty pattern on it and a ridiculously cute pink bow placed on her head. She yawned and opened those clear and curious eyes of hers.


    She was going to be a smart kid, he could tell now. Every time Persephone would be resting, Eleanora would stare at him unblinkingly. She didn''t do this with Persephone or nurses only with him. And her sweet smiles were reserved for him too.


    How could he not love this precious girl?


    "Oh, she is so precious," Valencia cooed, looking at the most adorable baby she had ever seen. Eleanor was a bit chubby for a newborn but of course, she wouldn''t tell this Santiago right away. "Hey, Norie, I''m your aunt. Though I refuse to acknowledge your dad as my big bro, you and your mom are my favourite girls on the planet. I promise you that I will be the coolest aunt in the world."


    Santiago raised his brow at the introduction but didn''t say anything. It wasn''t a secret to anyone that Valencia was his sister but she was closer to his wife.


    "Hello, Miss Vitello, look at this handsome face, it''s your favourite uncle slash godfather Nash," Nash said with a huge grin on his face. "Tell your coolest Aunt that she can be your godmother if she accepts me!"


    Santiago glared at Nash. Did his daughter seem like a matchmaker to Nash?! He wanted to punch his face but Persephone shook her head at him with a smile. "Don''t," She said. "He genuinely loves her. I think they will look great together."


    "I don''t care," Santiago grumbled.


    "If you are this strict with Valencia, I wonder how Nora will date," Persephone sighed. "My poor baby girl!"


    "What are you saying?!" Santiago looked at her horrified. "She is a baby. I will kick every boy''s ass if they even look at her."


    Persephone just rolled her eyes at him. Glancing at Nash who was still urging Eleanora to set him up with Valencia, she sighed. "Come on, Nash, Nora is blessing you to win her aunt and give her more cousins to play with. "


    Nash grinned at Persephone. "You know what Villain''s Red? I think I don''t dislike you now."


    "Scram," Santiago growled, glaring at him. How did he even have the audacity to dislike his wife in the first place?


    "Hello, Ellie, " Junior said with a wide grin. "I''m your big brother. Well, mom says we are cousins because your dad is my uncle and Red is my aunt but I don''t want to be just your cousin. I want to be your big brother. You see, I am pretty grown up now. I will always help you and you can count on me. I will not be a strict big brother. I will dote on you and be your knight. Little sister, welcome to the world. We love you a lot!"


    Persephone and Santiago looked at him with a gentle gaze. Their Eleanora was very lucky to have such a brother.


    Emy too mimicked little Santiago''s last words making everyone laugh. This girl was too adorable with her cute talks.


    "And this is Cameron, your youngest uncle!" Cameron laughed and Eleanora hiccuped in reply. "It seems we will get along just fine!"


    Emma and Killian, who were standing behind Nash and Valencia, moved forward and placed a huge gift on the table, causing Nash to palm his forehead, as usual, he forgot to bring the baby gift.


    Emma touched the baby''s cheek and smiled softly at her. "Dear goddaughter, welcome home. We wish you a life filled with happiness and wisdom. May you shine wherever you go just like your name!"


    "And keep your daddy on toes," Killian smiled. "You see this man." He pointed at Santiago, making Eleanora blink her eyes. "He behaves as if he doesn''t care about anyone or anything but trust me, he cares a lot. And he will be the best daddy to you. He will fight with anyone and anything to see you smile. Be happy, Kiddo. We wish to see you always smiling. Welcome to the family. You got yourself some pretty eccentric uncles and godfathers."


    "Who do you call eccentric?" Callum appeared with an envelope and placed it next to the gift on the table. "Princess, I am the most reliable godfather you will ever find. I will help you pass love letters to your crushes, beat any guy who would break your heart and help you drive your dad insane. Welcome to this crazy world!"


    "Now we will dance!" Ellison announced pulling Cameron to play the music. "And after that we girls will go shopping!"


    "Shopping?" Killian furrowed his brows.


    Ellison''s eyes darted to Santiago who stood up and pulled his card from his wallet to hand it over to her.


    Persephone looked at him in confusion but he just smiled in return.


    Ellison had once joked that if he had a girl, he would give her his card for shopping. Of course, he didn''t say anything aloud.


    "Well, why are you taking his card?" Killian said in confusion. He pulled out his own and passed them to his sister but she just rolled her eyes in return.


    "There is a thing called bet, bro," Ellison groaned. "But how can uncool people know about it?"


    "Are you calling me uncool?" Killian questioned.


    "Sure, I can''t call you hot," Ellison retorted and Killian sighed.


    ¡­


    Author Note: Eleanora got a very pretty family! Aww, I am in love with her!

 Chapter 229 - Fears And Bliss

    Persephone had never imagined that motherhood could be such a bliss. Pure, unblemished bliss. Eleanora brought so many surprises and happiness into her life that she never imagined she could have. Her daughter completed Santiago and her in the way they had never realised one could. No, she wasn''t complaining, if not saving her happiness from evil eyes.


    Eleanora Vitello was the string that was binding Santiago and her. A beautiful and strong string!


    Two weeks after they were discharged from the hospital she had been treated with the same utmost care that she was getting during her pregnancy, if not more. Yes, sometimes it got over the top but who was she to complain?


    You see, Santiago Vitello was an overprotective husband and now... well a bit too overprotective father. When she said a bit too overprotective father, it meant he was a hundred -no- thousand times more overprotective of Eleanora.


    As much as she loved that man with every fibre of her being, his treatment was getting overboard now. She wasn''t allowed to move from bed because he demanded that she get the best postnatal care. Now, someone please explain to her -- what was the best postnatal care? Because she didn''t understand the majority of the things he did and said. But could she complain? Not even a bit.


    Apparently, a woman''s body is a miracle in itself. If she could pop out such a huge baby like Eleanora, she could move around the house too! Such a simple fact but too complicated for her dear husband to understand.


    Her already chubby baby was getting chubbier with each passing day and Santiago would raise hell if she by any mistake even mentioned it. Eleanora was always starving. When she said always, it meant every freaking time, her girl needed milk. Each hour she would wake up and wail at the top of her lungs demanding us peasants to give her milk. And Santiago being Santiago would do everything in his power to make sure she didn''t cry.


    It wouldn''t be wrong to say that his life revolves around Eleanora now and he was ignoring his wife for his daughter. And was she complaining? Yes, she was!!! She too needed time with her husband!


    "Lara?" Persephone called out as soon as she came out of her room. She just had a hot shower and thought about strolling in the garden because she was feeling suffocated inside her room.


    "Percy, do you need something?" Lara asked with a smile. She had been smiling a lot recently and Persephone knew too well who was the reason behind everyone''s smiles these days.


    Persephone shook her head. "Have you seen Santiago? I think I heard his voice."


    When she was going to take a shower, she heard Santiago talking over the phone and it was around thirty minutes ago.


    "Oh, he arrived half an hour ago," Lara told her. "Right now, he is in the nursery."


    "What?! But Norie is asleep," Persephone said while walking to the nursery.


    Santiago got everything blue in the nursery changed into purple. And white and purple decor of Eleanora''s nursery looked very cute. She could tell that it looked better than the pink themed nurseries she saw in the catalogue.


    She walked faster towards the nursery because Santiago had a habit of freaking out. Last week, Eleanora coughed and he spent the entire night watching over her and making sure she was breathing fine.


    Then, one night she hiccuped and he spent the night watching her again. No, he wouldn''t listen to anyone that hiccuping was normal in babies. Even Valencia told him the very same thing but she could tell from the frown on his forehead that he didn''t believe any of them.


    Last night, Eleanora had tummy pain which was nothing serious but indigestion. But would Santiago be Santiago, if he didn''t freak out? He called the doctor in the middle of the night and demanded that he come there right now and check why his daughter was crying. She tried telling him it could be indigestion because he was feeding her more than what Eleanora could digest. However, he didn''t listen to her and had a complete breakdown.


    It sent her into a bout of tears too because she didn''t remember the time when this man even rested. He was always working in his study or on the phone and when he wasn''t doing either of these two things, he was taking care of her and freaking out over Eleanora.


    And nothing broke her heart more than the fact that her man forgot living for himself.


    "Santiago?" Persephone whispered as she found him passed out beside the crib where the baby was fast asleep just like her daddy. Kneeling on the carpet, she caressed his face and whispered his name once again. As he opened his sleepy eyes, she asked him to follow her. He looked so damn exhausted that her heart couldn''t help but hurt for him.


    "Let''s go to our room," Persephone told him softly, making sure that she didn''t wake up the baby.


    Santiago''s eyes darted from Persephone to Eleanora and found himself in a dilemma.


    "If you didn''t follow me in five seconds, I swear I will hide her somewhere and you won''t be able to find her for the whole day," Persephone threatened him.


    His eyes widened in fear and he quietly followed her but her heart couldn''t help but break for him. This fear was killing her. She couldn''t understand why he was so scared since the day they brought Eleanora home. He had been walking on eggshells around her and Eleanora ways making sure that they were alright, ignoring his mental and physical health.


    "Lie on the bed," Persephone ordered and he laid on the bed as per the order because she threatened him with Eleanora. She covered him with a duvet and lowered the temperature of the Air conditioner. She whispered, "Santiago, sleep.. I am right here."

 Chapter 230 - Hiding Something

    "Lie on the bed," Persephone ordered and he laid on the bed as per the order because she threatened him with Eleanora. She covered him with a duvet and lowered the temperature of the Air conditioner. "Santiago, sleep. I am right here."


    He opened his mouth to say but she shoved something in his hand. It was a baby monitor and he could hear the sound of Eleanora''s breath through it.


    "Nothing is going to happen to her," Persephone told him once again. "You have been watching over us. Now, give me a chance to do the same. I know I am not strong like you but I can assure you that I will not let any harm come her way. I can''t see you losing your mind over her."


    It wasn''t wrong to say that Santiago was losing his head over Eleanora. His behaviour was not normal.


    "I am scared," Santiago whispered, burying his head in her lap. He tightened his hold on her and she felt him shiver. "I''m so scared, Red."


    "Santiago, you''re running a fever," Persephone gasped as she felt his temperature heightening. How did she not realize it when she touched him in the nursery?


    Taking the Ac remote, she switched it off. She didn''t know what to do at times like this and so she dialled Valencia''s number.


    "Val, Santiago has a fever. Tell me, what to do?" Persephone asked her. She was shit at taking care of anyone.


    "Calm down, Percy," Valencia consoled another freaking Vitello. What was wrong with her family these days? "I will be there in five. Just don''t freak out. It''s just a fever."


    Valencia was working in a maternity clinic nearby. Junior was at school and Cameron went back to New York a few days ago as his semester started.


    "Don''t worry, it''s a simple fever," She heard Santiago''s muffled voice.


    "You crazy man! Why did you not tell me if you were not feeling well?!" Persephone had an urge to scold him but she didn''t have the heart to.


    "Are you trying to kill me, Santiago?!" Persephone cried. "I don''t know what to do with you anymore. You don''t eat on time. You don''t rest on time. You are always freaking out. Always scared of something. If I sneeze, you make Valencia go crazy! If Norie coughs, you raise hell! What''s wrong? At least, share your problems with me."


    "I''m scared," Santiago whispered, closing his eyes. "Someone is going to take her away from me. I am afraid that I will not be strong enough to protect both of you. How will I even survive if my child is taken away from me?"


    Persephone gasped as she heard his words. What the hell was he even talking about? She didn''t know much about his work but she knew that he was a powerful man in this country. Who could take his daughter away from him?


    "You are hiding something from me, Santiago," Persephone accused. There was only one explanation that he was hiding something from her. She wanted to probe into this matter but she heard a knock on the door and moments later Valencia appeared with her medicine box.


    "Don''t worry, " Valencia told Persephone as she fed his brother medicine. "It''s the flu. Everyone is catching four these days. I will give him medicine. Make sure he takes them on time."


    Since Santiago was asleep, Persephone left the room with Valencia to talk in the living room. She hugged her only friend tight when she reached the living room.


    "Hey, what''s wrong?" Valencia softly asked, rubbing Persephone''s back. "Percy? Why are you crying? It''s just a fever."


    "It''s not just fever," Persephone sniffled. "He is losing himself, Val. He hasn''t been himself for several days now."


    "Percy, parents struggle especially when it''s their first time," Valencia told her. "He will be fine. He is just a bit overprotective of his daughter."


    Persephone shook her head. "Something is wrong, Val. I don''t know what is exactly wrong but something is not right with Santiago. He is scared. I can''t believe that someone like him could be easily scared."


    Of course, Santiago wasn''t invincible. But it was Santiago they were talking about. The man who didn''t easily show his fears to anyone. She couldn''t help but wonder what might have triggered his fears.


    Valencia sighed out as she collapsed on the couch. "You are right. Nash hasn''t bothered me for a week now. No calls. No texts. Nothing. When I informed Santiago last week that I need to go back because my son is missing school and I am losing work. He declined. He said it''s not safe there anymore. "


    But she still booked the tickets because my home is not here and how many days would she even live here? She was packing my stuff when Nash appeared, he begged her to not leave right now. She understood way better than anyone that Nash never begs. They all were taking extra care right now.


    Her tickets, well they were never found again. Nash arranged an English medium School for Santiago and surprisingly they accepted him even at this time of the academic year. As for her, she miraculously got a job in the clinic which was hella suspicious to her.


    So moral of the story-- her brother and her ex pursuer is doing something behind their back and wouldn''t tell them anything which left them to take the matter into their hands.


    "And what''s more suspicious is that Nash hasn''t tried to annoy me again and I haven''t seen him around either," Valencia couldn''t help but share her worries. No, she wasn''t missing Nash at all.


    "Santiago is on the phone with the guys frequently even more than when they were in New York," Persephone told her.


    ...


    Author Note: Callum''s book is out *The Kiss of Deception* on Webnovel.. You guys can claim Coin code by DM me on the discord. My username is Tanysam#7676 or you can find me on Facebook: Tanu Sam

 Chapter 231 - Stepmothers

    "Why don''t you talk with Santiago?" Valencia suggested. "You guys have been doing so much good recently. You were communicating properly and so the misunderstanding never arose between the two of you."


    "I don''t know what to do, Val!" Persephone cried like a baby. She didn''t know what to even do with her husband. She was feeling him drifting away from her.


    "Percy, can I ask you a personal question?" Valencia asked with slight hesitation.


    Persephone nodded her head.


    "What do you think about Santiago?" Valencia suddenly questioned. Her question put Persephone in a confusing position.


    "What do I think about my husband?" Persephone furrowed her brows.


    "Husband?" Valencia scoffed if she had heard such a joke. "Didn''t you say you will separate once your baby comes?"


    Persephone blinked her eyes as if she finally had an understanding of Santiago''s problem.


    "Separate?" She whispered. How could she forget that they were supposed to separate one day?


    "Yes, separate with the man you married and he somehow ended up as your baby daddy," Valencia rolled her eyes at the stupidity of the whole matter.


    "I don''t know," Persephone whispered. She was so lost playing the role of Santiago''s wife that she forgot that she had sent him the divorce papers!


    "How do you not know?" Valencia questioned, glancing at her. "Have you decided how you will share Eleanora''s custody? Who will she live with?"


    One belonged in New York and another here. How would they manage if they settled down on different continents? With Santiago''s condition, it was not possible to imagine him living a single moment without Eleanora.


    Valencia didn''t just stop here, she was clearly pressing on Persephone''s sore nerve. " What kind of relationship will she have with her father and maybe her stepmother in the future? Percy, you must know that even if Santiago and you get separated, you guys will be connected because of Nora."


    Eleanora was the string that connected both of them for a whole life. They played a high role in her life.


    "If Santiago marries someone in the future which I am sure he will since he is young and pretty successful and Eleanora has brothers and sisters in the future, you will still be connected to him," Valencia further said.


    What would she be to Eleanora''s half-siblings in the future? Was she supposed to play best friends with Santiago''s second wife? Persephone wondered all these things in horror.


    "We are like best friends but I am still Santiago''s sister. Even if he tosses me away from his life, I will not leave him this time easily and would love to be part of my nieces and nephews life. And let''s not forget Ellison and Emma, they are your friends too and their family is clearly associated with Santiago," Valencia said, patting her shoulders. You must look for a way to easily end your relationship without complicating it."


    What she meant was that her divorce must not implicate other relationships!


    Persephone stared at Valencia with teary eyes. "Stepmother? Eleanora''s other siblings? End one relationship without complicating another?"


    Valencia nodded her head.


    "Stepmothers are evil and so are step-siblings. What if they torture my Norie?" Persephone whispered. What if they hurt her baby?


    "What if they are like Carina Marino and your siblings?" Valencia retorted. "I can see Carina loving you as she loved her other children. Even your siblings are close to you. Who knows you will end up being friends with Nora''s stepmom?"


    "Think about it," Valencia said, patting her shoulder once again and standing up to get something from the kitchen.


    As she walked into the kitchens she saw a pale Lara looking at her. She smiled at Lara who was staring at her as if she was some sort of homewrecker. "They both are stubborn. They need to recognise their own fears before defeating them. Wouldn''t it be such as shame if they didn''t fight for their love?"


    "What if they really separate?" Lara whispered once she understood what Valencia was trying to do. She was trying to provoke Persephone.


    Valencia rolled her eyes. "Have you seen to what extent my brother can go for his family? There is no way he can survive without his family. I can assure you that he can''t survive more than 48 hours without them."


    "The discussion of divorce is like a poisonous vine," Lara said, revealing her own fears. "What if they fail to protect their love?"


    "If they fail to get their heads up from their stubborn and silly asses, I am going to beat both of them with my precious Louboutins!" Valencia said, rubbing her hands. Pausing for a moment, she added, "You know what will happen now, Miss Lara? Persephone, being a dramatic woman, will cry and scream imagining her husband with another woman and her daughter calling someone mom. She doesn''t realize but she is hella possessive and territorial."


    "Or she will give everyone the cold shoulder, " Lara added.


    Valencia chuckled. "Exactly."


    Either way, the so-called equilibrium they had created would snap.


    ¡­


    Persephone was in the living room with Eleanora in her arms. Both of them were now playing with each other. Her daughter was wide awake while her daughter''s daddy was fast asleep inside the bedroom. She knew that Eleanora was looking for Santiago but since he got the flu it was better she didn''t come in contact until he recovered because if the baby fell ill, Santiago would freak out again, endangering his own health once again. She was now playing mom to two people.


    The doorbell rang but no one opened the door. It rang again but no one opened the door again. So with Eleanora in her arms, she stood up to open the door herself wondering who might be at the door.


    Captain Gabriel was standing behind the door, dressed in his military uniform and waiting for the door to open. He arrived with some files.. Since these files were confidential he had to come personally to deliver them at Santiago''s house. Who would have thought that he would meet that woman once again?

 Chapter 232 - Come Face To Face

    Captain Gabriel rang the bell impatiently and when the door opened, he froze at the sight. He saw a very familiar and gorgeous woman standing at the door with a baby in her arms. He didn''t remember Santiago inviting random women to his home, especially one with a baby.


    "Who are you looking for?" Persephone directly questioned when she saw a uniformed man standing on the door staring at her as if he was trying to burn a hole through her.


    He opened his mouth to say something but was unable to as someone cut him off.


    "Bro? You forget these files in the car," A feminine voice called out.


    "Easy Irene, your brother ain''t running anywhere," another feminine voice called out.


    Persephone turned her head to see the same bitch who had eyes on her husband and another woman dressed in army uniform coming their way. What were these women doing at her home?! No, she would be damned before she let this little bitch become her Norie''s stepmom.


    "Oh, I am sorry," Gabriel said as he glanced at Irene. "These files are for Mr Vitello. Thank you for passing them to me."


    "Then, you should have done your job properly, Captain" the woman in military attire teased.


    "I will keep it in mind, Major," Gabriel murmured politely.


    As if Valencia''s wishes were finally answered, Persephone saw Nash alighting down the car murmuring something to the guards who nodded in return.


    "Even the Palace doesn''t have this tight security," The woman said with a sigh.


    Persephone sighed out. Of course, King Leonardo didn''t worry like Santiago. The security was tightened as if someone would steal Santiago''s daughter right from under his nose.


    The man who appeared first darted his eyes between her and Nash and then at the baby in her arms to her face again seemingly wanted to say something but once again, he wasn''t able to utter a word as Nash called him out.


    "Captain Gabriel?" Nash''s persona changed from his usual playfulness to something much more intense. Narrowing his eyes at all of them, he questioned, "I wonder what you are doing here?"


    "Same things, Mr De Luca is doing," The woman in army uniform said narrowing her bright blue eyes at him. She seemed to be a bit hostile to Nash as her demeanour shifted along with him.


    "I''m free to load here, is Miss high and mighty at my friend''s house to freeload too?" Nash questioned, arching his brow.


    Gabriel ignored the bickering kids and said in a respectful tone. "I''m here to deliver some confidential documents to Mr Vitello but it seemed like nobody is at home." He said the last sentence looking at Perspective in a strange tone.


    "Hello, Villain''s Red," Nash greeted, not completely ignoring the fact that these people ignored her presence since she wasn''t dressed in very fancy clothes.


    She was wearing loose clothes as it was easier to breastfeed Nora this way but would these people understand such a simple thing?


    "Why are you standing here? And is this cute angel, my goddaughter?" Nash grinned at the curious baby in her arms while extending his arms to take her in his own. It was very difficult for him to not kiss Eleanora''s rosy cheeks and those big blue orbs of her blinking in sheer inquisitiveness.


    "Why don''t you take a guess?" Persephone grinned back at him, passing the baby to him.


    "Oh, god, I have seen her so many times yet I can''t get over the fact that such a beautiful baby could exist," Nash cooed, kissing Eleanora''s face, making the baby happy. Turning towards the people standing at the door, he introduced them, "Percy, this is Captain Gabriel, he said he came here to deliver papers to Santiago. This is Major Sara Rossi and this is Irene Hawthrone, Captain Gabriel''s cousin. And this is Persephone Vitello, Santiago''s wife."


    Persephone smiled and nodded, ignoring their shocked expressions. "Please come in."


    And so they all came in and servants served them with drinks and snacks while she changed into something decent.


    "De Luca, this Bambina (baby girl) doesn''t look good in your arms," Major Sara said with a scoff.


    "Why don''t you just say that my goddaughter is so beautiful and you couldn''t help but want to take her in your arms?" Nash retorted back.


    "Why are Mr Vitello friends with someone like you?" Major Sara groaned.


    "We are here on an official trip, Major Rossi," Gabriel reminded the woman.


    "Oh, you finally remembered that we are on an official trip here?" Sara retorted. " I thought you forgot when you were checking out Mr Vitello''s wife!"


    "What the hell are you saying?" Gabriel muttered.


    Irene was carefully looking at the side where Persephone had disappeared. She hated the baby Nash was carrying too! How could this woman steal her man?!


    "I know Persephone Vitello is hot, way hotter than any mama I have ever seen but control because you know the type of man her husband is! You want to return unscathed, don''t you?" Sara whispered in a low voice as she saw Persephone appearing in a purple ruffled maxi dress. "She is hot!"


    "Major Sara?!" Irene looked at her with widened eyes.


    "Why do you think she hates me?" Nash narrowed her eyes on Sara while talking to Irene. "I charmed all the women she had her eyes on."


    "Shut up, De Luca," Sara growled at him.


    "I apologize for making you all wait," Persephone smiled at them.."But would it be alright if you pass these files to me or Nash because Santiago is sick? And I didn''t wake him up."


    Captain Gabriel opened his mouth to say no, but Sara was quick. "Sure, Mrs Vitello. But you may have to ask Mr Vitello to give us a call as soon as he wakes up."


    Why was everyone taking his chances to talk to her?


    ...


    Please add the kiss of deception to your libraries as soon as possible!

 Chapter 233 - Crazy Woman And Her Spatula

    "Thank you," Persephone said and Sara politely smiled at her though she was doing a very bad job at hiding the stars in her eyes.


    "Would it be alright if I kiss your Bambina? I can''t resist," Sara sheepishly smiled. ''I can''t resist kissing you too! But I am alright with the baby.''


    Persephone laughed at her reaction. "If she allows you to, I don''t see a reason why."


    When Valencia appeared in the living room with a spatula in her hands, she saw a woman dressed in military uniform leaning close to Nash, apparently trying to kiss him. The blood in her veins boiled and the pulse on her forehead bulged as she encountered such an obscene scene.


    Before Sara''s lips could touch Eleanora''s cheek, she felt someone yanking her from behind and then the next moment she felt a hot spatula hit her arm.


    "You evil woman! What are you doing?!" Valencia shouted at the top of her lungs, startling Eleanora who started wailing.


    Irene and Gabriel were left stunned when someone struck Sara. A woman who appeared out of nowhere and started hitting Major Sara with a spatula and what was worse Sara was doing nothing to prevent her hits.


    Persephone immediately took Eleanora from Nash''s arms and began rocking her but it was so easy. The poor baby was terrified badly and crying at the top of her lungs. She was afraid that if her daughter didn''t stop crying, she might stop breathing looking at the way she was crying.


    "Miss! What are you doing?" Gabriel tried to remove the crazy woman from hitting Sara?


    Sara could have just kicked or punched the woman as she was a trained soldier but when she saw how gorgeous this hot lady looked glaring at her, she just could do anything instead of letting her hit her and the man she hated the most was grinning instead of saving her. Not like she needed his saving but what''s with that evil grin on his face!


    "What am I doing?" Valencia looked at Gabriel as if it was obvious. " This woman is trying to kiss my man and you are asking what am I doing?" Getting out of Gabriel''s hold, she tried to hit Sara again. "I will kill her!"


    "Miss, you are misunderstanding," Irene said, saving Sara from the crazy woman. "She was just kissing the baby, not Mr De Luca."


    Valencia calmed down for a bit and then looked at Nash who now had wrapped his arm around Sara''s waist, frightening Sara in the process.


    "So what if she was kissing me?" Nash raised the brow challenging her. "I let her kiss me! What does this have to do with you?"


    Sara was profusely shaking her head and waving her hands frantically telling her that this damned man was a liar. Don''t listen to him! But Valencia just stood there shocked with tears flowing through her eyes.


    "What''s happening here?" Santiago appeared in the living room with bloodshot eyes. He gazed at his daughter who was crying with no intention of stopping and then at his wife who appeared as if the baby didn''t stop crying, she would start her waterworks. And lastly at his sister who was sobbing like a baby.


    "What happened?" Santiago asked Valencia while side-hugging her. He wanted to carry his daughter too but he was afraid of passing her the virus even though he was wearing a mask. "Why are you crying, Val? And why does my house suddenly have so many people?"


    "We came to deliver papers," Sara said in a small voice looking at the woman hugging Santiago then at his hot wife rocking the baby. She was making her presence as invisible as possible because she was afraid of Santiago. And who wouldn''t be afraid of him? She knew all too well the kind of man he was.


    "Who is she?" She whispered to Nash. "And don''t you fucking steal her from me."


    Nash gave her a deadly look. "I dare you to look at her again. "


    Sara threw him a glare before shifting her attention back to Santiago.


    "Where are the documents?" Santiago asked Gabriel.


    Gabriel gulped at his deadly tone and pointed at the table. Irene felt as if she couldn''t even breathe here. This man! Why did he suddenly realize it was so scary?!


    "Why is my sister crying?" Santiago asked Gabriel.


    Gabriel glanced at Persephone first and saw in her restlessness, he felt bad in his heart. This man must have threatened the bubbly and innocent woman to marry him. Or why else would she want to marry such a difficult guy?


    With a sigh, he said to Santiago, "Major Sara was trying to kiss the baby but Miss Vitello misunderstood as the baby was in Mr De Luca''s arms and thought she was trying to kiss him. Then, Miss Vitello started hitting Major Sara with the spatula in her hand."


    Santiago sighed, looking at the three of them. "Just for this?"


    Sara shook her head, pointing at Nash, she said. "He provoked her by saying that whoever kisses him has nothing to do with her."


    "You guys can leave," Santiago told him. "And I am sorry Major Sara for the misunderstanding."


    Sara nodded, her eyes still at Valencia.


    "Captain Gabriel, pick up the papers next morning," Santiago said to the retiring people. Turning to glare at Nash, he growled, "You made my sister cry. Handle the mess you created."


    With this said, he walked to his girls.


    "Santiago, she is not calming down," Persephone said frantically when she saw Santiago coming her way. "Please do something."


    "Wait, let me sanitize myself first," Santiago ran inside the room only after changing clothes and sanitizing himself that he picked Eleanora. He pressed her against his chest and rocked her to sleep. Once she was asleep, he reluctantly put her in the crib only to pull Persephone into his arms.


    ....


    ADD THE KISS OF DECEPTION TO YOUR LIBRARY!!

 Chapter 234 - Ignoring Her

    "How do you do that?" Persephone whispered, staring at him.


    "Do what?" Santiago asked her.


    "Make everything okay even when nothing is okay," Persephone answered him.


    "Everything is okay," Santiago said instead.


    Persephone shook her head. "I know something is not right."


    "Didn''t you just say that I make everything okay even when nothing is okay? Then, trust me. I will make everything okay," Santiago murmured, caressing her hair.


    " I am supposed to take care of you now, "Persephone muttered, realizing that she was still in his arms.


    Santiago grinned and said," Then, by all means, do."


    ¡­


    The next day, Persephone and Eleanora were in the nursery. Little Miss had her bath and was now playing with her.


    Santiago''s fever was gone. Still, she was demanding him to stop working and start resting. He did listen to her but requested that he had an important assignment and she let him finish it first. What could she do? In the end, she agreed.


    From the window, she saw Santiago and Captain Gabriel in a serious discussion. And when she felt that their discussion was about to be over, she picked Eleanora and walked to the patio.


    She was dressed in a chic outfit that she had recently ordered. Her new wardrobe was heaven for new moms. Comfortable and stylish. Not just her, even Eleanora''s not so tiny wardrobe was filled with dapper outfits one saw newborns wearing on Pinterest. Eleanor was a gorgeous baby, to begin with, and with her super cute outfits, she looked so ridiculously adorable. Today with her bunny onesie, her newborn was a sight to behold.


    "Hello," She greeted Gabriel as she found bio glancing her way. He politely greeted her back.


    Santiago turned back only to grin at their sight. "Whose bunny is this?" Glancing at Persephone, he laughed. "She looked ridiculous but cute." Seeing Eleanora urging him to pick her up, he wobbled his lips frantically, making Persephone roll her eyes. "Forgive me, Rockstar. Daddy got cold. I will pick you once I recover."


    "You don''t have that bad cold, Santiago," Persephone said. "Wear a mask and pick her for a minute. She has been looking for you since she woke up. I don''t want another Eleanora Vitello crying session." Glancing at Gabriel who was looking at them as if they were some sort of aliens, she smiled. "Moreover, I have a favour to ask from Mr Gabriel."


    "It would be my pleasure helping you, Mrs Vitello," Gabriel said politely but with a bitterness coating on his tongue.


    "What kind of favour do you need from him?" Santiago narrowed his eyes on both of them. "Tell me, I might be of some help to you."


    "I would have if you could," Persephone sighed out.


    "Try me," Santiago stubbornly asked.


    Persephone sighed, shaking her head. She saw Eleanora sucking her thumb and quietly passed her to Santiago. "Have you seen your sister since the morning?"


    "She will be at work," Santiago replied.


    "Well, she is not. She hasn''t left her room since yesterday," Persephone informed, making him sigh. "Now take your daughter inside and feed her."


    Santiago wanted to say something but how could he as feeding Eleanora was more important. Giving a gaze to Gabriel which meant not to try some shit he couldn''t afford, he left her with Captain Gabriel.


    "Mrs Vitello, I wonder what kind of favour I can help you with?" Gabriel smiled at her. His eyes bright glancing at her.


    "Please call me Persephone," She said.


    "You have a beautiful name," Gabriel said, smoothly.


    "Thank you," Persephone laughed, throwing her head back at his response. "And the thing is¡­."


    "Oh.." Gabriel nodded as he listened to her.


    "Did I offend you?" Persephone immediately asked.


    Gabriel shook his head. "You clearly did not. I will be pleased to help you. But I can already fathom the ending."


    Persephone grinned. "I promise you that I will not let you be killed at his hands."


    "I will take my leave," Gabriel said. "Anytime will be fine with me."


    "Thank you, Captain Gabriel!" Persephone genuinely smiled at him. "If the ending is as we fathomed, I will like to thank you with dinner at our home. It''s just that your cousin is not invited."


    "Irene?" Gabriel furrowed his brows. "How did she end up offending you?"


    "Any woman who has eyes on my husband is my foe and apparently Persephone Marino now Persephone Vitello doesn''t have a habit of feeding foes," Persephone said with determination.


    Gabriel''s eyes widened. "I thought it was a silly crush of a naive teenager. I apologize for her sake. I will talk with her."


    "Thank you, Captain Gabriel. I would be glad if you could have a talk with your cousin," Persephone smiled at him before leaving.


    ¡­


    "You were laughing and smiling at him," Santiago accused as soon as she entered the living room.


    She blinked her eyes at him. "What are you saying?"


    "I saw you laughing with him," Santiago said, glaring at her.


    "So?" Persephone had a what the hell moment. "He is such a nice guy. What''s the problem if I laughed with him?"


    Santiago didn''t say anything as he put the sleeping baby in the crib and walked out of the room.


    Was he throwing a tantrum? Persephone wondered to herself. In bewilderment, he followed after him. She found him sitting on the bed while reading a book.


    "Santiago?" She called out his name.


    "Santiago?!" He didn''t even glance at her.


    "Santiago Vitello?!" She shouted and he didn''t even flinch. In anger, she snatched the book from his hand to make him look at her or talk to her but he did neither and lied on the bed covering his head with the sheets.


    "What the hell is your problem?!" She stomped on her ground but he didn''t even stir. She was so angry that she marched out of the room banging the door in the process.


    Moments later, she was back inside the bedroom trying everything to make Santiago talk to him but he was hellbent on ignoring her. The entire afternoon, everyone was put in a shocking state as they watched Santiago ignoring Persephone and her adopting every silly and crazy means to make him talk to her.


    However, she failed to make him talk to him.


    Poor girl had no idea why her husband was ignoring her in the first place.

 Chapter 235 - Blind Date

    The following day, Persephone was dressed up finely and was knocking on Valencia''s door.


    "What?!" Valencia was still in her nightdress when she opened the door.


    "Get your shit together, best friend," Persephone said entering the room. She opened Valencia''s wardrobe and picked out a dress. "Dress up and we are going out."


    "Where?" Valencia said with a sigh. She wasn''t in condition to get out of the room.


    "We will get our hair and nails done. We will shop until I make my husband''s bank balance bleed. And then, we will eat everything I couldn''t eat when I was pregnant," Persephone announced, placing her hands on her hips.


    Since he wasn''t talking to him, she was going to force him in the back corner. She would make sure that he got unlimited bank messages. Let''s see if he would talk to her then or not!


    "I heard Santiago is ignoring you," Valencia couldn''t help but say.


    Persephone scoffed, waving her hand. "It''s not just him who is ignoring me. I am ignoring him too."


    "It means you guys are ignoring each other," Valencia said, narrowing her eyes.


    "Something like that," Persephone muttered.


    "Do you guys realise that it''s the age when you stop acting like kids?!" Valencia said, rubbing her forehead. "Think about Norie. Now that we are going out. Who is going to take care of my niece?"


    "Of course, her papa," Persephone said as a matter of fact. "Since he loves his daughter more than his wife, he should take care of her for a day."


    Valencia sighed. "Whatever helps you pass your day!"


    He wasn''t talking to her and Persephone was so desperate, what would she do if he brought a woman home?


    ¡­


    "This haircut will look amazing on you," Persephone said as Valencia chose what haircut she would like to have. "But are you sure about short hair?"


    Valencia was a beautiful brunette with long hair. And now that she was choosing to cut her hair middle length and dying them blond, Persephone could imagine her looking pretty.


    Valencia nodded. "A wise woman once said cutting hair marks the beginning of cutting bullshit from your life."


    "And I wonder who this wise woman is?" Persephone raised her brow.


    "Oh, it''s Valencia Vitello," Valencia replied with a grin. Pointing at another catalogue, she said to the woman who would be doing her nails. "I want to do my nails in this style."


    "Can you please give her a light makeover in the end?" Persephone said to the makeup artist.


    "I don''t want a makeover," Valencia immediately said, making Persephone roll her eyes.


    "Come on, best friend, we are on date," Persephone pointed out. "And I didn''t get the chance to glam up with a baby in my tummy. I don''t know when we will have another chance for a day out. Let''s enjoy it, please."


    "Fine," Valencia said with a sigh. It had been a long time since Persephone had a relaxing day and so she didn''t want to spoil it for her. She was too lenient with Persephone as the latter occupied a soft spot in her heart.


    Persephone chose what kind of hairstyle she wanted and since Eleanora was too young, she chose not to get her nails done.


    "This will look perfect on you," The hairdresser said with a genuine smile. "But are you sure you want a dramatic change in your hairstyle? You have waist length hair. Are you sure about cutting them this short?"


    Persephone nodded her head. "I have a newborn. It''s difficult to take care of my hair with my baby. Moreover, I am lazy by nature. I often forget to brush my hair. I''m not made to take care of long hair."


    The hairdresser nodded her head. "This hairstyle will look cool with your frame."


    "Oh my god, you look stunning,"Valencia gasped as she saw Persephone after her hair was done and done. " Shoulder length hair makes you look chic. But I''m telling you Santiago is going to lose his shit!"


    Persephone flicked her straight soft hair and grinned proudly. After paying, they entered a high end store.


    Valencia''s eyes fell on a mannequin and gasped at the sight of a beautiful dress. "I''m getting that one."


    "Go try it on," Persephone nodded and the shop attendant went ahead to help Valencia while she was looking for an outfit for herself.


    When Valencia appeared wearing the gorgeous black lace dress, she was looking no less than a goddess. The shop attendant had paired her dress with black heels.


    "You look like a goddess," Persephone gasped. "Let me click your picture." She took several shots of Valencia in the sexy little black dress before moving to buy more. She didn''t let Valencia change as it would be sin to not enjoy such a beautiful piece of clothing.


    "What do you think about a blind date?" Persephone suddenly asked her.


    "Blind date?" Valencia furrowed her brows. "With whom? Nash and I are finally over."


    "I''m not talking about Nash," Persephone said. "If I tell you that I set you up on a blind date, what are the chances that you will not murder me right here?"


    "You did not," Valencia looked at her in horror. She should have guessed that Persephone was planning something evil.


    "Just thirty minutes, Val," Persephone begged. "He will be here in two minutes. Please for my sake."


    "This is not cool at all," Persephone gave her best puppy eyes. "Please. If you go on this blind date, I will believe that you and Nash are over."


    "Fine," Valencia scoffed. "Just once. And I am just going to say no to him."


    "Fine by me," Persephone sighed in relief. "He is waiting for you in the restaurant."


    "You planned it from the beginning, didn''t you?!" Valencia gasped as she entered the restaurant.


    "Just give the waitress your name and she will take you to the table," Persephone shouted from behind.. After sending Valencia for her blind date, she searched her gallery to find a sexy shot of Valencia and posted it as her story.

 Chapter 236 - I Hate You!

    Caption: My best friend is ready for her date! Xoxo! Rock the man! Oh, I mean rock the date!


    With a mischievous smile, she entered the high-end lingerie store to get something for her. As she was scanning the racks, she heard her phone ding.


    Emmaline: I know what you are doing, Percy. Delete the post. Nash is losing his shit.


    Persephone: Good for him. If he by any chance ask you, don''t tell him Valencia is in Seduction at Skylar mall with her date.


    Ellison: *evil grins* My dear sister-in-law, I heard someone barking orders on the phone. Good going!


    Persephone: Keep me updated. Xoxo.


    Killian: Who is she on a date with?


    Persephone knew that it wasn''t Killian texting her but Nash. Killian didn''t care about anything.


    Persephone: Did you talk to Big bro?


    Killian: Callum?


    Persephone: Umm¡­


    Killian: Valencia is on a date with Callum?!


    Callum: Little sis, what did you do?


    Persephone: Big bro endless supply of Lara''s endless pizza and pasta if you say yes to every question asked by Killian or Nash.


    Callum: Anything for you. *smiles*


    As she paid for the lingerie she purchased, she felt her phone vibrating in her handbag. Seeing Santiago as the caller, she disconnected the calls. If he can ignore her then she so well can. After buying all the things she wanted to, she walked towards the same restaurant Valencia and Gabriel were in and occupied a table far away from them, ordering several light dishes.


    Thirty minutes passed and Valencia and Gabriel were still talking. It seemed like everything was going according to the plan.


    Her phone rang again.


    Twenty missed calls from Santiago.


    Very nice. He was ignoring her yesterday and she was ignoring him today.


    The waiter came with her food and she thanked him. She took a bite and heard her phone ring again. This time it was Callum. She picked up the phone at the first ring.


    "Big bro--"


    "Persephone!! What the hell did you say to Nash? He and Callum are beating the shit out of each other! What did you do?" Santiago''s angry voice boomed in her ear. She was about to cut the call when she heard him say. "Don''t you dare disconnect the phone!"


    "I''m on a date. Don''t disturb me!" Persephone said in apparent annoyance.


    "Date?!" His voice was deadly loud. It was as if he would commit mass murder just now. "Who the hell are you on a date?!"


    "With myself, of course!" Persephone answered with a duh.


    Santiago didn''t know what to do with this woman! To kiss or spank the hell out of her. Softening his voice, he asked, "Tell me where you are? And what did you say to Nash? I have never seen him so angry."


    "I might have told him that Val was on a date with Callum," Persephone said, taking a bite of bread. Oh lord, it was so delicious.


    Santiago took a deep breath. "Did you set him on a date with Val?"


    "Do you think Callum will agree?" Persephone found herself asking him. There was no way that Callum would agree to go on a date with Valencia. The reasons were pretty simple. First of all, Nash loved her.


    If he was just interested in Valencia, perhaps she would have set her up with Callum. But it wasn''t just interest on Nash''s part. He was crazily in love with Valencia. Callum would never show his interest in a woman his best friend was in love with.


    Another reason was that Valencia was Santiago''s sister which made her off-limited. He couldn''t break the secret bro code between the guys.


    Moreover, Persephone believed that Valencia and Callum were too good for each other. Callum worked by a set of rules and so did Valencia. They didn''t like the sudden arrival of change in their life. They wanted to be in control of their lives. And her friend was way too selfless. Oftentimes, she forgot about living for herself. Her life revolved around her little family.


    Nash, with his randomness and brazen attitude, could make a place for himself in Valencia''s systematic and planned life. Callum was a perfect guy but he wasn''t the perfect guy for Valencia.


    "No way in hell!" Santiago replied after contemplating.


    "Exactly."


    "Now tell me, did you set my sister on a date?" Santiago questioned his wife. Why was his wife so interested in everyone''s love life but her own?


    "A blind date, yes." Persephone was speaking while chewing. "This is the Persephone approved date. You don''t need to worry. Trust me."


    "Okay," Santiago whispered. "Come home soon. Eleanora is missing you!"


    "Eleanora is missing me or her papa is missing her mom?"


    "Can''t both?" Santiago retorted.


    "My date is still not over," Persephone said, narrowing her eyes. "And we are still ignoring each other."


    "I ignored you for twenty hours. I don''t think I can do more," he blurted out the word.


    "That''s why I am ignoring you now," Persephone told him.


    "I will be there in five minutes, " Santiago said and she heard the sound of traffic. She didn''t notice he was already driving.


    "I''m not telling you where I am," Persephone said quickly.


    "What do you think your bodyguards are for?" Santiago said with a smile.


    "I hate you, Santiago!" She had an urge to ignore this man forever.


    "Oh, you don''t!" He replied with a chuckle.


    Persephone disconnected the call with a huff. She heard a soft feminine voice calling her and when she looked up, she found a very pretty blonde with bright blue eyes smiling down at her.


    "Umm¡­ I know it''s weird to ask but would you please let me borrow your phone to make a call? I lost my handbag which had my money and phone," The pretty girl said and Persephone nodded her head.


    It wasn''t her fault that she loved looking at pretty people.. Thus, she passed her phone to the girl who made a call in front of her and gave her phone back.

 Chapter 237 - Pair Of Lovers

    "Thank you," The pretty girl said. "Nobody was willing to help." She heaved out a sigh. "They thought I was some sort of scammer or a thief"


    Persephone smiled at her. "How could someone as pretty as you be a scammer or thief? I haven''t seen thieves wearing branded clothes."


    "I''m Diana," The girl laughed and extended her hand to shake.


    "Persephone," She replied as she was about to shake the hand, she saw Nash dashing through the door and before she could even think, Gabriel was on the ground with Nash trying to punch him. If not for Valencia who slapped Nash hard on his face, he would have succeeded in hitting Gabriel.


    "Oh shoot," Persephone whispered. "My first time at being a cupid failed."


    "Apparently," Diana smirked. "But I suggest you watch the scene with a drink. The story is going to be interesting from here."


    "Then, I shall treat you to a drink," Persephone grinned, ordering a drink for the lady.


    ¡­


    "What the hell do you think you are doing here, Nash?!" Valencia shouted at her, ignoring the looks she was getting from everyone there.


    Oh, she had no time to get embarrassed.


    Nash had never thought one day the woman he loved the most would slap him for another man. The man she just met yesterday. What happened to her? Yesterday, she was hitting Sara for kissing him and now when he lost control of his emotions because she went out with another man, he was suddenly wrong.


    Why was she always right?


    And is he always wrong?


    He accepted that he was rash as fuck! But that was who he was from the beginning. She knew this, didn''t she?


    Now why was she behaving as if she just get to know him?


    "Everything is wrong," Nash shouted back. "Everything is fucking wrong with me. It has been wrong since the day I broke my damned leg and asked you to fix it. Now my heart is breaking and no one is here to fix it."


    Gripping her shoulder, he asked, "You know I am not good with words? I say the wrong things at the most wrong times. I don''t know what is wrong with me."


    "You are hurting me," Valencia whispered.


    Nash cursed and threw a glare at Gabriel who was sitting on the seat as if he didn''t cause a chaos in his life. His eyes darted to Valencia and rested on the little black dress that she was wearing. She never dressed up like this when she went on dates with him. Hell, it was never a date. Just casual dinners as she had said.


    "Do you hate me that much?" Nash asked Valencia.


    "You are creating a scene," she told him.


    Nash sadly smiled at her, "At least I know that I am creating a scene. What are you doing? Do you even have any idea about it? Why did you lead me on if you never wanted me in the first place?"


    Valencia opened her mouth to say something but no words came out.


    "Say the words and you will never me again," Nash said with that painful smile. "Say you don''t feel anything about me. You were not jealous of Sara. You don''t care if I stay or leave."


    "Say the words Valencia and I will leave you right this away," He said again and Valencia just stood there, frozen.


    Suddenly, tears started pouring out of her eyes. She didn''t know what to say or do. If she told him to leave and what if he never came again? All of a sudden, the thought that she would never see him again almost made her heart stop breathing.


    Yes, she felt the same way as he did. Or maybe, she felt too much. She got attached too easily. People eventually leave and she still can''t move on.


    She loved Jack with everything she had to offer but he left the world way too soon. And she loved Nash too. But what she felt for Nash was completely different from her feelings for Jack. Her feelings for Jack had patience and endless devotion but for Nash? It''s an unbridled feeling, she couldn''t explain in simple words. Feral possessiveness of marking him as her. Unable to keep him away from her eyes. She wanted him too badly. But she couldn''t have him. If she had him once and then he left, she wouldn''t be able to survive.


    Nash was a simple guy. He lived his life without any baggage and she had nothing but baggage with her. What could she even offer him? She had the responsibility of a son and younger brother. He could have any woman in the world.


    Nash was better off without her.


    She shouldn''t have agreed to this blind date but she said yes for Persephone. Gabriel, he was a funny man. He told her straightly that he didn''t have feelings for her and was merely doing a favour to Persephone. This was the reason why she let her guard down before him and Nash misunderstood the whole situation.


    "You are better off me, Nash," Valencia finally found the voice.


    "Come on, Valencia, don''t give me this nonsense," Nash sneered. "This is not a fucking movie. This is real life. Don''t say that you come with emotional baggage or whatsoever! Do you think I don''t know I will never be your priority? I knew this! I knew from the beginning that I can''t take Santiago or Cameron''s place in your heart ever. Hell, I am sure even Villain had a higher place than me in your heart. But I don''t want that. I just want a place for myself. It didn''t fucking care how tiny it is. If you can''t make me your priority then let me make you mine?"


    His voice was loud and piercing but the meaning of his words softened her heart. "I don''t care what kind of past you had as long as you add me in your future!"


    "We stay oceans apart," Valencia then said.


    "I will quit my job here," Nash said. "I am sure His Majesty can find someone to replace me. I''m fine being a small-time entrepreneur. As long as you promise that you will share your home and bed with me, I will move with you right this second."


    He threw another glare at Gabriel when he heard a snicker.


    "I don''t just want to be the girlfriend you once slept with and dumped another day," Valencia whispered as she looked up to meet his eyes with a smile on her face.


    He laughed and took a step ahead to hug her. "Of course, not baby. You will become my wife if you accept me. I will try to be a dad to Santiago if he would let me. And last but not the least, I would like to be Villain''s brother-in-law."


    Valencia cried and laughed as she hugged him back. "You are not allowed to back off once my brother kicks your ass."


    Nash didn''t reply as he twirled and kissed the hell out of her in the middle of the restaurant. Gabriel booed first and then everyone joined to support the pair of lovers.


    "Now. Now. Guys. If you would let me speak," They turned to find a grinning Persephone coming their way. She threw keys at Nash who catched them effortlessly. "I booked a honeymoon suite for you both. Run before my husband comes!"


    Nash laughed as he picked Valencia in his arms and ran towards the exit. "You know what, Villain''s Red?! I think we are going to get along just fine now."


    Persephone rolled her eyes as she tched him. The honeymoon suite booked by her would witness a day and night full of passion. Ah, she felt so good just imagining it.


    "I can''t believe what just happened," Diana laughed. "You are one sneaky little thing. "


    "Lord save me. I hooked my sister-in-law with a man my husband doesn''t approve of," Persephone sighed out.


    Diana laughed at her. "Aye, I was wondering if you were single."


    Persephone gave her a flirty look. She raised her hand to show her the ring. "Got a husband and a baby at home, darling. You are too late."


    Diana moved to peck her cheeks but Persephone moved as she saw a brooding Alpha coming her way and the former''s lips landed on her lip, widening her eyes. The next moment, Persephone felt her getting yanked by her waist.


    "What the hell was that?!!" Santiago thundered, staring at his wife. His face was dark and the pulse on his forehead was throbbing.


    "I..I.." Persephone had no words to say. It was a mistake. She wanted to tell him.


    "You were cheating on me," Santiago accused her. When the said words hit him, he repeated them again. "Persephone, you cheated on me!!"


    Persephone''s eyes widened funnily as she shook her head frantically.. She turned her head to look at Diana to explain to Santiago but the girl was gone.

 Chapter 238 - Punishment

    "Eleanora, are you mad at mommy too?" Persephone asked her daughter. She was staring at her daughter who was playing in the crib. "Your dad is accusing me of cheating on him. It was a girl. She was about to kiss my cheek like mommy kisses her little lady''s cheek but I moved and the kiss ended up on my lips. I didn''t cheat on your dad. Tell him, baby. Tell him to talk to mommy."


    "Rockstar, tell your mommy that she didn''t need to explain things to me," Santiago smiled at his daughter but ignored Persephone.


    "Norie, tell your dad to talk to your mommy if he had the guts too, "Persephone sulked, looking at her daughter. "Oh, baby, your daddy is a scaredy-cat."


    "What are you teaching her?" Santiago said, turning towards Persephone.


    Persephone gave him her best puppy eyes as she scooted over to sit on his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. Kissing his jaw, she said, "Stop being angry. You know you are overreacting. Why are you mad at me?"


    Santiago tried to ignore her but she was clingy and refused to remove her arms around his neck. "Speak to me or I will not let you go."


    Of course, Santiago didn''t listen to him and removed her gently from his lap, removing her arms around his body and standing up to leave the nursery.


    He was throwing a tantrum again.


    To be honest, even he didn''t know why he was mad at her.


    Actually, he was mad at her for so many things. It was just that he didn''t want to accept it before.


    They needed to have a real talk and she was dodging all the signals he was giving her. He didn''t wish to be in an ambiguous relationship with her anymore. He wanted something real with her now.


    It was either yes or no. There was no middle way.


    Yes, he had said that he would let her go once she was safe enough. But now? He was going back on his words. There was no way he could live without his family. He needed Persephone and Eleanora in his life like he needed oxygen to survive.


    Persephone gave him a life.


    And Eleanora made him what to be a better person.


    When he saw his wife laughing with Gabriel yesterday, he almost went berserk. He knew how the latter was looking at his wife. The bloody captain had hearts in his eyes while talking to her. He was so mad at her. How could she not notice that the man was checking her out?


    And then, she had some favours to ask from him. Was her husband dead that he couldn''t even help her?


    Then again, she didn''t even see him as her husband. Why did it even matter to her if he was mad at her or not?


    He already had a hard time consoling his heart that Persephone was not considering Gabriel and then he saw a woman kissing her. Lord knew how he felt at that time.


    It was juvenile of him to ignore her like a child. Yes, he was aware that he was throwing a tantrum. But what could he do when his wife didn''t want to make anything clear to him?


    He could ask her too but it was not what he wanted. He wanted her to come to him on her heart''s desire not because they had a baby together.


    His head was so fucking aching when he left the car. Seeing his car parked, he got into it and drove to the location that he had been avoiding for many days now. Fifteen minutes later, he parked the car and got out to enter the secluded building. The guards appointed there nodded in greeting and he raised his hand, indicating that he would like to be alone.


    Opening the door, he came across the man who had made his life a living hell. The man who made him what he was today.


    Lorenzo was sprawling on the mattress placed on the ground. The room was dimly lit and it was hard to make out his facial features. Dragging a chair, Santiago sat on it crossed-legged only to stare at the waning man before him.


    Who would have thought that he was the same man who once used to be the master of people''s destiny?


    Time changes¡­


    And so had his¡­


    "Why are the dead rising from ashes?" Lorenzo chuckled darkly, staring right into his eyes.


    "You still recognize me," Santiago''s voice was heard next.


    Lorenzo broke out into a fit of laughter and then suddenly, he glared at him. "These blue eyes. Fucking blue eyes deceived me once. What a pity I couldn''t kill you then!"


    "I was there for a long time," Santiago said. "Why didn''t you? You have a lot of chances to kill me. Why did you not kill me the way you should have?"


    Lorenzo looked at her as if he was the creature he hated the most. "Do you think I don''t want to? I wanted to kill you! But that bastard father of yours played me and Alessandro! He stole our gold. He was supposed to be an ally but he screwed us over!"


    Santiago shook his head. "Look at you! What have you not done for that man? But in the end, he didn''t even come to save you. Rather, he pushed you towards death."


    Lorenzo bitterly laughed. "I don''t fucking regret what I did. Your father died a horrible death. So what if I couldn''t kill you? He looked for you every second of his life but wasn''t able to find you. I wanted to see him tortured and I accomplished it. I don''t regret anything at all."


    "Come on, kill me," Lorenzo said next, provoking Santiago. "I gave your mother and father a horrible death. The kind of death nobody would ever fathom about. Come on and avenge your parents and yourself. Isn''t that what you want? Isn''t that why you kidnapped that niece of mine?! And she must have been a horrible lay like her mother--"


    Before he could complete his words, Santiago kicked him hard. "You wouldn''t achieve anything by provoking me. Indeed, I wanted to give you the most horrible death. But not anymore. Even talking to you feels like a waste of my breath."


    Santiago chuckled and ran his hand through his hair. "You know what, Lorenzo? I wanted to kill you. For this day, I planned and plotted and did all the things that killed the soul within me. But at this moment? It felt wasted. I wasted seventeen years of my life hating someone like you."


    "You know what would be the worst punishment for you?" Santiago then asked him. "Living. You would leave the life I did once. For the rest of your life, you will live the life you gave me. I promised my daughter that I would be a better man for her. I would never make her feel ashamed of who I am. Killing you means staining my hands. And I would never do that again."


    "A villain finally found his redemption but what about a monster such as you?" Santiago questioned him.


    Lorenzo had the audacity to scoff at Santiago''s words. "Aren''t we the same, little Vitello? Your father screwed me over. He stole my fucking gold. I seek revenge on him by torturing his son. You captured and tormented me for revenge. Tell me who are we different from each other? Villains like you and I will never find redemption. We will live and die with the stains of the blood we spilled."


    "You ain''t fucking manipulate me," Santiago shouted at him. His eyes blazed with fire. "There are no more of you in my head. You and I can''t be alike. No way in hell. I didn''t destroy my own family. I didn''t kill my own sisters and nephew. I didn''t betray my sister by snatching her husband."


    Lorenzo''s eyes widened. Nobody knew. Nobody except for him and Alessandro knew about that frowned upon relationship.


    "Penelope knew everything," Santiago said. "She knew everything. And you know what else? She provided us with the fuel for your and Alessandro Marino''s pyre. She was collecting proof against all the crimes she had committed. If Salvatore didn''t kill his father in days to come, the FBI will hunt the bastard. His crimes couldn''t be covered in one notebook. One would need hundreds of them. His death is fixed but you will live. You will live!"


    With another bout of laughter, Santiago left the arena, leaving a certain mad man shouting and screaming behind.


    It finally ended.


    He was free.


    And it wasn''t a pity that it ended this way.


    Perhaps, it was for the better.


    Instead of running after revenge, he should try to love himself and his family.. Maybe, this way he would seek heaven that a villain like him had no right to even dream of.

 Chapter 239 - Choose Someone Else

    "Welcome back, Mr Vitello," Lara said as soon as she opened the door.


    Santiago nodded and entered the hall. It was late in the evening and everyone went to sleep.


    "Where would you like to have dinner? In the dining room or your bedroom?" Lara questioned him.


    "I had dinner with the guys," Santiago replied. "Did Percy have dinner? And Eleanora is still asleep yet or not?"


    Lara smiled at his concern. "Eleanora is asleep and Percy didn''t have dinner. She had been throwing up since the evening." Seeing Santiago''s worried face, she quickly added, "It''s not that serious. But since she recently had a delivery, she needs to take extra care of herself. She spent the day outside in the mall, walking and standing. And Lord knows what kind of fast food she consumed today."


    It was clear from Lara''s words that she didn''t encourage the stupid step Persephone took today even if it meant good for Valencia. She should have paid attention to her health first.


    Santiago took a deep breath. Of course, he was informed when she left the home today. She just said that she would be going out today with Valencia for the change of environment. She didn''t say anything about the little outing that she had planned for herself. In short, it was his fault for not taking care of her properly.


    "Did you ask Valencia why she had been throwing up?" Santiago questioned.


    "Consequences of junk food," Lara informed him.


    "Ask Valencia to create a menu for Percy," Santiago said. "No matter how much she complains, no one is allowed to give her food without consulting Valencia."


    Lara nodded her head.


    Santiago left the hall to check up on her but as he entered the room, he saw Persephone lying on the bed watching TV at a lower volume. Eleanor was asleep in her crib beside the bed. His baby sleeps sixteen hours out of twenty-four. He didn''t know what to consider it, a blessing or a curse. A blessing that she didn''t trouble her parents at all and curse that she had very little time to play with them.


    Without disturbing both of them, he entered the bathroom to have a quick shower and changed into a pair of comfortable clothes. He dropped a kiss on Eleanora''s forehead and then got into the bed to pull Persephone closer to him. Inhaling her natural scent to calm himself, he murmured, "You are watching the stupid show again?"


    "Angela finally realised how stupid she was to marry Guiseppe," Persephone murmured back, her gaze still fixed on the TV. "Poor Marco!"


    "He doesn''t need a woman who left him for someone else," Santiago found himself saying.


    "Ah, I didn''t notice our cold war period is over, " Persephone said, turning her head to narrow her eyes at him.


    In the dimly lit room, his blue orb met her green ones. He noticed something unusual about her today. The green of her eyes was popping out with her new sleek and straight hair. What a disappointment he couldn''t wrap his fingers around her wild curls anymore. But he had to admit she looked cute now. With the little weight, she put on and now her short hair was making her appear adorable. He didn''t know who was more adorable -- baby or mama.


    "You look different," Santiago murmured as he snaked his arm around her waist and she winced at his touch. "What happened?"


    "My stomach hurts," She muttered, looking anywhere but at him.


    "Let''s go to the hospital," Santiago immediately said and Persephone turned to look at the TV.


    She couldn''t deal with this man¡­


    "Let''s go," Santiago said once again.


    "I''m fine, Santiago," Persephone said in exasperation. "My body will recover with time. Doctors ain''t God. They can''t cure me in just a few seconds. Valencia gave me medicine."


    "Then, maybe you shouldn''t have gone out," Santiago immediately said. "Why did you even have to contact Captain Gabriel? If you just wanted to help Nash and Valencia, you could have taken any other way."


    "Santiago, did you just come here to scold me?" Persephone said, unable to handle her sudden outburst of anger. "Fine, you don''t like Valencia with Nash. The guys agreed with your wish. Excellent. But Valencia is my best friend. She might be your sister but she is my best friend first. The woman who pulled me out of depression. She made me see that there aren''t just bad people in the world. There are some selfless and generous people like her too."


    Taking a pause, she added, "I did what as a friend I was supposed to do. And Santiago, you have no right to control her love life. She loved Nash and he loved her. It''s as simple as that. I get it you are worried that he might end up hurting her. But what if he ends up giving her the happiest life she had never dreamed of? That guy is ready to move countries for her. I don''t know why you can''t see his endless devotion to her."


    Santiago was staring at her unblinking. She could see everyone''s love but his. No, she could see his feelings for her too. It was just that she didn''t want to acknowledge it.


    "Get some rest," Santiago said and stood up to leave.


    Persephone caught her wrist as he moved to leave the room and asked, "Where are you going?"


    "I don''t know," He gave her the answer.


    Persephone smiled at him and stood up to turn off the TV. She grabbed a thin blanket and walked out of the room, leaving Eleanora with Santiago. Why must he leave the room every time they had a fight?


    When she reached the living room, she hugged the blanket and sighed. Suddenly, she was feeling lonely in such a huge house. Since she couldn''t sleep, she recalled that Junior had borrowed her laptop. She slowly opened his room and found him fast asleep. Quietly, she took her laptop and came out.


    Lying on the couch, she found that she got two emails from the contact she talked to several days ago.


    ''I would like you to send a few more chapters. Lisa is impressed with your story and wanted to ask if you would like to sign the contract.''


    When she arrived at the Maisean empire, she was heavily pregnant. There was nothing she could do in that condition. She was an art major with a minor in literature. The peaceful environment here inspired her to write a romance story.


    Persephone was the kind of person who always had a story in her head. Oftentimes, she would be alone and doing nothing but weaving different stories in her head. One day, a story stuck with her. And she decided to write it down in words.


    She ended up writing a few thousand words. Lord knew what came over to her but she sent the manuscript to her friend who was a New York bestseller romance writer.


    Right now, she was thrilled to know that the editor wished to sign her. Of course, she would like to sign. She was filthy rich but she had no career of her own. And now that she finally had a chance, she would like to take this very chance. She wanted to be someone people know not because she was Alessandro Marino''s daughter or Santiago Vitello''s wife.


    She accepted the offer and immediately emailed her author friend. Hugging the laptop, she once again smiled sadly. She had no one to share the happy news with. If only she could jump in happiness and tell everyone that she made something of her.


    But she was alone in the huge world.


    Inside the bedroom, Santiago was pacing back and forth, not knowing what to do. He was mad at himself. This was her house yet she was forced to leave the room. In the big room, how was he supposed to sleep by himself? Even the bed felt cold. Bolting out of the door, he found her curled up in the living room. He walked to her and leaned down to scoop her in his arms.


    Her eyes opened immediately and as she asked, "What do you think you are doing?"


    "You are awake," Santiago softly said.


    "Santiago, are you tsundere or what?!" Persephone glared at him. "I can''t deal with your constant mood swings. Sometimes, you are bitter or sometimes sweet. Can you not decide what you want? Either be mad at me or talk sweetly!"


    Santiago pursed his lips. It was his problem that he loved her and she didn''t. It wasn''t her fault that he needed more from her. He wasn''t supposed to fall for her the way he did. But hell, he did and there was no saving him.


    "I''m sorry," Santiago apologized. "I shouldn''t have ignored you. It was juvenile of me."


    "Good that you know what an ass you have been to me, "Persephone sneered at him. She couldn''t understand what was wrong with him. Why was he so paranoid? Why did he appear so scared suddenly?


    "Persephone, if you were ever to choose someone except me, please don''t choose Gabriel, "Santiago''s words shocked Persephone to the core.

 Chapter 240 - The Proposal!

    Two months passed in a blink of an eye and Valencia had never been happier than now. It had been more than two months since she and Nash got together. When they got together, she had thought that he would eventually leave as she was a woman who came with a lot of baggage. If he wanted to be with her, he had to be responsible for her as well as her family.


    After two months of their time together all she could say was that Nash was a family man, through and thorough. Not only, does he make her feel wanted but her little family too? Nash gave her son the kind of love Santiago always yearned for. He has heard stories of his father''s heroism but he has no idea what it meant to be loved by a father. And Nash left no stone unturned in showing Santiago what he meant to her.


    Sometimes, she would cry seeing them, spending time and playing together. It was such a beautiful picture that she dared not want to break. She loved this man so much. So much that she couldn''t imagine her life without him now.


    Persephone was arranging a get-together today and she had been too busy with the preparations. She would have helped her out if not for the important appointment she had set with a patient. It was late when she returned home.


    Home. She suddenly smiled. How come this foreign country ended up becoming her home?


    This was Santiago and Persephone''s home, not her. But they treated her as if she was one of their own. And she felt that she was one of them. Even if she was mad at Santiago, she would never decline the fact that he was her brother. What kind of sister would not want her brother?


    For years, they believed that he was no more and grieved for his loss. But now that he was before her, proving to her that he wanted them in his life and he loved them as much as they loved him, then who was she to push him back especially when she needed a big brother in her life to rely on?


    This place somehow became her home. Santiago, Persephone and Eleanora became some of the most significant people of her life.


    One day, she suggested that she move out as Eleanora was growing quickly and they needed space for their family. Santiago immediately declined that he would not let her live alone in a country she knew nothing about. Taking the chance, Nash asked if Valencia could move with him.


    She chuckled when she recalled the dirty look Santiago had on her boyfriend. His brother said until and unless she left his home in a white dress, he would not allow his sister to ever move out.


    This was how Valencia was forced to live with his brother even when she had a clingy boyfriend.


    For today''s party, she chose a dress that she and Persephone had brought several days ago. It was a beautiful magenta-coloured dress with puff sleeves and a high slit. Pairing it with matching earrings and heels, she came out of the room.


    When she exited her room, she found the living room dead and empty. It was as if nobody lived here. With furrowed brows, she entered the patio where Persephone was holding the party and found it beautifully decorated with red roses. Suddenly, she felt a chill in her heart. Where was everyone and why did this place look so empty?


    As she was about to turn back, she saw Nash dressed in a tuxedo coming her way. Did he look dashing in his ripped jeans, leather jacket and untamed hair but in a tuxedo and perfectly combed hair? He was hurtfully gorgeous.


    What was he doing there wearing a tuxedo?


    Wasn''t he the one who said dressing as a classy man wasn''t his forte?


    Only she knew how much he despised wearing formal clothes?


    He gave her a charming smile and then he did something she hadn''t expected him to do!


    He bent down on his knee holding a ring in his hand.


    Valencia''s eyes widened as her hands covered her mouth in surprise.


    "You know what, darling? I don''t know how to be chivalrous but Villain''s Red said it''s the oldest but trusted way of asking a woman to marry," Nash said with trembling hands. Realising that he said something he wasn''t supposed to, he groaned, making Valencia chuckle as a tear slid down her cheek.


    "I was supposed to say my speech," Nash muttered, frowning. Finally, clearing his throat, he began, "I met you when I had least expected to. As all said, I would be the last person on earth to get hitched. But what they didn''t know was that there is only one woman who is capable enough of taming this rake."


    A smile tugged on his lips showing his boyish charm, "They say opposite attracts and it seems they don''t lie. You are mature whereas I am childish as heck. You know how to solve a problem and I only know how to jump into one. You are the most responsible person I know and I am the most irresponsible person every knows about."


    "Even if we are poles apart, there is still something that we have in common," Nash said with a silly smile. "Our hearts beat for each other. Do you remember I once asked you what it will take to have you treat me?"


    Valencia smiled and nodded.


    "You said with a deadpan expression that a female reproductive system," Nash laughed, recalling that moment. "Babe I got something else for you."


    Would he be Nash if he didn''t talk dirty?


    Not at all.


    "You are incorrigible," Valencia groaned.


    "Valencia Reynolds, I might not be the richest man not the most perfect but I can promise to be the most sincere to you," Nash said, making Valencia cry. "I will show you every moment we have tighter that I love you the most in the world. I love everything about you. I love your son, your brothers, your niece and everyone related to you and I swear to love you and everyone and everything related to you until my last breath. So, would you do the honor of marrying me?"


    Valencia cried and laughed and fell on her knees to be on an equal level with him. And then, she hugged him tightly, crying against his chest.


    "Hey, hey don''t cry," Nash said, rubbing her back. He was restless seeing her crying. "Darling, if you don''t want to marry me. It''s okay. But please stop crying. You know I can''t see tears in your eyes. I hate to see tears in your eyes. Please baby."


    Instead of stopping crying, she cried even harder and hit his chest with her fist. "You are not allowed to take back your proposal."


    Nash broke the hug and asked her with a huge smile,"Does it mean you agree to marry me?"


    Valencia smiled shyly and nodded her head.


    "Say it," Nash said, staring at her with a smile.


    "I will marry you, Nash De Luca!" Valencia shouted.


    "Say it again," Nash demanded.


    "I will be your wife," Valencia said again.


    "Once more, love," Nash asked.


    Valencia smiled and kissed his lips. "I will marry you because I love you too. I love you a lot Nash. Let''s get married soon and build our family."


    The follower petals rained down and Nash kissed her senselessly and breathlessly. Standing up, he picked her up in bridal style and rained kisses all over her face.


    Confetti showered on them as Junior Santiago came yelling in excitement and hugged Nash''s legs. Nash placed Valencia on the ground and picked the little guy up in the air. He kissed his forehead. "Now that your mom said yes, you better start calling me yes as per the agreement."


    Junior Santiago nodded and snaked his arms around his neck. He softly whispered, "Daddy."


    Nash smiled at him. "Hi, son."


    Junior shyly buried his head in his father''s neck.


    Valencia wiped her uncontrollable tears. This was such a precious sight. Oh, God. She never thought she was deserving of these happy moments.


    Looking up, she whispered a heartfelt thank you to God.


    Everyone else came booing and started congratulating the engaged couple. Persephone was the first one to hug her. Giving a thumbs up to Nash, she asked her best friend to show her the ring. It was a very stunning oval diamond ring.


    Santiago walked to his sister and pulled her for a hug. He whispered, "Congratulations."


    "Thank you, bro," She whispered back.


    "If he ever troubles you, come to me,"Santiago said as he kissed her forehead. " Mom and Dad are not here to see this day but I am sure they are very happy for you."


    Valencia nodded, suppressing a sob.


    "No more crying, Val," Santiago said, wiping her years. "Let''s shoulder the burden together."


    Looking up, she wondered what if Jack was still here. Would this day ever come? The answer was simple -- No. But no one could write their own destinies.


    She and Nash were predestined. She couldn''t control who fate fixes you up with.


    ''I''m sure you are seeing us, Jack, ''She whispered in her heart.

 Chapter 241 - Stefano Salvatore

    It was a bright and sunny day.


    Killian was sitting in the living room, doing absolutely nothing when he heard the doorbell ring. Who would be visiting him at this hour?


    Nash had the habit of visiting his house at any odd time but ever since he got engaged, he can''t come to free load at his house. Otherwise, his breakfast, lunch and dinner were done at this house.


    One month literally passed in a blink of an eye.


    With a sigh, Killian stood up to open the door as he heard the doorbell ring again. Emma was on the call and Alicia was inside her room putting Emy to sleep. When he opened the door, he was graced by the presence of the man he wouldn''t want to see at least in this lifetime.


    Killian was about to shut the door on the man''s face but the latter stuck his hand in the gap before he could close it.


    "Let me in, Killian," The man said.


    "Fuck off, Salvatore," Killian spat out. "There is nothing that belongs to you!"


    "My wife and child are inside," Salvatore reminded him kindly. "I''m here for them."


    "For who? The woman you nearly killed?" Killian said, hatred in his voice was apparent to Salvatore. When he learnt that Alicia had a heart attack because of this bastard, he was all ready to end this hideous creature but if not for his sister begging him to not hurt her husband¡­


    "You don''t know half of the story, Killian," Salavtore said. "So, I suggest you don''t make decisions without hearing the whole story. Ellison is my wife and Emy is my daughter. Not even gods above can stop me from meeting them. Are you sure you want to try?"


    Killian raised his fist to punch the bastard but he heard a scream saying no. Turning back, he found Alicia standing behind him, her face pale and her eyes widened.


    "What are you doing, bro?" She asked as she quickly walked to stand between the two of them. "You promised that you will not hurt him."


    Killian ran his hand through his hair and his eyes darted to Salvatore who was looking at him blankly. With a troubled look, he said,"Alicia, you don''t have to meet this man, if you don''t want to. Tell me that you don''t want to see him ever, I will ask the security to throw him out."


    Alicia weakly smiled at her brother and murmured,"Thank you, bro. But I really need to have a talk with him. It has been months. I can''t ignore him forever."


    "Alicia¡­" Killian didn''t like where the conversation was heading. But what could he do? He couldn''t control his sister''s life.


    She gave him a assuring smile and asked Salvatore to follow him. When they were alone in the patio did Alicia turned to look at this disappeared husband of hers. Five months ago, she came to this country with this man and only a few hours after coming here did she get to know about his betrayal.


    His beautiful eyes were staring at her, trying to see through her. She smiled at her idiocy. Once upon a time, she would be melted by his one heated look and now¡­ She didn''t even know what to think. For months on end, she was haunted by Emmaline''s words. Her hatred for Emma faded away eventually. At least, one person regretted the choices she made but what about him? The man she had loved the most in the world? And she still love the most?


    "Ali," Salvatore whispered, his gaze fixed on her beautiful face. "I missed you."


    "Of course, you did," Alicia scoffed, rolling her eyes. But her usual playfulness was gone. She couldn''t pretend to be happy when she was. This man broke her badly.


    "I never cheated on you," Salvatore said next making her want to slap him.


    "Salvatore Marino! One, you never told me that you wee a fucking Marino!" Alicia said bitterly. "Two, you used to be enagged to Emma even when we were married. Three, she left you on altar when you had a wife and child. Four, you married another woman on the very same altar."


    "Yet, you have the audacity to say that you didn''t cheat on me?" Alicia glared at him.


    Instead of trying to answer, he smiled at her outburst and pulled her into his arms, resting her her don his beating chest. "This heart only beats for you."


    Alicia moved to break the stupid hug but he locked her in his arms. This was wrong! He wasn''t playing fair. She was supposed to tell him how much she hated him but all she wanted right now was to curl up in his arms and cry her heart out. Oh, stupid her. She missed him too. And way more than she should have.


    "First, I was born as Stefano Salvatore. My mom''s maiden was Carina Salvatore. I was born a bastrad to a man who never wanted me but still brought me to his family because his first wife was dead and he needed to replace his genius son," Salvatore told his wife.


    Alessandro Marino wouldn''t have brought him to the Marino family if not for the fact that he needed someone to replace Lucian. He had always hated that man but wasn''t capable enough to show it to his face and so he pretended all this while.


    "Second, my engagement was fixed to Emma because it was right at that time. I would have been long killed if my father didn''t want her father''s political connections," Salvatore further told her.


    He felt bad for Emma. He never wanted to use her in his plans but he had to sacrifice to protect the people he loved. And he chose his family over Emma and he didn''t regret it even a bit.


    "When you told me you were pregnant, I was put in a spot," Salavtore replied her.

 Chapter 242 - Just Amore And Amore!

    "When you told me you were pregnant, I was put in a spot," Salavtore replied her. "You were very young then. Your health was fragile. The doctors said that the pregnancy would out your life in danger but you refused to terminate the pregnancy. I loved you so much then Ali I agreed with your wishes no matter how scared I was. I asked you to marry me not because I loved you and wanted you to be my wife but because I don''t want my child to come to this world without a legitimate status. I didn''t want Emy to feel what I did back then. I would not have married you in haste if not for Emy. I wanted to make everything clear before marrying you but Emy changed everything."


    "Salvatore, we could have raised her even without getting married," Alicia whispered.


    "We could have but I didn''t want to. I loved my child and why should I hesitate to make her feel wanted and loved?" Salvatore questioned. "Ali, the scars a child receives during childhood stays all life. You and I lead the worst life a child could ever have. I never wanted that for her. I wanted my only child to be loved and respected."


    "Then, you could have married me when Emma left you? I can''t believe that you don''t have the means and resources to make it true," Alcia asked, looking at him.


    Salvatore smiled and nodded. "You are right. I could have married you then but Ali, the doctors told us clearly that we can''t have another child. Alessandro Marino had gotten you killed for not giving his son a male child. Do you think I will take chances with you? No way in hell. Until this day, he didn''t know of your existence and that''s why you are still safe."


    "And you know what Alicia if that day Emma hadn''t run from the church, the wedding would still haven''t happened," Salvatore said but didn''t explain further. "As for Isabelle, she was made clear from the begining that the marriage was fake. Tell me baby what marriage is not registered? It was a church wedding for vows. And Isabelle used her name wrong."


    "What did you get by doing this? Why were you even doing all this? All this planning and plotting for what? Money, status or power!" Alicia asked him, bewildered.


    "I did this for another woman who gave away her life for me. The first love of my life. The woman who taught me the meaning of word ''love and family''," Salvatore told him. "My mom."


    Alicia had never seen such a tortured look on his face. He was barely controlling himself for not breaking down.


    "The monster treated her terribly, " Salvatore whispered. "He dragged her to hell with him and treated her as his punching bag. My mom only knows how to love people, never to hate them. I did this for her. Power, wealth, status. I never wanted this."


    "Salvatore¡­" Alicia whispered as he squeezed his shoulder.


    "I did this for Lucian. The boy who protected me behind the shadows. Taught me things I never was capable of knowing. He asked me to fake it till I make it. He always knew that one day his own father would kill him being someone extraordinary and beware me not be like him."


    Salavtore choked on his words as he recalled Lucian''s words. He pretended because Lucian told him to and it worked.


    Alejandro Marino was gone. His empire crumbled over night. Someone else was ruling his territory. For the power, he killed his own blood. And someone else was wielding that very power now.


    However, it was not Salvatore. He never wanted anything with that life since the beginning.


    It was Nicolas Scuderi who was ruling New York now.


    Isabelle was gone. She left when Nicolas rose to power. Edward Kingsley backed out from the war in the end moment when he was informed of his daughter''s existence. He signed pact with Nicolas for sending his daughter back to him safely.


    Sofia refused to come with her brother. She chose her husband''s side in the end. She said that she had taken vows before God and would rather die sooner than leave him.


    There was nothing Salvatore could do to convince her. She chose this life for herself and she knew better than anyone the consequences she would have to face for taking this decision.


    Carina Marino buried her dead husband as per the tradition. She didn''t cry at his funeral. Crying meant missing him and wanting him back. She felt nothing for him. Neither love not hate. But she fulfilled all the duties of a virtious wife. Arranged her husband''s funeral and buried him with the respect he didn''t deserve.


    Not once did she blamed her son for making the widow. When everything ended. Marino''s rule ceased. Their house was taken away from them, she smiled at her son and asked him what now?


    Salvatore couldn''t say a word. He never knew that a mother could love her children to this extent. She tolerated every single pain inflicted on her for the sake of her children.


    When he told her about Sofia''s decision, she seemed pleased and proud. She said that it was what a wife was supposed to do. Sofia made the right choice. But he couldn''t see how?


    "What about that woman now?" Alicia questioned. By that woman she meant Isabelle.


    "I sent her where she belonged," Salvatore smiled.


    "What now?" Alicia asked.


    "Now¡­"Salvatore looked at her, loss for words. His mom asked him the very same question. At that time, he didn''t have the answer but now it seemed as he had.


    "Now, we live our life the way we always wanted. No lies. No betrayal. Just Amore and Amore."


    ....


    Author Note: Everything is going well now. I will be ending book in Feburary.. I can''t explain how I am feeling right now. The ending is nea

 Chapter 243 - Fly In The Sky

    When Santiago said that they would be going out tonight, he didn''t say anything about a helicopter ride. Now she was sitting beside him in a helicopter and he was riding it!


    It was supposed to be a date night, not an adventure trip!


    Any sane woman would be terrified to sit beside her husband in a helicopter, especially when he was flying it!


    [Santiago Vitello, it wasn''t romantic at all!]


    "Are you afraid?" Santiago questioned her and she looked at him in horror. He still had the nerve to ask if she was afraid after giving her the shock of life? And then he said, "Trust me, I know how to fly this thing!"


    "Santiago, this thing is a helicopter and it fucking flies in the sky!" Persephone shouted in the headphones and Santiago laughed at her cute response.


    The helicopter left the ground and it flew in the air while Persephone was left terrified. Only when it flew over the ocean did she look out in amazement, her terrified expressions changed.


    The sun would be setting anytime soon and the sky was lit up in violet and orange. Her eyes illuminated at the beautiful sight of the majestic sky, birds were flying back to their homes and she was flying to a different destination.


    "This is so pretty," Persephone murmured, staring at the beautiful sky. She couldn''t see a house or a piece of land below, just a never-ending ocean.


    "Not more than you," Santiago smiled at her.


    Their eyes met and she heard him say once again, "Nothing is more beautiful than you, Persephone."


    Persephone flustered and averted her gaze to look at the beautiful sky once again. His intense gaze lingered on her face and she felt her body heating.


    A man as hot and sexy as him should be illegal.


    The helicopter landed on an Island and Santiago helped her to alight after getting out first. He wrapped his jacket around her shoulder and asked her to walk with him. A man in a black suit came and nodded at Santiago before walking away.


    "Where are we?" Persephone questioned, breaking the silence.


    "We are on the island," Santiago replied. The cold ocean waves touched his skin and he closed his eyes to feel it against his skin. It felt so good to be back home. Yeah, the island was like a home to him.


    The sky was getting darker and stars were starting to twinkle in the clear sky but the moon had yet to appear.


    "What island is this?" Persephone questioned.


    "Island Persephone," Santiago replied and she stopped in her footsteps to glance at him. Could it be what she thought it was?


    "Island Persephone," She repeated the same as if she had been wanting to read each secret behind it. "Is it the same island that has been trending on the internet?"


    "The same," Santiago said and walked ahead with her. "Do you know we made love here for the first time?"


    Persephone turned to look at him in surprise but didn''t say anything, because, for the first time in months, he took the initiative to talk about their spent time. She didn''t ask any questions because she knew if she did, he wouldn''t say what he had been wanting to say and today, she wanted to hear everything from his mouth.


    He brought her to the side where no person was in sight. There was a huge board saying it was forbidden to enter this place. It appeared like private property. He took her to a narrow bridge built over the ocean that led them to an ocean Villa. Away from all the tall buildings being made on the island, this side was much silent and kept all-natural. As they took each step, the dark Villa started lighting up and she just stared in amazement. How many times would this man amaze her today?


    He opened the door and they entered a beautiful living room. It was decorated finely and had a gorgeous open kitchen. Then, there were three more bedrooms and what attracted her the most was the patio. Sliding the door, she entered the patio with him and when she did, the dark patio lit up. All the fairy lights were illuminated and the beauty of the scene was increased a thousand folds.


    She looked at Santiago in confusion but he just smiled at her in return. He extended his hand like a gentleman and whispered, "Would you like to dance with me?"


    Persephone blinked but instinctively she took his hand and as their skin touched, the music started playing.


    ????Lights go down, wheels go around


    I''m taking you home


    Hoping for a slow song to come on the radio now


    I''m not ready to shut it down ????


    "This is our song," She heard him whisper. His hand was placed on her back when their bodies moved in sync. There was nothing she could do. She was moving instinctively.


    It was as if her dream where the woman with long dark hair was dancing with a man near the ocean had come true. Suddenly, something clicked in her head. It wasn''t a dream as she had been thinking all along. It was a memory. A memory of two of them.


    She gazed up to meet his ocean blue eyes to see something in them as if asking him if what she had dreamed was true and as if he could read her thoughts, he leaned ahead and captured her lips.


    ????The way the dashboard glow


    Is hitting your eyes making me lose everything    on my mind


    And the only thing I wanna do is find a spot


    Stop this car and throw it in park and get just????


    Just like their bodies, their lips too moved in sync. He kissed her slowly and tenderly in a way he has never done before. She opened her mouth to say something but taking the opportunity, he shoved his tongue inside her mouth to take charge of the moment.


    Sigh, they couldn''t make love slow and tender.

 Chapter 244 - "How Can I Deserve Someone Like You?"

    ????Slow dance with you


    Spinning you around by the Walmart sign


    And moving our feet over the painted white lines


    Getting close to you


    Making the most of whatever we got


    Even if it''s just a slow dance in a parking lot????


    The song rang in the background and they broke the kiss as he twirled her and then she ended up collapsing on his chest. His hands moved to her stomach as she trembled against his chest.


    "Santiago," Persephone moaned as he rubbed his chin against her neck.


    ????Slow dance with you


    Spinning you around by the Walmart sign


    And moving our feet over the painted white lines


    Getting close to you


    Making the most of whatever we got


    Even if it''s just a slow dance in a parking lot????


    "Yes, Red," Santiago rapsed as his mouth ran on her bare neck and collarbone.


    "What are we doing?" Persephone asked as she woke up from a daze. It was impossible to not react to his touches. She wanted him to extinguish the fire in her body.


    "We were supposed to be just dancing on your favourite song," Santiago rasped. "But it seems, we would never be able to complete the song without getting lost in each other''s bodies."


    Never had they ever completed the whole song without getting lost in each other''s bodies.


    "Ah, it seemed something like this happened before too," Persephone said in a breathless voice.


    "All the time, Red. All the time," Santiago answered, sucking on her neck. "Once you expressed your wish to dance with me every night we are together but I couldn''t fulfil your wish as you forgot about it. And of course, nobody but I am the one to blame for this."


    Persephone had shocked him by using her first wish by asking him, her captor, to dance with her every single night they would be together. At that time, he had thought that this girl was crazy. How could she waste away her precious wish just like that? It was only after he got to know her that she was a simple character. She never worried about the riches or the power her life had to offer. All she wanted was to taste what freedom tastes like!


    "I brought you here today to show you the place where our story begins. It''s the place where Villain and Red fell in love," Santiago further said as he twirled her around to make her face him.


    She stared at him, unblinking.


    He was¡­


    He was finally confessing¡­.


    "Persephone, this is the place where I fell for you again," Santiago said, his eyes burning into her. She didn''t know how to react so she just stood there frozen. "You knocked me out at the very first glance but I was a stubborn bastard! I would never admit that my enemy''s daughter owns my heart."


    Falling in love was easy but claiming her as his was tougher. Even if his heart knew that he had fallen for her, his brain would never let him accept it. She was, after all, Alessandro Marino''s daughter. Wanting her was like consuming poison with his own hands.


    "But who could stop oneself from loving someone one shouldn''t?" Santiago chuckled, self-deprecating. "Because I can''t stop myself from loving you even when I know I don''t deserve to love someone like you."


    Santiago never deserved Persephone even after all the sacrifices he had made. She was innocent in her own way. She was thrown into a world she didn''t deserve. He erased her memories of him.


    It was also true that if not for Eleanora, he wouldn''t have dared to even think of a lifetime with her. But he knew that they belonged together. If they separated, they would be miserable for all their lives. He also knew that life with each other wouldn''t be roses and wine but at least they could fight and scream and still love together. He wanted her and everything she had to offer.


    "You were pure, unblemished and I wanted to taint you for my personal pleasure. I wanted to break you because I couldn''t stand someone as beautiful and extraordinary as you belonging to someone else," He whispered, gripping her chin to make her glossy green eyes meet his blue one that she seemed to love a lot. "You were a masterpiece that an ignorant heathen like me had never seen before. I wanted to drag you with my world because you belonged to me. Yet, I threw you away because I couldn''t bring myself to taint you! I always wanted you to be the original you."


    "It''s also true that the Percy from my childhood was a very important part of my life. I always wanted to go back to her but never dared to because I couldn''t imagine having her hate the man I had become," Santiago said after a while. "I didn''t want her to know that the boy she saved fell into eternal darkness once again. All her sacrifices went to waste. I thought she would forget me but she didn''t."


    "She always remembered me," Santiago whispered as he put his hand on her heart. "Here."


    Persephone swallowed her whimper back. See, she knew that the tattoo here belonged to him!


    How dumb they both have been from the beginning? If he had recognised the eyes on her tattoo, if she had recognised him as the boy she always yearned from...how different their stories had been.


    But someone rightly said you must feel pain for a relationship to know its real value.


    "You know what?" He asked with a sad laugh. " I was jealous of the boy you were in love with even without knowing that the boy I was jealous of all along was no one else but me."


    "You didn''t save me just once, Percy but every time I was down. You appeared in my life one way or another," He said, his forehead meeting hers. "How could I even deserve someone like you?"


    ....


    Author Note: I was supposed to be on a short hiatus, but here I am again!

 Chapter 245 - Kiss Me!

    "You gave me the biggest gifts of my life," Santiago said, holding her hands. "You taught me how to live. How to love. How to care. How to think about the future. You give me my family back. My sister. My brother. My nephew. You created a home for both of us." He paused for a moment and then added," And you give me the biggest blessing of my life. You gave me an angel I could never wish for. Our Eleanora. Most of all, you gave me you."


    Persephone was crying at this moment because she had never seen Santiago using words before. He wouldn''t usually talk more than needed but today he said all the things. She was so happy!


    "I won''t say much but I just want to let you know that I love you, Persephone Vitello," Santiago whispered as he stared at her face as if making a vow. Yeah, it was his vow. Vow of loving her until his last breath. He added with a helpless look, " I love you more than anyone else. I can''t express in words what I exactly feel for you."


    "I know our marriage wasn''t meant for forever. If you want to leave, you can." He didn''t just stop here today. It was him speaking and her listening. " I will not stop you. I just want to express my own feelings because I am afraid that if I didn''t, I would regret it all my life."


    "I love you, Red," He whispered in the end.


    Persephone laughed and cried at the same time as she jumped to wrap her arms around him. He caught her but his foot slipped and both of them fell in the swimming pool behind them.


    Santiago held her petite body against his own tightly and stood on his feet while helping her stand up. Gazing at each other''s faces, they burst out laughing.


    The romance was not made for them. One of them would at least say or do something to spoil the whole situation.


    The whole situation was supposed to end with more sent words spoken by her and maybe an intense kiss then but now¡­


    That emotional environment was broken and they were laughing, clutching their stomachs in the cold water.


    Thankfully, winters had gone or their romantic confession would have ended up with both of them in hospital, suffering from pneumonia!


    Persephone shivered and leaned on him in the freaking cold water as a gust of cold wind blew past her. The sky was clear. Not even a single cloud was in view. The stars were twinkling and the moon was shining on her best side, proudly as if teasing them about their little affair. Even the moon knew them better than they did.


    "Santiago?" Persephone called out his name as she suddenly stopped laughing.


    "Yes?" Santiago looked at her and replied. Her short red hair was dripping with water. Her bare face was shining under the moonlight.


    "Buy me Louboutins when we go back home!" She said in a serious voice. His proposal cost her more than a thousand dollars worth of shoes! How could she forgive him just like that! " You just spoiled my new pair of Louboutins!!" She said this when they were still in the water.


    "I will," Santiago murmured. He wasn''t wrong when he said that his wife has a memory of goldfish. She couldn''t concentrate on one single thing. He had proposed to her. Confessed his undying love for him and she was still worried about some shoes?


    "How about you just give me your card and I will buy what I want?" Persephone tried her luck again.


    "Sure, Red," Santiago murmured once again.


    "And what about you stop complaining each time I make your bank balance bleed?" Give an inch and take a mile. This was what Persephone was doing right now!


    "I will," Santiago said with a serious nod.


    "How about you stop giving my time to Eleanora?" Persephone said, raising her brows. " I want one hour with you more than you spend with Eleanora each day!"


    Was she petty enough to be jealous of her own daughter? Yeah! If she didn''t get enough time with her husband, how was Eleanora supposed to get her younger siblings?


    Her husband was dense. She had to make some future plans!


    "I will," Santiago said with a small smile this time. She didn''t always have a memory of fish. Sometimes, she was crafty enough to get her way with him.


    "And you will promise to love me each and every moment you are left with," Persephone demanded.


    "I promise," Santiago said, choking on a sob.


    "And now, kiss me!" She commanded.


    "As you wish ma''am," Santiago said, putting his mouth on her.


    Santiago grabbed her body by her waist and she wrapped her legs around his waist, her arms circling around his neck as his lips sucked on hers. Her heart was beating wildly and loudly in his ribcage. This was the moment when they both knew that they were nothing without each other. They belonged together.


    Persephone didn''t need to say the words. She was expressing her feelings in the heated and intense kiss. She didn''t know when Santiago pulled both of them from the water or when he had laid her on the cold bottom of the pool border but she didn''t know that his lips left her mouth to suck on her neck and collarbones. He was offering her mercy at all. She knew that he would leave marks there. Not that she minds¡­


    His jacket was swimming in the pool and his shirt met its demise soon. And so did her clothes!


    There was no need for clothes between both of them.


    It had been a while¡­


    It had been three months since he had felt her¡­


    And they couldn''t bother to wait anymore¡­


    ¡­


    Author Note: The ending would be ending soonI won''t mark the story as completed! But I will be dropping epilogues in the future. Like their future life!


    And are you happy with this happily ever after? *eye rolls*

 Chapter 246 - Possession And Obsession

    Persephone felt his weight over her body as his lips met hers again. She gasped for breath but he showed no mercy. He was a man unbridled today. There was nothing that could stop him from savouring her today. Not that she wanted him to stop like ever. But if he stopped, she would scratch his face!


    Her watery green eyes shone under the moonlight deliriously and a gust of cold wind brought her shiver, making her want to clutch to him for warmth.


    They had been in cold water for several minutes and yet their bodies were burning like a hot furnace. Never had she ever thought one day a kiss would make her so wildly hot and wet and a mess. At this moment, she couldn''t utter a word. Or one could say she didn''t want to utter a word.


    She didn''t want to forget this moment ever. If she could she would do anything to have this day and every moment it had tattooed in her head and heart.


    The kiss didn''t start tender and slower like the first one, it was full of possession and obsession. She was his obsession, he wanted to let her know and he was her possession. He belonged to her even if she didn''t.


    Their teeth clinked and their tongues battled for dominance. He was so lost in the kiss that he didn''t feel an ounce of pain when her nails dug into his skin, forming half moons. Maybe he felt the tiny hint of pain but he chose to remember the feel of their tongues battling against each other. Even at this time, he had his priorities sorted out.


    One would say it was the first time he was kissing her but it wasn''t. Yet, he was kissing as it was the first time in his life he got to taste the nectar he had been searching for all along. She was the nectar to his poison, the cure to his every problem.


    He kissed her like his life depended on her.


    He kissed her as if he was saying all those words he was unable to utter.


    This kiss was him telling her what she meant to him.


    Even if he wanted, he couldn''t kiss her tenderly because he couldn''t love her gently or tenderly. His love for her was like a wildfire that knew only to surge, never to extinguish. The flames of love had engulfed and there was no saving him for this feeling.


    It was either he would rule this fire of love or sacrifice his mortal body to make his love for her immortal.


    His arms slipped under her waist and the next moment she felt herself picked up in the air. He was carrying her towards the inside of the villa.


    She stifled a gasp as she felt her feet touching the ground back and the cold glass door of the patio softly hitting her back. She found herself trapped between the door and his body. Her heart was running in her rib cage, threatening to run away at any moment. Their chest moved up and down.


    She was so tiny compared to him. Her head barely reached his neck without heels on. And so she tiptoed to wrap her arms around his neck but he grabbed her by her hips and her legs instinctively wrapped around his waist.


    She felt her breath quickening and before she could react, his lips moved the trail of wet kisses on her jaw and neck. Leaving nibbles on the side of her neck in between. He was marking her as his as if he had decided that she was his.


    If he believed she would let him dominate her just like that, he had another thing coming ¡­


    If he really wanted her forever, he had to learn that they were equal not only in the marriage but in the bed too!


    "I have been missing your taste for so long, Red," Santiago said, sucking on her soft kisses. She moaned in reply as she forgot once again what she had decided. "Three months. Three months since I have you. I missed you so much, baby."


    Although she was in front of him every day, he still missed her. They shared the same bed and room yet he missed her. She was closer to him more than any other person yet she wasn''t his.


    He couldn''t tell in words how much he had missed her all this while.


    Oh Lord, how could he love someone to the extent of madness?


    "Who was at fault?" Persephone said, gasping. She opened her eyes to look at his intense blue orbs. They were darkened with lust. Excellent. Just how she preferred.


    She quivered as she realised he was the starved would and she was nothing but the lamb, disguised as a tigress. She was never a match for him. One shouldn''t take more than he could handle.


    But Persephone only realised it when he growled like a wolf near her ear and opened the patio door, bringing her to the bedroom. Her body touched the soft mattress and he got both of them rid of leftover unnecessary clothes.


    His mouth was about to touch her big breasts but she leaned back, quickly dodging the attack of a starved Alpha. When he looked at her while growling, she gave him an irritated look.


    "Don''t even think about it, "Persephone said.


    "This is not fair," Santiago muttered. He had seen Eleanora sucking those beautiful breasts and lord knew how many days he had lusted after he beheld new changes in her wife. She was curvier and more cuddly. Her big mounds teased and tested his self-control every time she believed that leaving them bare under her tops was a good idea.


    Yes, he was a gentleman most of the time. But he was her husband first and how was he supposed to not ogle her?


    "Just once,"He tried negotiating with her but he was met with a scowl. "Fine, lucky Eleanora Vitello!"

 Chapter 247 - Its Just The Beginning!

    Santiago moved faster and grabbed her ankle, pulling her closer to him. His callous hands caressed the inner side of her thigh and she suppressed a moan. Her legs were now placed on both of his shoulders. She closed her eyes waiting for him to take action but she was surprised when her petty husband retaliated by teasing her skin.


    This man¡­


    Ugh¡­


    Her face was flushed in embarrassment and when she opened her angry green eyes, she was responded with a grin from him.


    This wicked man!


    He had the audacity to grin at her at this moment!


    "Santiago! This is not fair!" Persephone shouted frustrated. She completely forgot how she tormented him.


    "What do you want, Persephone?" Santiago asked. He looked so kind and innocent at this moment that she had an urge to punch his stupid sexy face. How could someone be so sexy and infuriating at the same time?


    "Yes, baby, tell me how can someone be so sexy and infuriating at the same time?" Santiago asked with an innocent smile.


    Persephone''s eyes widened as she realized that she said those words out loud. She closed her mouth with her palm but he grabbed her palm and kissed it.


    "You didn''t say the words aloud," Santiago said. "It''s just that I can hear what goes in that troublesome mind of yours!"


    It wasn''t the first time anyways. She had an infuriating habit of calling him names in her head and he had an amazing talent for reading those unsaid words. Perhaps, this was love.


    "This is not fair! How can you read me like a textbook and I can''t even know what goes inside your wicked head?" Persephone retorted, raising her brow, demanding justice.


    "When has life ever been fair?" Santiago asked with a charming smile. "Tell me, Red, what do you want?"


    "I want you," Persephone moaned as he kissed the inside of her thighs, making her tremble profusely.


    "You can want me however you like," Santiago murmured against her skin. He kissed her legs. "How come even the hot sun of this country could tan your pale skin?"


    Even she didn''t know¡­


    Maybe, it was hard to leave the room with Eleanora.


    "Ah," Persephone moaned as his lips breathed against her core''s lips. His tongue licked once and twice she found herself clinging to him. He didn''t show any mercy as he sucked her folds and not soon after she reached the peak of pleasure, squirming under his touch. She came hard and fast and he raised his head to see her clutching the sheets, her eyes shut and her mouth wide open.


    This was the sight he was hoping to see.


    She was as affected by his touches ever.


    He flipped her body and her stomach touched the sheets. He was about to enter her when he heard her say, "Don''t forget the protection, Santiago!"


    Until and unless they made sure that their marriage was on the right track, they couldn''t afford to have another child between them. They needed to make a decision if they wanted to stay together and getting pregnant again wouldn''t help in this regard.


    "Dammit," Santiago cursed and fumbled through the drawers to find the box of condoms he had placed somewhere. He rolled one on his painful hardness and entered her core slowly.


    "I was never this careless," Santiago tried saying as he tried entering further.


    "Of course, you were not," Persephone groaned and rolled her eyes. "Your daughter was a Christmas gift."


    Santiago pursed his lips, unable to form a retort. As much as he loved his kid, it was true that she came to this world because of the carelessness of her parents. If both of them had been careful, many things could have been prevented. Then again, if not for Eleanora, her parents wouldn''t have been rolling in sheets again. Her parents had an impeachable habit of ending up in bed, naked in the most bizarre situations possible.


    "But she is truly a gift, " He said after a while. He wouldn''t want to hear from anyone that his child was a mistake. She wasn''t a mistake but a beautiful surprise.


    "Are you sure you want to talk about our child when you are deep inside her mom?" Persephone gasped.


    Santiago spanked her ass and thrust faster. "You are incorrigible, Persephone."


    Why would she want to spoil any sweet conversation?


    This uncouth mouth of hers was her ruination.


    But hell if he didn''t love it!


    Then again, he had seemed to come to love every single thing about her.


    "What did I do?" She asked, bewildered.


    What did she do?


    She couldn''t find anything wrong with her words.


    Santiago didn''t reply but moved faster and harder. She moaned once again as he lightly hit her ass again. Her hands clenched the sheets, unable to breathe and stop moaning and groaning. She was writhing in a sensation that she didn''t feel for a long time.


    He groaned as he felt her tightening his hardness.


    "Yo-you are so g-good.."


    Before she could react, she felt his hardness throbbing inside once again. When she felt herself at the edge, his thrust grew, making her go ecstatic for a while.


    "I can''t¡­"Persephone opened her mouth to say but when his hardness hit the spot, she screamed coming against him. Unable to resist any more, Santiago began to continue moving his hips.


    "Ah¡­!"


    He stopped for a moment as his throbbing hardness stilled wrecking havoc inside her. He pulled out until only his tip remained inside her extremely wet core and then began moving back in at an erratic pace.


    She didn''t know whether to stop him or make him continue. Never had she ever felt such a feeling!


    This was heaven.


    "Santiago!"


    "Santiago!"


    She felt as if her body was shattering into oblivion with each thrust. It wasn''t long when she came against him harder twice and many more times.


    Santiago too orgasmed soon and collapsed on the place next to her.


    But was it the end of the night?


    No!


    Never!


    It was just the beginning!

 Chapter 248 - Thank You

    It was a beautiful day out.


    The sun rays were peeking through the curtains teasing the sleeping couple, perhaps the moon had gossiped about their naughty time together.


    As usual, Santiago woke up first and his gaze settled on the beautiful woman snoring in his arms. Her cheeks were pressed against his chest and her arms were wrapped around his waist as if she was worried that he might run away.


    How was it even possible?


    Heavens and earth united them and he would be damned if he let her go this time without a fight. It was fine that she hadn''t given him an answer yet. She could take all the time and he was ready to wait for her.


    His lips stretched to form a smile as her chest moved up and down. He removed hair that was disturbing his view with his fingers and pecked her nose. He grabbed his phone from the nightstand, without waking her up and messaged Valencia asking if Eleanora was fine.


    Only after he was replied with several of his daughter''s pictures and videos where she was giggling did he relax.


    Persephone woke up two hours later and when she opened her eyes, she found Santiago staring at her. She murmured, "You creep. Stop staring at me."


    "Really, Percy, you have some kind of enmity with romance?" Santiago asked her as he kissed her swollen lips.


    "How could I have enmity with romance?" Persephone mumbled. "Do you forget I write romance?"


    "How can I forget?" Santiago scoffed. "You write romance but some creatures that don''t even exist."


    "Santiago Vitello, I told you fantasy romance is a thing!" Persephone said, loudly. Her voice was hoarse and when she realized why it was hoarse she glared at him. "You know what? I will write on a villain who tormented his poor wife underneath him all night!"


    "Did the poor wife not have a good time last night?" Santiago grinned at her and she rolled her eyes at him. "I can remember some poor wife screaming and begging for more."


    Persephone flustered as she averted her gaze. He gripped her chin gently and made her look at him. She was beautiful when she was all flustered and red. He brought his mouth closer to her and murmured, "Don''t avert your gaze from me, love. I can''t bear you not looking at me."


    "You are dangerous, Santiago," Persephone whispered as she met her gaze. She let the sheets fall from her body and moved up to embrace him...


    Santiago embraced her in his arms. Her bareback touched his taut stomach and he circled arms around her stomach and placed a kiss on the nape of her neck.


    "Not more than you, baby," Santiago whispered back.


    "How am I dangerous?" Persephone questioned her gaze on the view outside the window. The curtains were drawn and the scene of the ocean outside was very beautiful. It was the kind of scene that only existed in fantasy books. But here her husband was the owner of one such fantastical view.


    "How are you not dangerous?" Santiago questioned back. "You can kill me with your words. No bullet was made to pierce through my skin but your words cut me deeper than any blade and bullet. You own my heart. You can rip my heart out of my chest and squeeze it out in your hands. No one has any power over me but you. Tell me, how are you not dangerous?"


    "I never knew that you were so good with your words, Santiago," Persephone said, smiling. She loved it when he spoke about his feelings. She didn''t want a relationship where no one was assured enough to say their real feelings out.


    A real relationship needed communication as much as it needed love. Without communication, no love or relationship was successful.


    "I wasn''t good with words," Santiago said. "But I have learned one thing now. If I want you, I have to be vocal about it. If I ever need anything, I will claim it without waiting for it to become mine. You give me the confidence to be vocal about my feelings. It seems I have come a long way."


    It wasn''t wrong when he said that he had come a long way. When he came to this island more than one year ago with Persephone, he wasn''t good with words. He had said and done many things that he didn''t want to do.


    Now that he thought back to one year ago, he truly felt as if he had come a long way.


    His whole world has changed in a single year.


    But it had changed for the better.


    "We have come a long way, Santiago," Persephone said. "There are many things I don''t remember and there are many other things I remember too well. I know you are waiting for an answer but I have no answer to give you right now. Can you wait for my answer?"


    It wasn''t that she couldn''t answer him now. She could but if she did, she wouldn''t be able to clear her head. For once she needed to be sincere to herself and him.


    She wanted to ponder and think about what she wanted in her life.


    It was true that she loved him. But was love enough for both of them?


    "I will wait for your answer, Persephone," Santiago murmured with a smile as he put his chin on her neck and followed his eyes to see the same scene she was watching.


    "Thank you, Santiago, "Persephone smiled.


    "It should be me saying Santiago. Thank you for giving me a chance. Thank you for not declining immediately. Thank you for each and everything."


    He really was very thankful to her.


    "Did I mention you are dangerous?" Persephone said, turning to look at him with a smile.


    "I think you did," Santaigo smiled back and kissed her cheek.


    "You are very very dangerous¡­" Persephone whispered as she clutched her heart.

 Chapter 249 - Heaven

    "What are you doing?" Persephone asked as soon as she entered the living room. She saw Villain standing near the stove, half-naked. His broad and taut chest was on display.


    "I''m cooking us breakfast," Santiago said with a broad smile. He moved and cut some veggies very skillfully. He looked up when he found that she was suddenly very silent. He found her silently staring at him, her eyes fixated on his naked chest and her face planted on her two hands. She was staring at him as if he was under her study.


    "What are you doing, Red?" Santiago asked quite curiously. Even he wanted to know why she was staring at him in such a lewd manner.


    "Oh, I''m thinking," Persephone replied, her eyes didn''t move from her body at all. Her answer gave a bad premonition but he still went ahead to toss the veggies in the pan.


    "Thinking about what? Life?" Villain asked her and she heaved out a sigh.


    "Oh no, I''m just thinking about what will happen if the hot oil ended up splashing on your hot and sexy naked chest," Persephone replied.


    As bad as he could have, a piece of peas busted in oil and the sprinkles on hot oil fell on his chest.


    "Oh, God!" Persephone shouted as she saw the scene happening before his eyes. "I swear I didn''t jinx you!" She ran to grab ice cubes from the refrigerator and rubbed them gently on his chest.


    From the beginning till the end, he didn''t say a word. It was only when the ice cube touched his nipple, not his burned spot, he winced and grabbed her wrist. He turned off the stove and picked her body up in the air.


    "W-what are you doing?" Persephone asked, stuttering.


    He wickedly smiled at her and leaned in to grab the piece of ice between his teeth. Persephone gasped when her butt hit the empty breakfast table. No, she didn''t know where the cutlery disappeared to, but she didn''t recall him spreading her on the table and something cold and hot touched her core, making her grip his hair to balance herself.


    Since the past was repeating, why not repeat it perfectly?


    ¡­


    Evening, same day.


    "Santiago?" Persephone called out his name as she munched on bread. She was so hungry and tired that she could eat a horse and sleep off at the same time. This man fed on her while was she lost in him, empty stomach.


    "Mmm?" He replied as he looked at her. He was lying beside her, his head placed on his arm.


    Why was God so cruel and unfair?


    Why was he looking as energetic as ever while she appeared as if her village had been plundered?


    "We are the most careless parents," Persephone said. "I haven''t even talked to my baby since this morning."


    Santiago passed her his phone and showed him how Valencia had sent Eleanora''s pictures and videos every hour. She looked happy in all the pictures. In the videos, she was seen giggling with Junior and Nash while Valencia was recording the videos.


    "Why does it appear as if she didn''t miss us at all?" Persephone grumbled. No, she wasn''t jealous. It was just that these people spent so much time with Eleanora that sometimes she forgot about her parents. It could be said that Eleanora met everyone on a daily basis.


    "Of course, she didn''t miss us. I told her to not trouble her Aunt since her parents were busy with some important stuff," Santiago said with a smile. "She is a good daughter."


    "Of course, she is," Persephone scoffed. "Are we going home now?"


    "Do you wanna go back?" Santiago asked her.


    Persephone nodded her head. "It''s a very beautiful place and I like it a lot. But it''s not home. I miss my daughter and my comfortable home. However, can we come here often? I liked spending time here."


    Santiago smiled at her choice of words. "We can come here whenever you wish. This place is ours. This villa could be our little safe haven."


    "Nah, our home is our safe haven," Persephone said, not agreeing with his words. "But it could be over heaven. What do you say? Heaven is not real. We don''t even know if something like heaven even exists in the afterlife? There is no life without suffering."


    She looked at him and found him staring at her, a tender smile on his face and a warm look in her eyes. She added, "Whenever we feel like we can''t endure pain and hardship. We can come here. To our personal heaven and forget about the hard real life for a while. Why wait for the afterlife to enter heaven? Moreover, I heard the requirements of entering heaven are quite high."


    Santiago chuckled and nodded his head, pulling her into his arms. "You are right, " He whispered in her ear. "Our home is our safe haven and you are my home. Why do we need to make this island our safe haven when I have you?"


    Persephone blushed and turned her face to stop looking at him. He was dangerous for her heart and mind. He grabbed her wrist and she immediately ran out of the room and hid in the washroom. She was breathing fast and her heart was doing a happy dance in her chest.


    Then, she leaned against the washroom door and placed her hand on her heart that was jumping under her touch. Yes, she was crazily in love with this crazy man!


    She knew that she was thin-skinned not even his dirty talk could fluster her up but why is it that every time she would hear him confess his love for her she would be left all speechless and flustered up?


    Outside, Santiago was grinning ear to ear. She likes him. He could see it in her eyes.. He would do everything that it takes to make her confess his feelings for him.

 Chapter 250 - Expecting?

    When Santiago and Persephone reached Valencia and Nash''s house, they were stunned to see Valencia sitting on the steps of the gate, her hands holding her head. Her face appeared ashen as if she was lifeless.


    "What happened, Val?" Santiago asked his sister as he took the seat next to her, rubbing her back. She leaned into his embrace as she gazed up to look at her brother.


    "Did Nash and you fight?" Persephone asked next. She hadn''t seen her best friend so lifeless before.


    Valencia shook her head. "I''m nauseous. Been throwing up for a while."


    Persephone''s mouth formed in an ''O'' as she sat next to Valencia on the other side and grabbed her hand in excitement. "Wow. Congratulations. I''m so happy for you guys."


    Valencia and Santiago both scowled at her. She has been throwing up to the extent of passing out and here Persephone was congratulating her. What was wrong with this woman?!


    "Come on, guys!" Persephone said, rolling her eyes. "Don''t make that face. She is throwing up. And she is nauseous too. Don''t you understand what it means?"


    Santiago, who now had an understanding of the matter, looked at his sister who was done with both of them. Then, he shook his head and glanced at his a bit dumb but overly excited wife, heaving out a sigh.


    "Persephone, do you by any chance remember that my sister is a gynaecologist?" Santiago asked his wife who used her lips.


    "If it makes anything easier to know that I''m currently on my periods," Valencia too replied. Why was her best friend so concerned about others'' lives? She wished that Persephone started thinking about her own love story too. Then, her gaze fell on the light hickeys her sneaky sister-in-law was trying to hide. Someone had a good time together. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes.


    "Seems like Nash is not working hard," Persephone grumbled and Villain lightly pinched her. "Oww. Stop pinching my butt, Santiago!"


    "I don''t know about my fiance but my brother is surely working hard for baby number two," Valencia commented, gathering the energy to retort.


    Persephone waved her hands, dismissing her claim. "Give my honey pot some rest!"


    "What?! What honey pot?" Valencia asked her, bewildered as she looked around to see what pot she was talking about.


    Persephone patted her shoulder and pointed at the exact location, making the other two speechless and embarrassed.


    "You know what, Santiago? Take your wife inside. I can''t talk to her without losing my mind," Valencia said. She didn''t have enough energy to bear with Persephone''s humour.


    Santiago sighed and stood up to pull his wife with him. "Aren''t you coming inside?"


    Valencia''s face fell. "Can you tell Nash that I have to leave for an urgent case in the clinic?"


    "What''s with you two? Trouble in paradise?" Persephone asked, seriously.


    Valencia shook her head. "Nash is a good man. He is very good to me and Santiago. There is no moment in the last few months when we even had to argue. He always gives in to me. And since he always does things keeping me in mind, I also try to meet him halfway. A relationship needs mutual efforts and I understand it. So, no, Persephone and Santiago, there is no trouble in our paradise."


    "Then, what''s the problem?" Santiago asked her. "Is it work-related? Are you ill? Or you are missing Cameron? If you want to go back, you just need to tell Nash. I don''t think he will mind shifting with you back to America."


    "Of course, I miss Cameron and truly want to see him," Valencia said. "But my problem...I don''t even know what it is. Nash started cooking and I started feeling nauseous. You know what? I can''t explain. Tell Nash that Emma called and I will be back before dinner."


    Then, she realized her car keys were inside and there was no way she was going inside again. So, she looked at Santiago with the best puppy eyes she could form and caught his sleeve. "Big bro, how about you let me take a ride of your classic babe?"


    "Valencia, don''t think about it! I''m not into you," Persephone yelled at her, hiding behind her husband.


    "Persephone, I know a good physiatrist. I don''t mind spending some appointment fee for you," Valencia said, through gritted teeth.


    Santiago held Persephone by her shoulders and made her look at the car parked outside the gate. "This is the babe she was talking about. Stop running your brain unnecessarily. I''m afraid your leftover brain cells will decline if you insist on using it so much."


    Persephone pouted, crossing her arms over her chest. "I thought I was your babe."


    "As much as I would love to hear what transpired between the two of them in detail, I have to leave. And for leaving, I need car keys," Valencia reminded the couple that she was still there. "Bro, please. If you don''t save me today, you will cry over my loss all your life."


    Santiago flicked her forehead. "Don''t say nonsense." And passed her the keys. No rash driving. No scratches and come back in one piece."


    Valencia let out a gratified smile and disappeared with the car.


    Santiago grabbed Persephone''s hand and said, "Let''s see what''s going inside. Suddenly, I had a bad premonition."


    "What can scare you, my Villain?" Persephone asked innocently, raising her brow.


    Santiago smiled widely and pecked her cheek. "Sometimes, you are ridiculously cute."


    "Is it a bad thing or a good one?" Persephone inquired.


    "A little too good," Santiago replied. "Open the door and let''s meet my other babe."


    "Aiyoo, you have too many babes," Persephone replied, trying to sound less jealous. "I wonder what our Eleanora would be doing?" She palmed her head for thinking nonsense. "What does our Eleanora know apart from sleeping?"


    Santiago sighed as he couldn''t refute. Their baby was lazy and didn''t like people picking her too much.. She was like a cat who would be happy dozing off the entire day.

 Chapter 251 - What Family Feels Like!

    Persephone ran to open the door when she heard the doorbell ring. As she opened the door, she found Emmaline and Killian standing at the door. She hugged both of them and welcomed them inside.


    "Wow, you have decorated the place so beautifully," Emma said with a smile as they entered the house.


    "Where is my goddaughter?" Killian asked.


    "Oh, she is inside with Lara," Persephone replied as she served them drinks. "How are you guys doing? And have you heard from Ellison?"


    Killian pursed his lips. This was a topic he didn''t like to discuss. Ever since Ellison and Salvatore moved to Italy with Emy and Carina, he had been upset with his sister. It wasn''t like he was upset with his sister, it was just that he didn''t like how his sister moved with her husband to Italy just like that. She didn''t even care about his betrayal.


    Emma didn''t say anything and grabbed the glass of drink and let Killian reply to her.


    "We are doing great. And Alicia is fine too with her husband," Killian said, his tone though was that of bitterness.


    Persephone heard the doorbell ringing again. On opening the door, she found Nash, Valencia and Junior standing outside. She hugged her best friend and ruffled Junior''s hair.


    "What about me?" Nash grumbled, trying to hug her.


    "Touch her and see how I punch you," Santiago''s voice was heard in the living room. He walked to his wife and snaked an arm around her waist, her feet in the air as he squished her in his arms. "Missed you so much, baby."


    Persephone smiled like a baby and buried her head in his embrace. Look how loving her husband was.


    Nash and Valencia groaned as they saw another dose of love Dovey. They couldn''t bear to see this version of Santiago. For the last month, both Villain and his wife had been extremely clingy.


    "Can you not pollute my son''s eyes?" Valencia said, pulling her son to her side.


    Santiago rolled his eyes and gently kissed his wife''s temple. "Let''s go, baby. They are just jealous seeing how peaceful we are."


    Nash had an urge to vomit. He pulled his fiance to his arms and kissed her cheek. "I got my darling!"


    "Ah, this is not the scene I had been expecting to see," Both Santiago and Persephone looked up to see Callum standing at the doorstep with a high gift box in his hands.


    "And you were told not to buy any gifts," Persephone quickly said.


    "Oh come on, it''s my favourite Goddaughter''s day. She is getting six months old today and would be tasting food for the first time ever. How could I not buy her a gift? This is insane. I must get her the best gifts on all her special days," Callum said as a matter of fact.


    "She is your only Goddaughter," Nash couldn''t help but say.


    "That''s because you guys are not working hard," Callum retorted. "I don''t mind more nieces and granddaughter. I will shower them with gifts on every occasion. Give me some more nieces and goddaughters. For now, let me shower the one I got with presents."


    "You are spoiling her," Santiago said with a sigh.


    "What are uncles for?" Callum said, challenging him to argue


    Persephone and Santiago sighed and accepted the gift. "Everyone is here. We should go inside." They walked to the living room where everyone else had been sitting and enjoying drinks.


    Cameron, who had come for a vacation here, came with baby Eleanora. The baby was dressed in a very gorgeous pure white frock. On her head was a pretty flower headband. Her tiny feet were covered in very cute white handmade booties. She was so gorgeous that everyone who saw her had an urge to steal her. Her head was full of curly red hair. Her blue eyes were bright and delighted at the sight of her favourite people.


    "Oh, God, her smile is lethal," Nash commented dramatically, clutching his heart.


    When Eleanora saw her favourite aunt in the world, she raised her arms, cooing and squealing. She was telling her aunt in baby language to pick her up.


    "My Ellie, you are not supposed to change sides," Cameron said, feigning hurt. Eleanora''s lips wobbled when she saw his hurt face.


    "Ah, give me my favourite niece," Valencia cooed and hugged her.


    "You guys stop carrying her so much," Persephone said. "You are making it hard for me in the future. You come for a few hours and then my daughter keeps me awake at night, demanding that I keep her in my arms."


    "How can you resist not giving in to her demands?" Killian asked, taking her from Valencia. "If I were to spend a day with her, I don''t think I would be willing to even part a second away from her. And whenever you post those videos of her, Emma grumbles about how you get to experience all those cute moments."


    "Eleanora is the biggest blessing of my life," Santiago said as he pulled Persephone to his side. He kissed her hair and added," If not for my wife, I would have never known the joy of a child and a family. So, thank you, love."


    Persephone smiled with teary eyes. "You don''t have to thank me."


    "Now. Now. Stop getting sentimental," Callum said, lighting the atmosphere of the room. "Now, let''s start what we are here for."


    They all fed Eleanora and captured lots of moments to save the memories of this day. Although the baby couldn''t eat more than one spoonful of puree, still they fed a tiny bit, turn by turn and the little girl was so happy with her family. She was always smiling and giggling, making everyone happy too.


    While everyone was dancing and singing for Eleanora, Santiago and Persephone were standing in the distance, his arms wrapped over her shoulder, saving this sweet memory in their hearts and minds.


    "If this is what family feels like, I never want to lose them," He whispered, tightening her hold over her shoulder.

 Chapter 252 - Not Allowed To Stop

    Santiago was in the kitchen, cutting the vegetables to prepare for dinner. It was the weekend and the staff was not around. Thus, he was left with the option to cook dinner as his wife couldn''t cook. He felt someone snaking arms around his waist resting the head against his back.


    "What are you up to?" Santiago said, amused. He moved to wash the ingredients and she moved with him, refusing to let go.


    "I just felt like hugging you," Persephone murmured, her eyes closed. She was putting her daughter to sleep but right now she felt sleepy.


    "Then, you can hug me all you want after I finish making food," Santiago said in a soft voice.


    "I don''t wanna let go," Persephone grumbled. "Can I hug you please?"


    Santiago tossed everything in the pan and cut the lid, lowering the flame. Turning back, he removed her arms from his body and picked her up in his arms. He placed her on the kitchen island and embraced her in his arms. He dropped a kiss on her forehead and another on her nose.


    "What happened baby?" He asked her.


    Persephone wobbled her lips and shook her head. "I just missed you."


    Villain sighed and showered her face with kisses, still hugging her. "Do you miss me a little less now?"


    Persephone stiffly smiled. "Don''t you think that I''m such a mess? I can''t even keep my emotions in check. Sometimes, I don''t even know why I am crying or laughing. And right now, I am missing you despite the fact that we spend the day tangled in sheets. What should I do now, Santiago? I miss you a lot today."


    Santiago sighed and tucked the strand of her loose hair behind her ear gently. "Do you think I mind? You are the woman I love the most. There is nothing wrong with being a mess sometimes. Even if you are a mess, you are my mess. I do care if you miss me all the time. It''s because I care enough to give you what you want. My love and tenderness. You don''t have to do anything baby. Let me make you feel good."


    Persephone smiled despite having tears in her eyes. She sat in the same place while he cooked the food and fed her with his own hand. It was such a blissful feeling having him feed her. She could see his overflowing love for her apparent in his eyes.


    Of course, she loved him too. But she didn''t have the answer for him. She wanted to wait for some more time. Because she didn''t know what her memories would change for her. Thus, she was waiting for her memories to return. It was obvious even to her that even if she got her memories, she would be able to change her feelings for him.


    Right now, they were cuddling on the couch, watching her favourite show. It was a peaceful and tender moment for both of them. While she was watching the TV, he was staring at her face, trailing the freckles on her button nose.


    "Santiago, Angela is marrying Marco now? She divorced her toxic ex-husband," Persephone said. "Finally, the second male lead got a happy ending. I''m so happy for both of them. Ah, I didn''t watch the show for a year in vain. I''m so satisfied with the ending."


    "Oh really?" Santiago murmured, playing with her hair. He didn''t realise how it had been a year since they were together. Every day of the year they spent in this country was full of bliss.


    Persephone nodded, biting her nails.


    "So, what about now?" Santiago asked. "Your show ends today. What will you do now?"


    Persephone pouted. "So, what if one show ended? There are lots of other shows to try. And many more will come in future."


    "You are right, many more will come," Santiago said with a nod. They spent one year together and many more years will come too. He just needed to win her. He had to show her how no one else could love her more than him.


    "Santiago, how about you pull some strings and help me meet Marco?" Persephone showed him the best puppy eyes she could make. "I want to see if he looks as handsome in real life as he looks in reel life."


    "Baby, who is more handsome? Your husband or that actor?" Santiago asked, not at all being jealous.


    Seeing Persephone hesitant, he felt something sour on his lips. He didn''t remember eating anything sour for dinner.


    "Of course, you," Persephone said, making the barrel of vinegar happy. She caressed his face and added, "How can there be any man more handsome than you? Nope. It''s not even possible."


    Santiago smirked and kissed her lips. Seeing her wanting to talk, he took the opportunity and pushed his tongue in her mouth. Their mouths moved faster and slower. Tender and harsher. She moaned as his hand cupped her breast.


    "Do you still miss me?" Santiago whispered against her lips. He kissed her neck, making her flushed. She was so beautiful when she was all red.


    "Is it a problem?" Persephone asked back. Her green eyes meet his beautiful blue ones.


    "How could it be?" Santiago murmured, kissing the corner of her mouth. "How can missing me be a problem? Do you know how many times I have wished you thinking about me? I want your mornings to start with me and nights to end with me hand over your waist and your head on my chest. I will be a happy man if you even think about me. Doesn''t matter if it''s just one second in the whole day."


    "Persephone, do you think I am a sick man?" Santiago then asked. "I always think about you. I can''t stop obsessing over you."


    "You are not allowed to stop!" Persephone quickly said. She closed her eyes in embarrassment when she realised what she just had did.. She put palm on her mouth.

 Chapter 253 - Family Doesnt Need To Be Blood Related

    "Come home soon. We will miss you," Persephone said, side hugging Santiago.


    Santiago dropped a kiss on her head and another on Eleanora''s cheek who was demanding that he pick her in his arms. "Will miss my girls more."


    For some work related purpose, Santiago had to leave for Asia. Although he didn''t feel like leaving his girls home all alone, he still had to attend the business conference. Life was getting too busier for him and he didn''t even have the time to breathe.


    Persephone and Eleanora waved him goodbye, standing at the door. He had a flight to catch an hour later. So, he left early.


    "Baby, we are all alone in this big house!" Persephone said, staring at the kid in her arms.


    Eleanora, who was too young to understand anything, laughed when she saw her mommy talking to her. She too was replying in her babyish language making her mom smile.


    They were still in the living room when she felt her mobile ringing. On seeing the caller, she immediately picked up the call. It was Emma calling her to ask her to accompany her shopping.


    "Santiago is not home, "Persephone informed her. "Lara is out of town. And I can''t leave Eleanora at home."


    "Then, bring her over with you, "Emma said. "We will manage a day out with her. It''s not a big deal."


    "She won''t let you shop, "Persephone warned her.


    "It''s okay. Just bring her over," Emma said quickly. "Or Killian is home. He can babysit her."


    After disconnecting the call, Persephone prepared Eleanora''s bag and got both of them ready for their outing. Although she didn''t want to go, it was still better than doing nothing at home and feeling sad for no reason at all. She got her driving licence a month ago and now she is trained enough to drive on the roads here.


    Emma hugged her as soon as she saw Persephone entering through the door. She was already dressed and was just waiting for Persephone to come. She dropped a kiss on Eleanora''s cheek. "Hey, baby girl. Enjoy the day with Uncle Killian. We will bring yummy presents for you."


    "You guys really trust me enough to leave a seven month old kid with me?" Killian asked them, his brows furrowed.


    "This is not just any kid. It''s your niece and goddaughter," Emma glared at him. "And no you are not coming with us. Give me some time with girls."


    Killian sighed and took a giggling baby from Persephone. They waved goodbye to the ladies and started their cool day.


    "She won''t cry with Killian?" Emma asked while driving to the mall.


    Persephone rolled her eyes. "How is it even possible? She sees you guys almost every day. I''m sure she will cry if she doesn''t see you for a day."


    "Babies are so wonderful. You won''t know when they create a place for themselves in your heart," Emma said with a smile. "When Eleanora came, she didn''t change just your life but ours too. You know how our lives were in New York? It was lavish but cold. There was nothing we lacked yet there was nothing we owned. But ever since we came here I felt like I found a place for myself in this world. Seeing you and Santiago interacting with your baby makes me want to have one of my own."


    "Does it mean¡­"Persephone had yet to complete her sentence when Emma said.


    "I am not," Emma said with a sad smile. "My doctor said I have fewer chances of conceiving. Lord knows what she meant. But I''m not trying to be sad. It still hurts. Though it''s not my fault that I can''t get pregnant easily, I can''t help but feel bad."


    "I''m sorry, Em, "Persephone said, squeezing her shoulder. "What does Killian say?"


    "He said nothing is more important to him than me, "Emma said with a smile. "Last few weeks have been tough for both of us. And he doesn''t like when I get out of his view. I don''t think he needs to be so scared. That''s why I asked you out for shopping. I don''t want to be depressed. I have seen women getting pregnant after years of trying. I''m sure I will get pregnant too. And if I don''t¡­ I will talk to Killian about adoption. "


    Persephone looked at Emma. Such a strong woman. She had seen women blaming themselves for not being able to conceive. It was so great that Emma was taking the news positively.


    "That''s such a good idea," Persephone smiled at her. "I''m proud of you, Emma. Did you talk to Killian about this?"


    Emma shook her head. "Not yet. I got this idea this morning. I didn''t know how to talk about him. I wanted a second opinion and so I called you. Percy, you know the world we come from? How much do they give importance to blood-related children? I just wanted to talk to the same person who had experienced it first hand."


    "Aren''t our husbands proof that family doesn''t need to be blood related?" Persephone said.


    "You know what?" Emma said, a smile forming on her face. "You are right! I''m just thinking too much. I won''t let the ghosts of New York come chase us here. "


    "That''s the spirit," Persephone grinned. She looked at her phone screen waiting for Santiago to reply to her message. She had asked him to inform her before boarding the plane but it had been more than one hour and he had yet to reply to her. Or maybe, it slipped his mind.


    "So, what are we shopping for?" Persephone asked her.


    "Summer is a month away. Of course, we are shopping for our new summer wardrobe," Emma said as a matter of fact.


    Just hearing Emma, Persephone felt a rush inside her. Shopping makes her giddy.. There was no doubt that she loved shopping and since her friend was with her, she would make sure to enjoy her day.

 Chapter 254 - No Life Without Him

    After three hours of shopping for clothes, Persephone and Emma were trying heels in a high-end store.


    "I really liked those heels," Persephone said, sniffling.


    "Too bad they don''t have your size," Emma teased her. "You have tiny feet. I wonder how you even find your size."


    Persephone glared at her. "A petite woman like me can''t have big feet like you! Also, it''s the brand''s fault that they don''t make shoes my size."


    Emma rubbed her back. "Don''t be sad. We will look for others. If it helps you to calm down, I will put a bad review on the site."


    "You have like a million followers on Twitter, if you put a bad review, I am sure it will blow up all over the internet," Persephone grumbled. "I don''t want to be the cause of internet memes."


    Emmaline pursed her lips. With her net worth, she could be counted in the top ten richest women in the Maisean empire. When she applied for the citizenship of this country, the matter had blown up on the internet. Several posts emerged on social media mentioning how she became one of the top ten richest women in this country.


    Of course, the first spot was taken by Lady Calliope Wilding, duchess of Orin. The duchess owned her late husband''s share in *ClickNext*, one of the largest search engines. People here didn''t use google, they *ClickNext* here. It''s common knowledge to everyone in this country that those shares are worth billions.


    If Emmaline literally commented on the issue of the shoe size of a certain brand, it would surely blow up on the internet. It was better that she didn''t comment about it.


    Persephone found another pair of beautiful shoes and thankfully they were her size. As she was trying on the shoes, her gaze fell on the shop workers who were gathering before the huge TV screen. It was only when she raised her gaze to look at the screen, she stilled. She felt her ears vibrating. Her hands were shaking while her heart stopped beating in her ribcage. This feeling of emptiness and the aching void in her heart was slowly sucking her life.


    "Percy!" Emma shook her but Persephone was sitting there still, tears leaking from the corner of her eyes.


    "Percy! What happened? You are scaring me!" Emma said, making Persephone look at her. But the latter''s gaze was stuck on the TV. When she looked at the TV, she read the headline.


    ''The passenger plane with two hundred people on board crashed at the border of the country, killing fifty people. Another hundred gravely injured.''


    "This is Santiago''s flight," Persephone whispered and Emma''s eyes widened. She couldn''t control herself and started crying there. Why did she let him go? She should have thrown a tantrum and demanded that he stay with her. She wasn''t feeling good from the morning. Her heart was all over the place.


    "What happened to her?" A woman asked when she saw Persephone crying and Emma hugging and consoling her.


    "Her husband was also in the plane crash," Someone replied.


    "Oh, poor thing. She is too young to be a widow," the same woman said in pity.


    "I saw her shopping for a child too. It seems she has a child too. What a tragedy had befallen on her! A widow at such a young age! And God made her poor children orphan!"


    Persephone felt as if the pitiful words of passersby were piercing her heart with the shreds of glass. How could they say Santiago was gone?! He had promised her that he would text her! Why hadn''t he done it?! No, he wasn''t gone. She refused to believe that he was gone.


    How could her husband leave her just like that?


    She didn''t even tell her how much she loved him?


    She had so much to tell him. She had to tell him how she couldn''t survive without him! They were married. He must come back! How would she leave with him? She had created many dreams in her head of how their life would be. She wanted a forever with him. No, one year was enough.


    "Percy, let''s go back home," Emma said in a soft voice.


    Persephone, who was trembling, managed to nod her head. With wobbly legs, she reached the parking area. When she sat inside the car, she broke down once again.


    "Emma, he can''t leave me. He must come back to me. I have so much to tell him. How can he do this to me?" Persephone said, sobbing?


    "I didn''t even tell him how much I love him," She sobbed, hugging the other woman. "How am I going to live without him? I have so many dreams. I had dreams about how our life would be. How could he leave me after making me fall for him?"


    "Hush, calm down, Percy," Emma said, not being able to stop her own tears too. "Let''s go home first."


    "I don''t want to go home," Persephone cried. "I don''t want to go to a place where he is not present. Please take me to him. I want to see him."


    "Percy, it''s not possible. You saw in the news how the police had sealed the roads leading to the airport. Let''s go home. I have texted Killian. I am sure he will find a way to contact the authorities. Have faith in God," Emma said, rubbing her back.


    "What if I will never be able to see Santiago again?" Persephone whispered. "I don''t want a life without him."


    "Percy, don''t talk nonsense. You have a child. You have to think about her too," Emma said. She could see how badly Persephone was shaken. Anyone at her place would be. She couldn''t imagine what her reaction would be if something were to happen to Killian.


    "Right, I have Eleanora," Persephone whispered, placing her head against the car window. "There is no life for me without Santiago.. I might breathe for my daughter but I would never be able to live without my husband. "

 Chapter 255 - I Love Him!

    Persephone was sitting on the couch in the living room. Her eyes were blank and no drop of tear was left inside her to trickle. Everyone was seated in the same living room, extremely quiet today. She showed some emotions when she heard Eleanora cry. She remembered how she hadn''t fed her daughter for a long time. She stood up to take her daughter from the only calm person who had enough strength to shush the crying baby-- Callum.


    "Thank you," Persephone whispered and took Eleanora from his hands. " I will feed her."


    She walked to the nursery to feed her baby. As she entered the nursery, she was reminded how she and Santiago had chosen every single thing for their baby. With so much love and care.


    She stifled a sob when she felt as if her baby too was about to cry. Eleanora''s mood was easily influenced by her. If she found someone laughing, she would laugh too and similarly if she saw someone crying, she would cry too.


    Outside, everyone who had been deadly quiet started raising questions.


    "Callum, did you find something?" Killian asked. Turning to Valencia, he asked, "And where is Nash?"


    "I couldn''t call him. His phone is out of reach," Valencia softly replied. Her eyes too were swollen like Percy.


    "Don''t you find it weird that even we were not allowed to enter the airport?" Callum said. "Santiago''s phone has been off even before he boarded the plane. What the hell is even happening?"


    Before they could hear anything, they heard Persephone''s shriek from the other room and immediately ran to see what happened. When they opened the door of the nursery, they saw Persephone jumping like a little kid. She was laughing and crying at the same time.


    "What happened?" Emma asked. "Are you alright?"


    Persephone nodded her head and then shook it. "He didn''t forget."


    "What?" Everyone''s brows were furrowed in confusion. They didn''t know what might have happened to drastically change Persephone''s mood.


    "I asked Santiago when he was leaving to text me before he boarded the plane," Persephone replied to them with a small smile. "He replied now. He said he couldn''t board the plane as his flight was cancelled."


    "Is he alright?" Valencia asked Persephone, tears streaming down her face.


    "I don''t know," Persephone answered. "If someone texted me from his number, it would be him, right? I don''t want to believe otherwise."


    They didn''t say a word. Callum immediately left the rook to make a call while Killian and Emma were left to console the two crying ladies. Even he was not ready to believe that someone like Santiago could die just like that in a plane crash. It didn''t make sense to them but they chose to keep the information to themselves.


    "He is fine. And both Santiago and Nasha are together," Callum informed them. He had an urge to beat Santiago and Nash for this heart attack. What if they had weak hearts?


    He turned to Emma and softly said, "Can you make Santiago''s wife eat anything? I don''t want him to throw a tantrum when he sees his dehydrated and starved wife."


    Emma softly smiled and nodded. She hugged Persephone and went to the kitchen to get her something to eat.


    "How about Nash and I babysit my niece today?" Valencia offered.


    "Why?" Persephone said in a hoarse voice.


    "Because I believed that you and your husband need to have the big talk today," Valencia told her best friend. "I know we have no right to talk between the two of you. But I have seen you today. You looked as if you had lost your whole goddamn world! If it''s not love, then I don''t know what the hell it is."


    "Val, you don''t curse," Persephone said with a soft smile.


    Valencia scowled. "Even you know that I don''t curse, you both frustrate me so much that I feel as if you two need a beating! I get it you guys were taking it slow. But for two years? I don''t know who is the dumb one. I or both of you."


    Killian cleared his throat to remind the two ladies that apart from the two of them, someone else was in the room too. He wasn''t one of those people who would interfere in someone else''s life.


    But even he felt that both Persephone and Santiago were infuriating with their taking things slow. Either they wanted to be with each other or they didn''t! It was as simple as that. It only took him two months to figure out that he wanted forever with his flash wife.


    "I love Santiago," Persephone whispered, looking at all of them. "It didn''t take me forever to figure this out. I knew it even before Eleanora came into our life. But I am afraid. You have seen that Santiago and I didn''t have a very sweet start. Hell, it can''t even be a normal one. We are not a fictional couple. Captor-Captive Romance didn''t exist in real life. Our story started in a way I never expected it to be. I took my time figuring out slowly what I wanted."


    "Didn''t you say you love him?" Callum asked. "Is it not enough?"


    "Of course, I love him," Persephone said. "But loving him and spending the great if my life is not the same. I abandoned my life in New York for what? Freedom and peace. I don''t want riches just these two things in my life. I wanted to make sure that if I chose Santiago I won''t be the same caged canary again."


    Valencia sighed as if she could understand Persephone''s logic even if she didn''t want to. "So, what do you want now? Percy, don''t give him any hope if you are eventually going to leave. What if you took several more years to figure this out? What would he do if you left him even in the end?"


    "I will never leave him! I can''t leave my husband! I love him, Val. I love him more than anything else in this world. There is nowhere I would rather be than with him. I want a forever with him. I love him so much!"


    Persephone said, panting and as she gazed up, she found a frozen Santiago in the doorway.


    Valencia played her well!

 Chapter 256 - The End (part One)

    Persephone and Santiago were staring at each other in silence. Everyone left without a single word after Santiago appeared. Even they knew how important it was for both of them to have this talk.


    In simple words, they needed to get their shit together.


    True to her words, Valencia took Eleanora with her and Santiago thanked her for such a sweet gesture, making Persephone roll her eyes. Don''t get him wrong, he loved his daughter. But he seriously needed his daughter''s mom to finally speak today.


    "I thought you died," Persephone whispered, staring at his gorgeous face.


    Santiago sighed. No one better than his Red knew how to spoil a romantic environment. Just look at her now. He was expecting a confession, not a damn death wish. It was a good thing that he had long accepted the fact his Red would surely speak something unknowingly to kill the romance of the surrounding. Oh, she did. Gosh, he still loved her.


    How could he not? She was custom made for him.


    Dammit, he couldn''t resist. He pulled her into his arms and she placed her head on his chest, trembling. She was sobbing like a baby. He scared her big time today.


    "What would have I done if you had died?" Persephone accused him. She was crying and scolding him. Yes, it was his fault that she thought he died. Just the thought that she was gonna spend the rest of her life without him by her side gave her a heart attack. No, she couldn''t even imagine it.


    "Red, how is it my fault? Do you know only the dead don''t know that he is dead?" Santiago asked. Well, it wasn''t his fault that one day he would die like everyone else.


    It was also true that only the dead don''t know that they were dead when everyone else knew just like a stupid person didn''t know that he was the one. And right now, she was being stupid.


    Persephone hit his chest, still crying. "How dare you say that?"


    Yes, he wasn''t even allowed to speak the D-word.


    [You dirty-minded, D for death! ]


    Santiago looked at her with a troubled look and asked, "Then, what am I supposed to say?"


    "You are supposed to say that you will never leave me!" Persephone said and from the looks on her face, he could tell that she didn''t expect any objections.


    "Baby, how can I say that?" Santiago asked, kissing her salty cheeks. He didn''t like when she cried even when it was for him.


    "Does it mean you are going to leave me?" Persephone whispered. Silent tears streamed down her cheeks making his heart squeeze. Did he mention he couldn''t see this woman cry?


    "Never willingly," Santiago said, staring deep into her eyes. He wished that she could see in his eyes how much he loved her and how he could never leave her as they were bound to each other for eternity. "I will never leave you as long as I am alive. Do you think I can leave the woman I love the most in this world?"


    Persephone shook her head. She knew that he loved her to the point of being insane.


    "But you must know that I can''t control life and death. If one day I died, just remember that I loved you wholeheartedly," Santiago replied. " As long as I am alive, I will only be yours. I will love you the most in this world. You must also know that no one can love you more than me."


    Persephone nodded her head. She hugged him tightly and whispered, "I love you more. I can''t imagine a life without you, Santiago! You are not allowed to ever leave me."


    Santiago broke the hug and looked at her with teary eyes. She finally said that she loved him. How many days and nights he had dreamed about this moment. He couldn''t control himself now. He gave her a passionate kiss and replied in a hoarse voice, "Never baby! I''m all yours!"


    "And I am yours," Persephone whispered, closing her eyes.


    "Thank you for being mine. I swear that I will always cherish you," Santiago said, their eyes meeting once again. "I can''t explain to you how happy I am today."


    "I always loved you. Like always. I am sure I loved you when you sent me back to New York," Persephone said in almost a whisper.


    "Then, why did you take so much time?" Santiago asked her. Even though he knew that his Red loved him, he wasn''t sure why she was taking too much time to answer him. However, he chose to be patient. He wasn''t lying when he said he would wait for her forever.


    "Because I didn''t have any memory of the one month we spent together. I want to remember everything before making a decision," Persephone whispered. "I didn''t remember the past you. I only remembered the asshole who demanded that I marry him."


    She was still angry at the episode wherein the dark room in Lucian''s wing, Santiago demanded that she married him. And it was one night before he was going to marry Sophia. He was one demanding asshole. But gosh, she loved the asshole now.


    "Do you remember now?" Santiago asked, hopefully.


    "I don''t," Persephone replied with a sad smile. "I wanted to remember everything not because it will have any effect on my answer but for your sake. "


    He gave her a baffled look as he didn''t understand what she was trying to say. However, he let her speak, not disturbing her pace.


    "I don''t want you to think that you manipulated me into this relationship, " Persephone explained further. " You never did. It was always I who had jumped into anything without thinking about the consequences. I am wild and careless and so big trouble."


    Her words made Santiago chuckle who nodded his head in reply. It was true that she was a trouble.. But she was his trouble only.

 Chapter 257 - The End (part Two)

    "I know that no one could make me do something that I don''t," Persephone said next, making Santiago tremble. "I married you because I couldn''t bear to see you with Sofia. I was jealous of my own sister. Does it even make sense? That episode at the mall when I was wearing that dress, you made me want you so badly that I can''t think straight. I wasn''t ready to accept the fact that I was lusting for my sister''s husband."


    She wrinkled her cute nose as she felt that she said something wrong and corrected, "No, you are only my husband. Not anyone else!"


    She took a deep breath and then continued, " I hated you because I wanted you to be good to me. Only me. No one else. Because I wanted this Villain to be good to me only in this world. Isn''t it fucked up?"


    Santiago shook his head. He didn''t find anything wrong with her words.


    "Why is every emotional fluctuation I have had something to do with you?" She questioned him and he gave her a teary smile in return.


    She paused for a moment again, taking deep breaths and then dropped the bomb, "Santiago, can you accept a Persephone who doesn''t have any idea of her past? I am willing to give myself a chance. Are you willing to give me a chance? A chance for Persephone and Santiago. Not the two childhood sweethearts who met at the darkest point of life and ended up becoming each other''s life in this gloomy world. Or Villain or Red who once loved each other and then one of them forgot about it. Or even Eleanora''s parents who needed to think of a way to raise her."


    "I''m," Santiago whispered as he kissed her head. "I want a chance for Persephone and Santiago."


    There was nothing more than this moment that he ever fathomed to have. He was getting all that he ever desired and he didn''t know how to handle all the happiness. He was shell shocked.


    Persephone smiled and moved to hug him. She was so happy. She loved this man to death.


    They were going to give both of them a chance. They will have a happy family. What else did he want?


    Santiago showered kisses all over her face making her giggle and then kissed her lips passionately. For the first time, they kissed tenderly and slowly. As they broke the kiss, he heard her say, "I love you, Santiago! I love you so much!"


    "I love you too, Wifey!" Santiago grinned.


    "Can you repeat?" Persephone said.


    "I love you wifey!"


    "One last time."


    "I love you, Mia moglie."


    Moglie means Wife in Italian.


    This caused Persephone to smile endlessly as she rested on chest. As she lay there comfortably, he stiffened all of a sudden as he broke the hug and looked at her with wide eyes. "Wait a moment. I will be back!"


    She didn''t know what happened but he ran at such a frightening speed. He ran to their bedroom and she could hear him fumbling through his closet even from the living room. After what seemed like half an hour, Santigo came running to the living room while she was sitting on the couch, the same place where he left her.


    She could tell that he was up to something when she saw his grin.


    He smiled widely at her and the next moment she knew, he was on his knees.


    Her eyes went wide funnily.


    She didn''t want to spoil the surprise by yelling and bouncing on the sofa.


    He had a beautiful ring in his hand and was kneeling right before her. He looked so good on his knees. Oh, no, not like that. Whatever now!


    "Persephone Juliet Marino, would you do me the honour of becoming my wife?" Santiago asked her with a smile on his face while she was doing a bad job at stopping her excitement. "I promise that I will love you and care for you no matter what the situation is. I will show you each moment we had together what it meant to be loved. You showed me what a family is like. Would you like to be my best friend, my soulmate, my lover, my family, the mother of our children and most importantly my wife?"


    Persephone laughed and cried and laughed again as she extended her hand. He slipped the beautiful ring on her finger and kissed her senselessly.


    See, she didn''t need to be romantic. She got such a handsome man for that task. He knew how to be romantic and loving. Their song started playing and he asked her for a dance. [Slow Dance in the parking dance.]


    "Santiago?" Persephone murmured his name.


    "Hmm?"


    "I want this song to be our wedding song. I don''t think any other song will make sense," She said.


    "You are right. This is our song. Other songs won''t make sense at our wedding."


    "Let''s have a beach wedding," She suddenly said.


    "We certainly are going to have a beach wedding," Santigo replied to her with a smile.


    "Do you find something familiar with this ring?" Santiago asked her after a while.


    It was only now that Persephone looked at the sapphire fitted inside the ring. "Isn''t the sapphire the same as the locket I used to have?"


    Santiago nodded. "You threw it away in anger. Thankfully, I found it. I got it remade into a ring. "


    "But Sapphire was bigger in size," Persephone narrowed her eyes.


    "Oh, I got Eleanora a necklace with the remaining piece of the sapphire. I couldn''t part with that necklace," Santiago answered her honestly. " That necklace was the only souvenir you asked me when I sent you away. It served its purpose as a beautiful memory to me and you. "


    "But I don''t want to give you the same necklace so I gave you the ring. And a necklace for our daughter. Because if the pendant was your souvenir, Eleanora was mine," Santiago further said. "So, the sapphire reached where it always belonged. "


    "Santiago?" She said.


    "Hmm?"


    "If the speech is over, can we kiss?" She asked so innocently that he didn''t know what to do with her.


    "You are incorrigible Percy!" Santiago said but crashed his mouth with hers. He then picked her in his arms in the legendary bridal style and walked into his bedroom, shutting the door with his feet in the process.


    They finally got their much deserved happily ever after.


    ¡­.


    Author Note: The Villain officially ends. You might be wondering why I divided the book into three volumes. First Volume is the story of Villain and Red. The captor falling for his captive. The innocent girl lured by the wickedness of a villain. How Red abandoned her heavenly world for the hell this Villain had to offer her. But the taste of the Hell was something she wasn''t able to forget.


    The second Volume was Santiago setting the only thing he ever wanted and loved free. Both of them needed to confront their ghosts and set their hearts and souls free. They freed them but paid a heavy price. Everyone can fight the demons and win. But can you win unscathed? The war both of them fought made them bleed and left the scar which will never heal.


    The third volume was a chance that God had given them. Eleanora was the chance God had given to both of them. However, it was up to them if they would let themselves be loved after dealing with the scars of the war.


    I know most of you wondered why we never get the scenes of Salvatore fighting with Don Marino. I thought it was unnecessary as it had nothing to do with Santiago and Persephone.


    Now, for supporting me and loving the story, I would like to give you a few bonus chapters or epilogues.


    PS: If you want to see more of Santiago and Persephone, add *The Kiss of Deception* to your libraries. They will be playing supporting roles in the book. Can you imagine Callum''s life without Santiago? Yup, in the same way Santaigo couldn''t be imagined without his best friends.


    Thank you so much!


    With Love,


    Tanu Sam.

 Chapter 258 - Epilogue (one)

    Three years later.


    Persephone was wiping the dust from the photo album that she had found in the almirah today.


    "What''s that, mommy?" Eleanor asked her mom in the cutest voice, pointing at the big and beautiful picture book.


    "That''s mommy and dada''s wedding album," Persephone told her big girl. Eleanor would be four in a few months. She was the most gorgeous little girl anyone had ever seen. Her bright blue eyes and wild red curls were her most beautiful features. And if she smiled with those dimples, she was lethal. Especially on her dad''s heart.


    "Mommy, can I see this? Please. Pretty please," Eleanora said. If her facial features resembled her dad more then her antics were more of Persephone. She had learned the art of puppy eyes from her mom.


    As if anyone could ever resist the puppy eyes of both mom and daughter.


    Persephone sighed with a smile and started showing Eleanora the pictures that the girl had seen hundreds of times before.


    "Mommy is so pretty," Eleanora sighed like her daddy at her mom''s beauty. No, she didn''t sigh like her dad. She learned it from her dad. Whenever her mommy would be looking pretty, her dad would sigh deeply while clutching his heart. And she learned it from her dad.


    However, it couldn''t be denied that Persephone wasn''t looking heavenly in her blush wedding dress. She and Santiago had a beach wedding. It wasn''t a very intimate affair like the previous one.


    "Thank you, Norie," Persephone smiled at her daughter. "Mommy, I want the same dress."


    "That''s a wedding dress," Persephone said. "Little girls don''t wear wedding dresses. Only brides can wear them. And you are too young to be a bride."


    "Mommy, Eleanora wants to be a bride," Eleanora stubbornly said.


    "No wedding. And no brides," Persephone said, making her stance clear.


    "I will ask Dada," Eleanora said, climbing down the bed. She ran out of the door to ask Santiago.


    Why did kids think that their dad will give them permission for whatever they wanted?


    Persephone didn''t mind Eleanora''s sudden urge to become a bride and focus on their beautiful wedding pictures. She and Santiago looked so in love here. It wasn''t just pictures, but even in real life, they were so in love. He fulfilled every promise he made to her. He loved and cherished her even more than she had ever anticipated. And she would be damned if she said that she didn''t love that man equally.


    Their life wasn''t wine and roses but it wasn''t difficult either with each other. They faced bigger hurdles in these four years but they stood by each other''s sides and refused to leave each other, no matter how dire the situation.


    She didn''t know what happily ever after people talk about. Every day was a challenge but if you have someone who you love and someone who loves you by your side, these challenges become bearable.


    She loved Santiago with every fibre of her being. She knew he wasn''t a good man but she also knew that he was the best husband, an amazing father and a family man. What''s more that she could ask for? She didn''t want to be stuck in the dilemma of right or wrong even when she knew her heart would always belong to him. She made sacrifices for him and he made sacrifices for her.


    Once Santiago said she was his redemption and she believed it. And why wouldn''t she when he was her freedom and peace?


    They found what they were looking for all around the world in each other. Life was good. Life was so good with him.


    Persephone turned her head when she heard the footsteps of her daughter. She was walking to him. "What did your dada say?"


    "He said if I want to be a bride I need to be fifty years old first," Eleanora said. "When will I be fifty years old, mommy?"


    "On your 50th birthday," Persephone replied and Eleanora let out an ''oh''.


    Eleanora so easily believed Santigo without any tantrums that Persephone wasn''t even a bit baffled. This was something she had been seeing ever since his girl was born. If Santiago said that the Sun rises from the west, Eleanora would refuse to believe otherwise. In this universe, anyone can be wrong but her father.


    "Oh, I will wait until then," Eleanora said after a while. "But you must buy me a beautiful dress."


    "Sure, I will, "Persephone nodded her head.


    "Since I can''t be a beautiful bride like my mommy, can we have ice cream?" Eleanora asked so cutely and smoothly that Persephone was left in awe of her daughter''s talent.


    "Just one bite, "Persephone ended up saying. She understood what Santiago felt when she used to throw tantrums and refused to eat what Santiago said.


    "Mom, can we go to Uncle Callum''s house after lunch?" Eleanora said, batting her eyelashes. "I heard from my sources that he bought me a special dollhouse for my birthday."


    "It''s Sunday. It''s rude to disturb someone''s weekend," Persephone tried to make her daughter see that.


    "I''m sure Uncle Callum won''t mind. Didn''t he say I am his favourite girl?" Eleanora sassed.


    "Eleanora Vitello, if you disturbed your uncle Callum''s rest, I will ask your big bro San to not come to our house to take you to his football match, "Persephone said. Junior and Eleanora were inseparable despite them having a huge age gap.


    "No! No! You can''t! Big bro San, I and Emy are going to see his football game," Eleanora said, waving her hand frantically. "Please. Please. I won''t go to Uncle Callum''s house."


    "Good girl, "Persephone said, tucking her daughter''s curls behind her ear. "Now go and get ready. You don''t want to be late."


    "Yup! I must look awesome," Eleanora said, running out of her room.


    Persephone looked at the photo album and smiled at it before placing it back in the almirah, where it belonged. One day, she would open it again to show her children their wedding day.

 Chapter 259 - Epilogue(Two)

    "Mrs Vitello, you look gorgeous today."


    Persephone found Santiago leaning against the door. She laughed at his approach and retorted," You don''t look bad yourself, Mr Vitello."


    "Did she see the pictures again?" Santigo asked, waking ahead.


    "Or why else would she be reminded of becoming a bride every seven days?" Persephone said. "I''m telling, the girl has a fish memory."


    Santiago laughed and pulled her into his arms. "Just like someone I love."


    Persephone pretended to be mad but wrapped her arms against his waist. As he was about to kiss her, they heard a loud cry, separating them.


    "I swear this boy knows when to disturb, "Santiago muttered under his breath, making Persephone giggle.


    "This boy also wants you like his sister does, "Persephone said with an eye roll. They walked to the crib placed beside the bed and took out the crying and hungry baby. "My beautiful baby is hungry," She cooed, making Santiago instantly hard. This was very wrong timing. He couldn''t help but leave the room, away from the sight where his wife''s beautiful boobs didn''t tease him.


    Persephone laughed when she saw Santiago leaving. She looked at the adorable bun in her lap, sucking on her breast for milk and kissed his head.


    Saint Vitello was a beautiful baby with a head full of his dad''s dark hair and eyes similar to his mom. He wasn''t chubby like his sister when she was his age. He had a beautiful smile. Button nose and well-arched brows even at this age. Whereas Eleanora was Santiago''s reflection Saint had the best features of both his parents.


    His arrival had brought a lot of happiness to their lives.


    After feeding him, she played with him for a long time and was still playing with him when Santiago returned from dropping Eleanora at Nash''s house instead of letting Junior come here.


    "Ah, he is still awake," Santiago asked when he saw his son wide awake. "I thought my son only knows how to sleep."


    "Why is he so lazy?" Persephone couldn''t help but ask.


    "It''s alright if he doesn''t like to play with others and he can be as lazy as he wishes. His parents don''t mind," Santiago said, smiling at his son and winking at his wife.


    He kissed his son who was rubbing his eyes meaning he wanted to sleep. So, he rocked him in his arms and put him to sleep. He knew that if Persephone tried to put their son to sleep, she would end up sleeping and sneaky Saint Vitello would not play and keep on playing with his mom''s hair. Once his son was asleep, he placed him in the crib and pulled his wife to kiss her deeply.


    "I love you," Santiago murmured, staring at her beautiful face. "Gosh, is it even possible to love someone so much?"


    "How about I ask you the same question tomorrow?" Persephone asked and he kissed his nose.


    "I''m sure I would love you more tomorrow," Santiago replied, kissing her collarbones.


    Persephone stifled a moan as she recalled that their son was still inside the same room. "You are ridiculous, Santiago."


    "I''m ridiculously in love with you," He murmured as his hands palmed her perfect breast.


    "Give me a break, hot man! It''s still day out there," Persephone said, suppressing the moans as his mouth worked on her breasts. She put her palm on his mouth when he didn''t stop. Due to two pregnancies, her body had gone through major changes. She wasn''t the same skinny woman from five years ago. She was filled at all the places now. He licked and bit her swollen and protruded nipples.


    "Red, you can let him suck your nipples but not me? Isn''t quite unfair," Santiago murmured dangerously as he scooped her in his arms and brought her straight to the room next to their bedroom. He even asked the maid to keep an eye on Saint. Opening the door he placed his hot and sexy wife in the middle of the bed and got rid of his clothes.


    "Tell me, Red, aren''t you being unfair to me?" Santiago murmured, kissing her mouth. With a swift move, he got her naked under him.


    Persephone replied to him with moans as his fingers did her magic on her core. She felt him widening her legs and entering her core. This was a swift and smooth move. There was no time for roleplay. They were parents now. And their children could disturb them anytime. Thus, they must finish the game they started.


    "Santiago, hurry!" Persephone reminded him.


    He didn''t listen to her and took his sweet time in exploring her new darkened and swollen nipples. He could taste the liquid inside them too. His hardness slid in and out, teasing her with the stimulation. And then with a jerk, he entered her again, making her eyes widened.


    She moaned and shouted his name while he grunted and groaned when she tightened him too much inside him.


    She came first but he didn''t stop and moved inside her until he food his release. The activity which was planned for several minutes extended to three hours with Saint asleep and Eleanora out with her cousins.


    They were lying on the bed next to each other. She slowly slid inside his arms and kissed his jaw. "I love you too."


    Santiago smiled at her. She was surely up to something. Just wait for her to demand something.


    "Can we go to the island this week? We didn''t go there after Saint came to our lives," Persephone asked, giving her perfect puppy eyes.


    "Sure, baby." Santiago smirked. "We are dropping out kids at whose house this time?"


    "We babysit Aiden last Friday when Nash and Valencia were on date," Persephone kindly reminded him.


    Aiden was Valencia and Nash''s son. He was only a few months older than Saint.


    "This reminds me Killian invited us for dinner tonight. I just remembered now," Santiago said, scratching his head. "He said Emma has been worrying too much with Neo."


    Neo, short for Nataniel Palmero, was Killian and Emma''s son. After years of struggling with infertility, they were blessed with a baby boy when a teen mom left her baby outside the same hospital where they were getting treatment for infertility. They didn''t waste any time and adopted the baby.


    In the beginning, it was difficult to feed the baby as he refused to get fed by the formula. Aiden and Saint were very young too back then, Valencia and Persephone both nursed Neo for several months. Everyone offered their help that time as baby Neo was very weak. Emma, who had seen the sunshine with the arrival of Neo, wasn''t ready to give him up.


    However, everything was fine right now. Baby Neo was healthy now. He could crawl on his four while Aiden could walk now. It was her lazy ass only who refused to move.. Yes by lazy ass she meant her Saint.

 Chapter 260 - Epilogue (Three)

    Ten years later!


    "Dad!!!!"


    "What happened?!" Santiago came running when he heard his son''s loud scream. It had to be serious because his son was too lazy like his mom. However, Persephone was lazy with anything but talking. His son was the complete opposite. He was also with everything!


    "Abella can''t climb down the tree," Saint said and Santiago sighed in relief that it was not anything serious.


    Wait what?


    Abella?


    Tree?


    Climb down?


    Saint would have rolled his eyes at his father''s reaction if he wasn''t yawning. He gave Santiago the look that says yes you heard it right. "Oh, she is stuck on the guava tree. Said I would not share guavas with anyone because her mom planted the tree!"


    "Why did you not help her?" Santiago asked his son who was very adorable but was equally infuriating too.


    "Why should I?" Saint Vitello raised his brow. "I asked her to pass me my iPad, did she?"


    "That was forever ago!" Santiago tried to reason with his over smart son. "And your iPad was placed right behind your laptop. Most importantly, you were working on your laptop."


    "My wrist was sore from writing homework," Saint replied lazily.


    Yes, this was his son. Why did he agree forever ago that he didn''t mind a lazy son? He did mind now! His son was not cool at all! And his cool daughter pulled dangerous stunts like dating!


    "My dear son, tell me why I thought that you were my favourite kid for a single second?" Santiago said, his hands on his waist.


    "Come on, dad, stop buttering me up. We all know that Eleanora is your favourite," Saint said. Nope, he didn''t feel bad on calling his father out on his shit.


    "Buttering you up? Boo, are you a toast that I would need to butter you up?" Santiago grinned. His son hated this nickname.


    "Yes, I am toast and my mother''s favourite child is stuck on the guava tree," Saint said. Oh, only he knew how much he disliked engaging in arguments. Fine, if he was toast. He didn''t want to argue with his dad who liked to get a rise out of him.


    Santiago''s eyes widened and he sprinted towards the garden where his youngest kid was stuck on a damned guava tree. He saw Abella sitting on the branch and chewing on ripe guava. It didn''t look like this girl was in trouble.


    Wait a minute, how the hell did she climb up a seven feet tree?


    And why the hell did he agree with Persephone''s crazy idea of trees around the house?


    "Bella Bear, what are you doing up there?" Santiago very calmly asked. One thing he had understood all too well was that his youngest had a temper. You yell at her, she would treat you like air. You scold her, she will be like a statue. So, it''s always talking to her calmly and politely that works.


    "And what''s that in that paper pouch?" Santiago asked when he saw her sprinkling something on her guava and then chewing on it.


    "Salt, Papa," Abella said with a duh tone.


    Look at his cool daughter. He would prefer a very uncool child at this moment.


    "Did you at least wash your fruit?" Santiago asked. Again very calmly and politely.


    "Oh papa, there is no water supply here. I waited for the rain but it didn''t come and so I just eat it straight away. You see, all the bacteria and small creatures that we can''t see with our eyes are making my immune system strong. You must not worry."


    Yes. Yes. This was his seven years old talking. Didn''t it sound like some doctor or stuff?


    "Bella Bear, let papa help you to come down. It''s dangerous up there. I told you that such stunts are banned in our home and you are not allowed to do it?" Santiago said as if he was negotiating a business contract.


    Oh please, those sneaky businessmen were easier to deal with than his hellraiser.


    "Papa, I asked Saint to help me climb up the tree and he did. He didn''t say anything about the lines you just said. But now he refuses to help me climb down," Abella complained.


    Gosh, he loved this girl to death. She wouldn''t blink an eye while stitching on her siblings. He wasn''t ashamed to admit that Abella kept him all updated on his children''s life.


    "You must have said something you should not," Santiago narrowed his eyes at her.


    "He called me shorty and I called him Big bro Boo," Abella sounded very pleased to retort to her over smart brother. "I didn''t say a word. Isn''t his nickname Boo just like Eleanora''s is Norie? Norie like Dorie torie."


    Santiago rubbed his head in ache. He understood the matter now. Abella made fun of his siblings and they refused to help her out. Very good. Eleanor and Saint were a team while Abella the hellraiser was left out again. And she was retaliating in her own way which was very wrong.


    "Papa, I will jump and you catch me in your arms," Abella said and jumped down. She didn''t give Santiago a chance to even prepare. Thanks to his reflex actions, he caught her on time.


    "You are so strong, Papa," Abella rewarded him with a kiss and all his initial anger vanished. "You know what, Mr Vitello? You are my absolute favourite hero. You always save me from falling."


    She was talking like her mother at this time. She knew how much her father loved her mother and so she knew which parentage needed to have in the palm of her hand. Luckily, she could make Persephone dance on her strings.


    Santiago''s chest was filled with warmth as he picked his hellraiser in his arms and dropped a peck on her nose. She was Persephone''s carbon copy. Same eyes. Same hair. Even the same facial features. Let''s not forget their antics! They were otherworldly.


    "And you are my favourite devilish angel," Santiago said, walking inside the house.


    Abella laughed. "I''m your only devilish angel."


    "That you are!"


    "I better be the only one! I don''t like sharing!"